Virginia Organizing

I love this organization and everything it stands for! I have been with the organization for 9 years, and I am so proud of how we lift the voices of those directly impacted by the issues we see in the community every day. The fellowship is absolutely outstanding.

Virginia Organizing is a great way to contribute towards positive change for your local community and state! I have been volunteering for just over two years and it has been a great experience. The individual chapters connect you with other local folks who want to see positive social justice change. Local chapters work on member-led campaigns focused on a local community issue. VO also has many opportunities to connect with people across the state with their state campaigns (e.g., environmental justice) and educational workshops, meetings with representatives (local and state), and annual ‘lobby day’ at the general assembly. They welcome everyone, no prior experience needed. They help you learn how to use your voice towards action. It’s a great way to get involved in your community and learn and contribute towards supporting non-partisan legislation that protects and helps people.

When I first moved to Fredericksburg I discovered Virginia Organizing. They were doing projects which directly helped local people. Often it was groups that had uphill climbs because the challenges were to people in working snd overlooked positions, or groups that needed structure for their voices to be heard. Then I discovered that it had a statewide effort on bigger issues which required more planning or legislative action. The people who volunteer are from all social, economic, racial, age and cultural groups. The local and statewide work is what interested me because it gets things done, instead of just handwringing.

Virginia Organizing is a great place to do your internship. I learned a great deal and met so many wonderful people.

I recently attended Virginia Organizing's Grassroots Gathering and had a great experience! I've attended several VO-led events and I am always impressed at how their actions, educational sessions, and trainings are member-led. They also consistently make sure their work is accessible by providing language justice services, childcare, transit to events, and more. A VO organizer recently moved to my community and I'm so thankful to now have VO's deep organizing ethos in my backyard and the opportunity to work with them in my community.

Virginia Organizing brings people together to make real, lasting changes all over the state. The organization has incredible members and staff building a more just Virginia every single day. I am so proud to be a part of Virginia Organizing!

Wonderful values, could use more experimental, arts based action methods.

I have been a member of my local chapter for six years. I admire the people who run VO, and their combination of expertise and what could be called their "democratic" stance with respect to both their volunteers and those who are directly affected, whose problems we are trying to ameliorate. It is a very tricky balance to maintain!

Virginia Organizing does great work in my community. Keep fighting the good fight.

Virginia Organizing organizes around the principle that the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. As a college student interning for the summer, I have loved working with Virginia Organizing. It focuses on building people power, and its model of democratic decision making really centers community members. From 1:1 conversations to member-led chapter meetings, Virginia Organizing understands that community change is most effective when it is grassroots.

While interning at Virginia Organizing, I learned the power of base building. I have learned that a critical way to develop a strong base is to care for members and build a reliable, supportive community where people feel empowered to share their experiences and ideas. The organization welcomes new and long-time organizers and fosters collaboration within and between chapters. My internship experience reaffirmed the significance of community involvement in policy development and implementation.

I am so thankful to be a volunteer member of Virginia Organizing in the far Southwest District. I moved down here about 5 years ago, when it had some of the old-timers, grass root peoples that were very inspirational. But then it began to flounder for a bit. I am grateful that Terran Young took up the baton to carry it on. She very much inspires the voice and activity of others without running the show. That's just my blunt way to put it. The right kind of leadership that raises other leaders.
The organization itself really does care about the social well being, and environmental concerns of the people.
I have personally invited a lot of people to be a part of it as well.

Caring, genuine, intelligent, and helpful organization. These people work so hard everyday and it shows. Thank you for all you guys do!!

Virginia Organizing continues to offer me the space to grow as an organizer and community member. From my time as an intern to now running a whole chapter, I appreciate being a part of an organization that amplifies the voices of our community. I am excited to see how our work continues to emerge and grow with our chapters.

Virginia Organizing cares deeply about the people who work with them and the people they serve. They are committed, responsive, and determined to make Virginia a more equal place for all. They listen to everyday people who have real experience with injustice like eviction and discrimination and help them fight for the changes they want to see around them.

My work with Virginia Organizing has shown me the value of banding together as a community and organizing for a better future. Virginia Organizing embodies the spirit of true community collaboration, taking every voice into account and acting based on the collective wants of each chapter. They truly listen to what problems are facing communities and encourage members to work together for their own liberation. Working with Virginia Organizing is a life-changing experience, both in terms of changing policy and in terms of changing your view of the world!

I am proud to be a member of VO. The org and its chapters empower the people who know their community to affect real, lasting, and positive change.

Virginia Organizing continues to help communities use their own voice to make impacts in their communities. I’m a proud member/supporter of Virginia Organizing’s chapter in Wise County and a continuing advocate for their work across the Commonwealth.

Virginia Organizing is doing amazing work in the coalfields region by empowering local residents and showing what a truly community-based organizing movement should look like!

Virginia Organizing is an amazing place doing wonderful things for all Virginians. The people that work there are caring and so passionate to help. I keep up with them and I always look forward to seeing their next challenge and how they win. Keep up the good work.

The hard work of the organizers, leaders, and members is admirable. Keep building power!

Virginia organizing is a great organization that puts people first. I’m so happy to be apart of Virginia Organizing and all they do!

I have volunteered with Virginia Organizing for a number of years now, on issues ranging from predatory lending to the school to prison pipeline. It is a wonderful organization that helps to give a voice to those who are often overlooked and bear the brunt of decisions that are made where they are able to have little input or impact. These decisions are often not in their best interests but come about because these citizens do not have the influence necessary to be recognized, due to income inequality, race, or religion. Virginia Organizing is all about justice and helps to make our commonwealth a better place to live.

All of my experiences with Virginia Organizing have been wonderful. This group has played a key role in assisting me as an emerging leader within my community. Virginia Organizing staffers are generous with their time and resources, and intentional in making me feel welcomed and included. Virginia Organizing provides me with a valuable resource, sounding board, and network.

Virginia Organizing encourages the participation of those who have had little or no voice in society. It builds relationships with individuals and groups throughout the state. It encourages local people to make local change. I am so happy to be apart of this organization.

Something that makes Virginia Organizing special is that it isn't a one issue organization. They focus on issues that people within each community care about. They are not just outsiders stepping in, their members are people from the communities. Who knows what a community needs more than the people themselves? I especially appreciate their focus on empowering people that are directly affected by the issues they fight for. Virginia Organizing helps me build connections with people I wouldn't have met. These connections help me know what is going on in my town and empower me to make a difference.

Virginia Organizing is an amazing organization with great people working on so many issues on our local community! I'm happy to volunteer at VO becouse they makes me feel has a family member and they care about minorities rights. They support latin community so much on many campaigns as "Driver Licences for all" and housing problems during and after the Covid pandemic. They never stop working for the people in needs rights.

As a resident of Portsmouth, Virginia, I was very excited to be one of the founding members of our local chapter. Since day one, our chapter, as well as the other chapters of this great organization, have been on the front lines of many various social justice issues. Working with everyday people from all walks of life to create change is something that I have always been interested in. Virginia Organizing is a place where you can become involved in your community and join in with others to have your voice heard by the elected and appointed leadership. Being non partisan is also very important because in order to create change, you have to be able to work with those across various political spectrums in order to see the greatest effect. The best part about being a member of Virginia Organizing is you learn the power of organizing. That is something we all need to remember as we the citizens have the greatest power to do just that and it gets results!

I was amazed when I learned about the work Virginia Organizing was doing. I started as a donor, then became an intern. Virginia Organizing's ability to build power in communities by bringing people together to create lasting change is nothing short of amazing.
If you are looking for a place to volunteer or intern in Virginia, I highly recommend checking them out.

I have been involved in Virginia Organizing off and on for several years. Recently, I was excited about our local Virginia Organizing chapter’s efforts to connect people in the local banking community with people who have faced discrimination in getting loans such as mortgages and for business start-ups. On a Zoom panel, it was great to see so many attending, and to hear how those on the panel say they are trying to improve credit and capital in our area for people of color. I think Virginia Organizing, in big and small ways, has made a difference in our community.

There are many organizations that have a focus on working for or with communities. Virginia Organizing is one of the few that takes direct community involvement seriously and makes community-driven, community-led, community-included work the top priority and focused model for how Virginia Organizing chapters and state-level projects and goals are thought of, discussed, and selected. Community members who participate in Virginia Organizing chapters are referred to as community or chapter leaders. Chapter and state-level organizers and board members are part of and come from the communities they work with. Virginia Organizing chapters and state level events regularly reach out to community members to bring in new voices in addition to regular participants. This includes particularly reaching out to and putting effort into building and maintaining longterm relationships with communities and individuals who are often underrepresented in local / regional / state governments or community advocacy programs, including individuals and groups of different gender identities, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, with different first languages, with disabilities, of different ages, and more. Virginia Organizing chapters prioritize time to build relationships between community members and for community members to learn together and from each other about power structures, governmental and community systems, what is needed in the community, ideas for change, and strategies to advocate together to win changes we want to see. Virginia Organizing also participates in or leads coalitions across community-based organizations with similar goals and missions. And, staff members for Virginia Organizing are supported in their work through training, professional development, and a livable salary and benefits. If you live in Virginia, and you're looking for a way to learn more about your community and connect with others, share ideas, or contribute to your community and campaigns for community-driven goals, I highly recommend joining your nearest Virginia Organizing chapter.

Virginia Organizing is an amazing organization that centers directly affected people in figuring out solutions to problems. I enjoy working for my communiity, meeting new people, and changing power dynamics so that the people around me have what they need. The commitment, the enthusiasm, and the persistence keep us moving forward as we work on issues such as school-to-prison pipelines, environmental justice, healthcare, racism, and immigration. I'm proud to be with such great people!

Virginia Organizing helps people in Virginia communities advocate for issues that have a great impact on its people. They help people find their voice, gather and unify with other groups of like minded people to take a stand against injustices in areas such as climate, evironment, human and civil rights, education, healthcare, etc. We have been able to make great strides in the areas of transportation in Suffolk, and are currently working on Civilian Review Boards, Voting, surveys about policing and concerns surrounding our City's lethargic action on hiring a police chief. I enjoy working with this organization and the benefits it provides to our working class and marginalized community.

I joined Virginia Organizing in August 2019 and immediately met so many amazing people and got involved in wonderful causes such as medicare expansion, payday loans, improving transportation, LGBTQ rights, school to prison pipeline and many other rights issues. VO is incredibly organized and gives me clear guidelines on how to right letters to the editor and mage requests of our legislators. The progress we have made in the past two years just makes me want to work harder with my many new friends.

As a woman of African descent there have been times in my life when I have felt that I did not have a voice. I have learning grassroots organizing, how our government works. Va Organizing has taught me that I do have a voice, I have only to speak up. Va Organizing has taught me that we are indeed better together and united we can make a difference.

Virginia Organizing is a great non-profit to be involved with! I went to my first chapter meeting in 2019 and have continued to get more involved as time goes by. I had been looking for a way to be more involved in my community for a while, so I was very excited to be invited to a chapter meeting. Through this organization I have made many new connections and friendships. I have been able to see and feel my voice be heard both locally and state-wide. The learning opportunities that V.O. provides are great! They teach you about the history of policies in Virginia, how to get others involved, there are workshops held to teach new skills and experts and guest speakers are included in these as well! I love that my community can come together and share what we value and want to see happen around us and have the support of this great organization behind us to navigate any red tape. Virginia Organizing does an amazing job at ensuring that the voices of historically marginalized and oppressed communities are being heard by our community leaders.

I joined Virginia Organizing not long after the 2016 election. I was shocked at the election's outcome and wanted to be involved in something positive and something that would help me feel like I
was making a difference.
Five years
years later I am still an active member of the Waynesboro Chapter. I have learned so much and have been given so many opportunities to participate with local and state government and been to many wonderful trainings. I had no experience with community organizing before I started with Virginia Organizing. It has given me a sense of empowerment which has replaced the helplessness that made me feel such despair after the election. I can highly recommend this organization and its work to anyone who wants to learn about the workings of their local government, the issues that affect their lives and about the people in their community.

Virginia Organizing is an incredible grassroots organization that I have been incredibly lucky to work with during my time in high school. All the staff and volunteers are welcoming and truly passionate about the causes they care about. The organization really values empowering those most affected by certain issues and directly involves members in every aspect of decision-making/campaign building. The support I have received from almost everyone I have met in the organization is overwhelming and I would definitely recommend joining this group if you are interested in authentic grassroots work!

This nonprofit has completely changed my life in so many ways! The work they are doing is so inspiring and truly showcases the incredible power that comes from giving power back. I had an absolute joy working with Virginia Organizing community members across the Commonwealth of Virginia and can´t express enough the value of the work they are doing.

Virginia organizing gave me the tools to make sure the school system did not send my son down the school to prison pipe line. Providing me with the right individuals and information I needed to insure my son had a fair decision from the school board. This nonprofit gets things done and I assure you that you will make a difference also.

I can't say enough positive about the New River Valley work of this organization. While many organizers come into communities with a preconceived agenda that they want others to help push forward, this group is intentional about listening first and supporting local initiatives based on the concerns of the people most impacted by issues at hand. VA Organizing's approach takes much more time and skill and follow-through, but it lends itself to more transformative outcomes and relationships. I'm glad to have VA Organizing in this region and am looking forward to seeing future successes come from it.

Virginia Organizing truly cares about the communities and and citizens of Virginia!

I am a volunteer in the Waynesboro Virginia Organizing chapter. The chapter organizer has assisted me in understanding the power structure of local government organizations and how to build the chapter to effectively assist the community. The state organization has also provided with me with the knowledge and skills to be involved in such chapter activities as voting, determining key community issues and using the chapter to affect change. I look forward to finding and working with fellow members to have Waynesboro citizen needs met by the City Council and other local agencies.

I Love Virginia Organizing.
They’ve been out in our community helping with restoration of rights and voter registration. They’re helping keep residents in their homes by helping to stop evictions during Covid shutdown. They’ve recently started an education Campaign and I can’t wait to see where that goes!

I participated in Virginia Organizing, Southside, for several years while living in Martinsville. I appreciate the non-partisan approach to critical issues like restoration of rights and broad access to affordable healthcare. I recently took part in a Virginia Organizing sponsored webinar that offered timely conversation and information on the trauma of racism. As a lifetime advocate and activist it is helpful to receive quality resources related to the most significant issues we face in our civic and social life.

I've been volunteering with Virginia Organizing since February of 2020. I'm honored to be a part of an organization that does so much work not only for the people in need across the state, but also for those who want to help make their communities better in general. I had been active in community advocacy before, but with the help of VO I have learned valuable skills that I'm not sure I would have found anywhere else.

Virginia Organizing has spent the past 25 years fighting for social justice in Virginia. They prioritize deep, grassroots change in communities. VO lifts the voices of directly affected people and empowers us all to fight for a better Virginia. I am a proud member!

VO is an organization that has a bold statement of beliefs that facilitates and permeates its work. I love opportunities to affect change in my community with others from diverse backgrounds as an indication that we are in this together. The fellowship of community members to work collectively on efforts is encouraging whether going to city council meetings, writing letters to the editors, getting more training, or engaging people impacted by unjust situations. Our local organizer is terrific as we deal with worker rights, evictions, homelessness, immigration, and environmental justice issues.

I have a deep appreciation for the work of Virginia Organizing because of its commitment to social justice issues from the ground up. People who are adversely impacted by government policies and regulations that have tremendous impact on their financial security, their health and wellbeing, their ability to vote, and the safety and security of their neighborhoods find their voice and committed allies in their struggle for justice.

VA Organizing is a Great organization the works on Social Justice for ALL Virginians. We do what we say we will do, work hard for win win situations!!!

I have volunteered at Virginia Organizing for over 5 years now, after being an avid (and sometimes financial) supporter for about 15 years. I love everything they do, and I like and respect every staffer I've met. From my perspective, they have helped make important changes in Virginia, empowering people to improve their communities so all voices are heard, not just holding on to the status quo. People with extra money need to donate and those with extra time need to get involved, if the world we leave our children will be better than the one we inherited. Virginia Organizing works that way.

I have been interning with Virginia Organizing this summer and have witnessed the positive impact they are making across Virginia. All of the organizers and chapter leaders I have met are passionate about their work and dedicated to making change. They empower people to use their voice to be heard and work peacefully with others to achieve social justice. I was given the opportunity to go out into the community and assist in registering returning citizens to vote. I listened to several people’s stories and came to understand why it is important for them to have their rights restored. This experience opened my eyes to the importance of Virginia Organizing’s work. It was a life changing experience for me.

I've worked for VO, volunteered, and donated to it from early on because I believe it's the most important nonprofit in Virginia. Many nonprofits provide important services to the community, but VO goes beyond that by getting to the roots of injustice in people's sense of helplessness. VO is responsible for mentoring many of the people who are leaders now in Virginia in their work for social justice. The organizers at VO work tirelessly and effectively on behalf of the disabled, people of color, people seeking a living wage and affordable health care, the homeless, ex-felons who seek voting rights, immigrants, victims of predatory loans, and many others, but even more importantly they provide leaders in each of those groups with the tools to advocate for themselves.

As an administrative volunteer for Virginia Organizing, I get a close up view of the dedication, competence and compassion of the staff who give voice to those who seldom are heard by organizing those voices and raising them up so significant change can happen. I profoundly believe in the work of Virginia Organizing and the sound ethics that are demonstrated.

I am employed by an organization in V.O.'s administrative umbrella. I have been very impressed by their work ethic, commitment, and professionalism. Despite their small staff size and limited resources, they get things done quicker and better than the much larger, wealthier organizations I've worked for in the past.

I grew up in Virginia and moved to Atlanta GA in 2005; however, before moving to Atlanta, I was active in Virginia Organizing Project. I was impressed in all ways with the work of VOP when I was in Virginia, but now living in Georgia, I realize how important an organization like this is to making other non-profits working on statewide issues more effective. In addition, as I continue to follow VOP from a distance, I feel the work they are doing has a far reaching effect. Changes that happen in Virginia can happen other places. I cheer them on and know that whatever they accomplish will reach much further than just their constituency.

An organization that helps make positive change in the world - who wouldn't want to be part of that?
I've been volunteering with Virginia organizing for over 2 years and have become convinced that "giving voice to the voiceless" is a powerful tool in the work for social justice. This nonpartisan organization facilitates grass roots organizing in a highly competent, effective, and respectful way; giving people the information and skills needed to address local, state and national issuesVirginia. From distributing 300,000 copies of a Virginia Voter Guide, and registering voters, to organizing around issues such as health care reform, payday lending, the environment, economic security, cultural diversity, etc., Virginia Organizing also facilitates the work of many organizations in Virginia that foster social justice.
The VO staff is compassionate about and committed to their work; and because of that work thousands of voices are now heard.
I am proud to volunteer for an organization that empowers people to improve their community and change their world!

I have been a volunteer at Virginia Organizing since age 12. When I first joined, they were working on the living wage campaign, and since then they have worked on issues like health care reform, restoring voter rights, and ceasing predatory lending. I have had the pleasure of working at the Charlottesville area Virginia Organizing office, but I have met many people that work at other chapters and they all inspire me. Everyone here works hard to accomplish the goals they have set, they are respectful of each other's opinions and engage others interested in this organization so that they will have the opportunity to make change in their community. I am extremely impressed by all this organization has accomplished so far, and I look forward to seeing all that they will do in the future.

If I judged VOP by the quality of personal interactions as a volunteer I've encountered at their headquarters over the years, I would have to give them the whole box of gold stars. Each member of the staff has treated me as someone worth listening to every time I have walked in the door. I believe they treat everyone they work with in this personal, caring manner. It makes an individual want to help in every way possible. I'm also impressed with what an agile organization VOP is. In election years it's able to engage many groups across the state in discovering what is at stake for them and why voting matters. In the past year when health care insurance has been such a big news topic, VOP has worked tirelessly with rural and urban audiences to send messages to Congress about what they consider most critical in health care reform. Some might fault VOP for a left-leaning political bias despite being non-partisan. I, however, see it as serving a vital role in a state with right-to-work laws and little access to the kinds of services VOP provides.