By now it is a cliché to say that 2020 has been a year like no other. Back in March, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on VIP's organizing was at first impossible to comprehend. The organizing we do is built on face-to-face conversations and deep attention to relationships, how could tools like Zoom replace that personal touch? But, impressively, you all, the VIP leaders, adapted and forged ahead, responding to the pandemic and so many other challenges of 2020.
Even amidst the pandemic and a polarizing election, VIP leaders found ways to continue to bridge partisan divides and develop solutions for Arizona families. Some of the key progress:
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- VIP increased accessibility to COVID-19 testing and flu vaccinations in underserved communities, launching congregational testing sites and flu vaccine clinics across the county – especially in areas hardest hit by the coronavirus.
- In the face of the pandemic, VIP Leaders called on elected officials, including mayors, county supervisors, state lawmakers and the AZ Congressional delegation, to enact economic and health protections for vulnerable Arizonans.
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VIP engaged voters and helped to pass key public education initiatives by working alongside our statewide Arizona Interfaith Network to educate voters on Proposition 208, Invest in Education, and local overrides and bonds. Together, we helped to ensure our schools and teachers have the support they need.
- VIP Leaders organized Accountability Sessions in October in key legislative districts and secured commitments from candidates for Arizona Legislature for K-12 education funding, tuition for DACA students, key criminal justice reforms, unemployment insurance reforms and investments in workforce development. The winners in these legislative races, as well as those in school board races and the Maricopa Community College Board readily agreed to continue to meet with VIP after the elections.
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- The VIP Voter Engagement Project increased voter participation among low-propensity voters by texting and making personal calls for quality voter engagement in targeted precincts. Our efforts led to an 8% increase in voting among our targeted voters!
- VIP Clergy, along with their statewide colleagues, engaged Corrections Director David Shinn, urging him to protect life in Arizona's correctional facilities. To date, they have achieved universal testing of inmates and staff, personal protective equipment for all in the prison community, and, importantly, anti-retaliation hotlines for anonymous reporting.
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- Arizona Career Pathways, VIP’s workforce development initiative, has supported over 260 students to graduation in the last two years. The graduates have gone from earning $11 an hour to over $24 an hour. VIP continues to build a pathway to success for struggling families and is actively helping to shape the post-COVID economy with ACP.
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You, the leaders working with VIP have made all this happen. Join us for the VIP Leaders Retreat on Dec. 3 to reflect on all of this and our next steps in 2021. And if you are proud of this work and want to support continued efforts, invest in the VIP Education Fund and invite others to do so in the 10 for 20 in 2020 Campaign.
Thanks to your hard work in unprecedented circumstances, alongside other VIP leaders, we have continued to move forward. We look forward to continuing the journey in 2021!
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