I would ask people what are the biggest problems they see in their community. (I was trained by a guy who worked under Saul Alinsky.) One of the advantages of this approach is that I do not dictate to the person whose door I'm knocking on what their problems are.

March 10, 2026 - 17:24 UTC

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I'm not condescending them with theory and literature. They feel more empowered from the moment they open their door because someone is listening to their problems. (I took this approach into the classroom too, with some success!)
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From there, you can be very Socratic. Ask them what they think could be done to address these problems. They are still in the driver's seat, using their creative faculties to see potential solutions. After a few conversations like that, you can say, "Hey, some of your neighbors have also...
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