Virginia Organizing Project

The Virginia Organizing Project (VOP) is a grassroots organization in the state of Virginia dedicated to addressing issues that affect the quality of citizen's lives. VOP especially encourages the participation of those who have traditionally had little or no voice in society. By building relationships with individuals and groups throughout the state, VOP strives to get people to work together, democratically and non-violently, for change. [www.virginia-organizing.org]

VOP has a joint plan of work with over 20 organizations across the state, supporting their work in the environment, education, transportation, human rights, and community support. [www.virginia-organizing.org] Under the leadership of Executive Director, Joe Szakos, VOP has a staff of 8 community organizers across the state of Virginia. These organizers work to build local chapters and organize local community members around making positive social change.

VOP focuses on a few main issues each year, based on a power analysis that is completed every spring. The main issues for 2007 include capping payday lending interest rates at 36%, racial profiling, and tax reform. Other notable issues include advocating for an increase in child care subsidies and health care reform. VOP is a part of several state-wide coalitions such as the Working Families Child Care Coalition [http://www.restoninterfaith.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=15336 Save Our Child Care] and Virginia Partnership to Encouragement of Responsible Lending (VAPerl) [http://www.virginiafairloans.org VA Perl website] .

VOP has an online organizer's toolbox [http://www.virginia-organizing.org/toolbox.php] that has a wealth of information on building issue campaigns. VOP also runs numerous workshops such as Leadership Institutes and Dismantling Racism, and are currently developing a Dismantling Classism workshop [ [http://www.virginia-organizing.org/tools_dismantling.php The Virginia Organizing Project : Tools for Dismantling Racism ] ] .

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