One of the great joys of running for delegate in the Virginia 67th District is getting the chance to talk with so many people when I’m at events or knocking doors in the community. I firmly believe the most important part of being an elected official is listening to the needs of the people, and canvassing door-to-door gives you the opportunity to do just that.
However, it also brings the serious problems facing our community to the forefront. This last Saturday for example, I spoke with a man who volunteers at a food pantry at one of the local churches in our district. He talked about how on a typical day they see 200 people, many of whom are immigrants from a variety of different countries, come to the pantry to pick up essentials.
However, after the random ICE raids and the highly disturbing Muslim-Ban, only about 40 to 50 people recently came. He fears that our immigrant community and some of our most vulnerable citizens are scared and feel forced to go underground to protect themselves and their families, resulting in sacrificing access to food and other necessities.
I have dedicated my life to standing up for those who need a helping hand, and hearing a story like this reiterates our desperate need for change in representation at all levels of government. I’m running for delegate to fight dangerous and destructive policies like these, at whatever level they are implemented, and speak up for everyone who needs to be heard.
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