To build the movement for healthcare as a human right we are harnessing the power of our personal stories. Stories make political issues personal and illustrate how the current system fails to guarantee healthcare for all of us.
We are organizing outreach teams for one-on-one health care conversation throughout New York State. Sign up here to volunteer for Outreach Canvassing. You will receive online training materials to start collecting stories using the Health Rights and Access Survey.
What is "Canvassing"? Canvassing refers to going door-to-door in a neighborhood and having conversations about important issues with community members. It is an essential component of organizing. One-on-one canvassing is the most effective way to engage folks in our community about our work to win universal healthcare.
Below are the tools and materials you will need to get started canvassing using the Health Care Rights and Access Survey. The Health Access survey is a powerful outreach tool designed for engaging in people in conversations about their healthcare experiences and opinion.
The goal of canvassing is the engage *new* folks in our work by listening to their healthcare experiences and inviting them to share their stories and take action for a healthcare system that works for all of us. We encourage you to employ these materials to reach people commonly excluded from access to health care, such as knocking doors in working class and low-income communities, free health/dental clinics, at place of worship or at community centers.
Thank you for stepping up to build this movement in your community! Sign up to to start Outreach Canvassing using the Health Access Survey.
Materials:
Health Care Rights and Access Survey (You will need several copies!)
Hand out - printable half page flier with basics about the New York Health Act and number for the NYS Senate Switchboard.
Spanish Materials:
Guión de encuesta para campaña de puerta a puerta (script)
Encuesta para el acceso y los derechos del seguro médico
When you are done canvassing using the survey, please enter your results here.
Consider organizing an outreach canvassing event, where you invite local activists and organizers to join you for a day of outreach using the Health Access Survey Tool.
How to Organize a Canvassing Event (adapted from DSA NYC materials)
We are continuously updating this page. Email [email protected] with questions or feedback. We would love your help improving these resources. Thank you to members of DSA, Metro Justice, and the Southern Maine Workers' Center for support developing materials.