The Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) kicked off its “Democracy Vermont” summer outreach campaign today at an event at Roosevelt Park in Burlington. VPIRG is among the most well-known public interest advocacy organizations in the state, and each summer sets out to connect with tens of thousands of Vermonters at their homes.
This summer’s VPIRG campaign aims to mobilize thousands of Vermonters in defense of democracy, civil rights, and community through grassroots organizing, digital action, and voter engagement. The kickoff event featured Attorney General Charity Clark, VPIRG staff, and more than 80 summer canvassers, along with a nearly 20-foot-tall inflatable Statue of Liberty proudly displayed.
“Our democracy is being threatened by our own government,” said Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG. “This is no time to give up or give in. This is no time to lose hope because let’s be clear, that is what those who are threatening our democracy want. This campaign is fueled by hope and sustained by the support of thousands of Vermonters from one end of the state to the other. Our dedicated canvassers are making a difference – giving our democracy a boost – one conversation at a time.”
For more than 50 years, VPIRG has worked to give Vermonters a stronger voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Since 1985, VPIRG canvassers have been walking and biking the streets of Vermont. At peak, they will knock on more than 2,000 doors each night, and by the end of the summer, they’ll reach Vermonters in every city, town, village, and gore. No other face-to-face outreach program in the state comes close.
VPIRG’s tremendous throughout Vermont state allows the organization to partner with dozens of groups on a wide range of issues and events.
“Over the last year, in collaboration with partners across the state, VPIRG has hosted over 100 community events. From Bennington to St. Johnsbury, our field team has co-hosted information sessions, movie screenings, press conferences, resistance trainings, rallies, and candidate debates – including one tonight in Vergennes,” said VPIRG’s lead field organizer Josh Ferguson. “We’ve helped generate hundreds of visits to the State House, thousands of phone calls to legislators, and turned out tens of thousands of Vermonters to protest Donald Trump’s authoritarian regime.”
At this time, VPIRG is deploying more than 90 canvassers to knock on doors in every town, city, village, and gore in the state of Vermont. VPIRG estimates that canvassers will visit more than 80,000 households and recruit members in every legislative district. This will likely be one of the largest canvassing operations ever in Vermont.
“A lot of Vermonters are worried right now,” said VPIRG canvass director Abigail Sweet. “They’re worried about attacks on our voting rights. They’re worried about the cost of living, the climate crisis, and whether our generation will inherit a democracy strong enough to solve the problems ahead. As canvassers, our job is not to pretend those worries are not real. Our job is to listen, connect, and then offer people a way to act. That is what this Democracy Vermont campaign is about.”
Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark closed out the event to the resounding applause of the canvassers gathered. “In this moment, when the Trump Administration is attacking the very foundation of our democracy, we need active and engaged citizens to stand up for America,” said Clark. “I am proud to stand with VPIRG in this moment to protect Vermont and uphold democracy.”
To learn more about VPIRG’s Democracy Vermont campaign, visit democracyvt.org or vpirg.org. Upcoming events and actions will also be shared on VPIRG’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Founded in 1972, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) is the largest nonprofit consumer and environmental advocacy organization in the state. For more than fifty years, VPIRG has brought the voices of everyday Vermonters to public policy debates concerning the environment, health care, consumer protection, and democracy.