ABOUT GRANITE STATE ORGANIZING PROJECT
The Granite State Organizing Project is a non-profit, non-partisan organization rooted in faith and democratic values and includes 32 religious, labor, and community organizations representing 40,000 New Hampshire families The organization was incorporated in 2002 and works in Manchester, Nashua, and the Souhegan Valley.
As the largest grassroots community organization in New Hampshire, GSOP unites to strengthen community members’ voices in decisions that shape their communities by taking issue-oriented actions. By doing so, GSOP broadens and deepens our own organizations and leadership, builds community, and promotes a just society. The organization strives to create communities in which residents accept, respect, and value one another; justice, equity, and the democratic process are upheld in all interactions.
GSOP focuses on problems, such as poor housing, failing schools, barriers to citizenship, unjust working conditions, and lack of access to health care, that affect the livelihood and sustainability of communities. For GSOP, the method used to achieve social change – increasing the ability of traditionally disenfranchised people to impact decisions affecting their lives – is as important as the reforms achieved. GSOP members and community leaders conduct research to determine which issues to act on using listening campaigns, one-to-one interviews, and focus groups, as well as more traditional research methods. GSOP’s community leaders then design issue campaigns based upon the research and relationships developed.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP) is a community organizing non-profit. We unite to strengthen our voice in decisions that affect our communities by taking action on issues, like poor housing, failing schools, barriers to citizenship, unjust working conditions, and costly health care, that put our community at risk. We work together for a just society.
Our recent accomplishments include the following:
Health Care
In 2009, we worked with partners to send over 100 Granite Staters to D.C. to fight for health care reform. The delegation met with New Hampshire Congressional representatives to tell them why health care reform is so important to New Hampshire families. The GSOP delegation attended a national health care rally of over 10,000 U.S. residents.
Housing
During the summer of 2009, GSOP worked with partner organizations to create a coalition of organizations to eliminate a bed bug problem in a Manchester apartment building. The 20-unit apartment building was infested with bed bugs for years. With the help of the coalition, the building is now bed bug free, the tenants have furniture to replace the furniture that was disposed of, and the tenants are knowledgeable about how to prevent a re-infestation of the building. GSOP was involved in creating the Manchester Bed Bug Policy Group, which continues to work on housing code issues.
Transportation
GSOP empowered a group of Souhegan Valley residents to create an affordable, wheelchair-accessible transportation service that provides rides to any Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, or Milford resident in need of transportation to medical appointments, to social service appointments and for local shopping activities within the designated service area. SVR is a demand-response, dial-a-ride type service. As of January 2011, the Souhegan Valley Rides (SVR) community transit bus service has provided over 3000 rides since its inception in October, 2008. The Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative (SVTC) invites GSOP members to add their energy and voice to efforts underway to make SVR as sustainable community resource in the Souhegan Valley. For more information please contact Ellen Groh, GSOP’s representative on the SVTC board of directors, or email GetInvolved@SouheganRides.org or visit www.SouheganRides.org.
Adult Learning Center
Members of GSOP educated Rep. Hodes about the need for an adult learning center in Nashua. With GSOP’s support, Rep. Hodes earmarked $90,000 for the Adult Learning Center in Nashua. The center allows adults in southern New Hampshire to achieve their goals.
