In August of 1995, a non-partisan statewide grassroots organization, called Virginia Organizing Project was formed in Southwest, VA. The Virginia Organizing Project’s goal is to challenge injustices through the empowerment of people within local communities. This goal would be accomplished by asking disenfranchised and marginalized populations to address the issues that affect the quality of their lives through community changes and engagement. Overall, Virginia Organizing aims to “create a strong political force for long-term change which has a diverse grassroots base and includes people who have not been active before.” To better address the specific needs of each community, chapters were created beginning in Lee County in 1996. Since then,
