Together We Elect celebrates the outstanding work of our volunteers and allies who have gone above and beyond in the work to elect Democrats to Congress.
“I love the idea of action coaching,” says Linda Dagradi. “Helping people figure out where they can best put their energy and their time.”
Linda is a dedicated Together We Elect volunteer — really an all-around dedicated campaigner. Based in Wilbraham, Mass, she’s also an educational and political activist in her own community. For her, action coaching with TWE is special, because working with volunteers who aren’t sure of where they want to focus their efforts, she can be “a bit of a cheerleader but also somebody who helps them make connections to channel their energy and get involved.”
It’s a boon to action coaches that TWE offers such an appealing choice of opportunities. “Calling people in North Carolina or texting people for Raphael Warnock in Georgia,” says Linda. “And if they don’t like texting, there’s post carding or canvassing or a myriad of other activities they can get involved with.”
Linda describes herself as a “lifelong educator,” and educating is half the battle in activism. With a doctorate in Educational Research and Administration, she has spent decades in roles from public school teaching to working in college financial aid. She’s still teaching courses in college counseling and financing.
Today, people are stressed out about time, which is a major theme in Linda’s action coaching. “Look, if you can give an hour a week that’s more than nothing. So let’s take what you got and see how you can best put it to use.” Volunteers embrace that approach. “It makes people feel good that they’ve made a contribution.”
For Linda, “it’s a pivotal time in the course of our democracy.” She is grateful to be living in Massachusetts, a blue state where she doesn’t have to challenge her elected representatives to do the right thing. But she knows democracy itself is under fire in many states. “We need to protect that way of life.”
Always willing to learn more, this educator is a fan of Together We Elect webinars. “It’s all about expanding your own personal horizons with the speakers they’ve had on. I find it motivational and rewarding to listen to people who are much smarter than me.”
She believes the combination of a savvy organization and willing volunteers will make a difference in the coming midterms. “I think Together We Elect provides –– with the action coaching in particular — an entry point that’s vetted. so that someone knows they’re getting involved in a good and well-organized effort to make democracy safer in our country.”
