{"id":18954,"date":"2024-01-23T21:10:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T21:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/?p=18954"},"modified":"2024-01-23T21:10:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T21:10:24","slug":"iris-johnston-volunteer-highlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/iris-johnston-volunteer-highlight\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I Always Feel Like I Helped Somebody&#8217; Says VoteRiders Volunteer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VoteRiders Florida Super Volunteer Iris Johnston tells VoteRiders\u2019 Digital Communications Coordinator about her inspiration for becoming a VoteRiders volunteer, her work assisting voters at the DMV, and the meaningful impact VoteRiders is having on American lives and our democracy \u2014 January 23, 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Tell me about yourself. Aside from volunteering with VoteRiders, what do you do with your time?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1.125rem;\">I&#8217;m 66 years old and I live in Florida\u2019s St. Petersburg area. I do a lot of volunteer work including with the local women&#8217;s health center and at the polls during election season. I love to read and spend time at the beach. I&#8217;ve got grown kids; they&#8217;re very important to me. I\u2019m retired from human services where I worked all my career. I was a counselor and then I moved into grant writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How did you find out about VoteRiders? Why did you decide to become a VoteRiders volunteer?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was probably right before COVID and the last presidential election in 2020. I was thinking, \u201cI need to get involved in something. I want to be more active.\u201d People were being restricted from voting because they couldn\u2019t get to the polls, they couldn\u2019t vote by mail, and they didn\u2019t have an ID (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/states\/florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florida is a voter ID state<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). It was a concern for me. So I Googled what kind of volunteer work I could do in my area that helps with voter access and I found <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.voteriders.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VoteRiders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which I didn\u2019t know existed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When COVID hit, the government wasn\u2019t helping people get IDs. When the COVID quarantine lifted I started <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/volunteer\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">volunteering with VoteRiders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a couple of afternoons a month.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What do you do as a VoteRiders volunteer?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I meet people at the DMV and walk them through the process of getting their ID.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other local volunteers work with the client \u2014 and perhaps their case worker if they have a case worker \u2014 and help them get all of their documents, whether that\u2019s a birth certificate, a replacement Social Security card, proof of address, or something like that. I do something different. First I receive a list of the people I&#8217;m going to be meeting at the DMV \u2014 because they need a replacement ID or whatever it is. Then I call those people and introduce myself. I tell them I&#8217;m going to help them at the DMV and ask them if they\u2019re able to keep that appointment. Sometimes they\u2019ll tell me that they can\u2019t for whatever reason, so I go through my list to see how many appointments I can actually confirm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the day of the appointment, I <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/freehelp\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">set up an Uber ride<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to pick the client up from wherever they are and take them to the DMV. I tell them to look for the woman with a clipboard in her hand so we&#8217;re able to identify each other. Once they get there I get them signed in, we wait for our number, and then I work with them and the DMV employee to make sure they understand what they need to do to get their ID. If there&#8217;s a charge \u2014 for a replacement or a new ID \u2014 VoteRiders will pay for it as long as it\u2019s not a fine or something like that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18955\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18955\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18955 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--300x300.jpg\" alt=\"'I Always Feel Like I Helped Somebody' Says VoteRiders Volunteer\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston--500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Iris-Johnston-.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18955\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Iris, VoteRiders Super Volunteer, Florida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it all works out, when they\u2019re able to get their ID, it&#8217;s really nice. Sometimes it doesn&#8217;t work out because they don\u2019t have the required paperwork so they have to try again. But when it does, it really is a good thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clients will also quite often either register to vote or update their voter registration because the DMV employee asks if they want to do that as they&#8217;re getting an ID. When everything is finished, I set up an Uber ride to take them home. After that I record what happened \u2014 the successes or if there was a problem that the caseworker needs to follow up about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>People are so appreciative. Volunteering with VoteRiders is a very worthwhile thing to do. Navigating the system can be very daunting for anybody, but especially for somebody who doesn\u2019t have their birth certificate but needs a photo ID to vote, rent an apartment, or get a job. It can be really daunting to get an ID when you don\u2019t have a birth certificate or another important document.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I worked with a young woman recently and she was <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> excited after she got her ID. She came over to me, showed me her new ID, gave me a hug, and said, \u2018Thank you so much for helping me.\u2019 Everything just fell into place. She had what she needed. She also told me that she updated her voter registration and I was like, \u2018Good for you! Vote!\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>I&#8217;ve never left a volunteer shift thinking, \u2018Well that was a waste of time.\u2019 I always feel like I helped somebody. Even if they didn\u2019t get exactly what they came in for, we got closer to figuring out exactly what they had to have.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I have to say, I know there&#8217;s kind of a stereotype that going to the DMV is going to be a hassle and the people there are not going to be helpful, but I have never had that experience in the two or three years that I&#8217;ve been doing this work \u2014 at least at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flhsmv.gov\/locations\/pinellas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pinellas County<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> DMV office. We\u2019ve had phenomenal DMV workers who truly help the person get what they need to be successful. They&#8217;ll explain something and then they&#8217;ll explain it again. They&#8217;re very patient, which I appreciate very much.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What is your favorite part about being a VoteRiders volunteer?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My favorite part is just knowing the importance of helping somebody vote. We have the fundamental freedom to vote in this country and if somebody wants to exercise that privilege but can&#8217;t because <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/freehelp\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they don&#8217;t have an ID<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, that just doesn&#8217;t sit well. We should all be working to help people vote. We should not put up hindrances that keep them from being able to exercise that right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I also enjoy interacting with all the different people I&#8217;ve met, it&#8217;s just fun. I&#8217;ve met a lot of people and it&#8217;s interesting to see how an ID can make someone\u2019s life a lot easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What are the more challenging aspects of your volunteer work with VoteRiders?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most challenging part is when a person comes to the DMV appointment and they don&#8217;t have everything that they need. I&#8217;ve learned a lot by trial and error through my time as a VoteRiders volunteer, but it can be hard to navigate the system. If you&#8217;re from out of state and you need your birth certificate, how do you get that? It can be hard. There are other volunteers who handle that side of the work. I have a huge amount of respect for them. I think I have the easy part, talking to clients and just helping them by actually being there with them in person. Trying to navigate the system; I got a lot of respect for the volunteers who do that. I have strong interpersonal skills that help me in my volunteer role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, a lot of our clients are unhoused and that can make it extremely hard to get an ID because they need proof of residence. However, if they&#8217;re residing in a shelter, they can use that address on their ID. So that\u2019s helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Are there any particular moments that have stood out during your volunteer experience?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was one gentleman who was trying to get a replacement ID for his commercial driver&#8217;s license \u2014 he was waiting to start a new job. The state law had just changed and apparently, he didn&#8217;t know it and his case worker didn&#8217;t know it either. He didn\u2019t have one piece of information that he needed so he couldn\u2019t get his ID that day. But then another VoteRiders volunteer sat down with him and helped him organize all of his paperwork into files and folders and they were able to track down what he needed. He scheduled another DMV appointment and he was finally able to get his replacement commercial driver&#8217;s license. He told me, \u2018I just have to tell you that lady that I worked with, she helped me so much. I&#8217;m going to keep things much more organized now.\u2019\u00a0 I just thought that was so cool. I can see her sitting down with him and saying, \u2018Let&#8217;s get these papers organized. Let&#8217;s see how we can make things easier for you.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When someone is successful at getting their ID, they get so excited. They\u2019ll come up to me and show me their ID and ask me if I think the picture is good \u2014\u00a0something like that. There are a lot of high-fives. And I\u2019m like, \u2018You&#8217;re welcome, but thank VoteRiders! I&#8217;m just a tiny piece of it.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if someone isn\u2019t successful at getting their ID, even if they\u2019re going to have to come back to the DMV, they&#8217;re still very appreciative that VoteRiders has taken an interest in them and is willing to try to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/freehelp\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">help them figure out what they need to do to get that ID<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so they <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/staterules\/?swcfpc=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can vote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so they can work, whatever it may be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People also appreciate getting a free Uber ride to and from the DMV. That is just phenomenal \u2014 a huge success of the Voter ID Assistance program. I think 90% of the people I&#8217;ve worked with would not be able to get an ID if they couldn\u2019t get a ride to and from the DMV. Not too many people can get there on their own, especially if they&#8217;re trying to get their driver&#8217;s license or a replacement driver&#8217;s license.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The volunteer group we have here is a very good group. We\u2019re all very committed to the work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Do you have any advice for a future VoteRiders volunteer or is there anything you might say to someone who is considering volunteering with VoteRiders?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I would tell them, \u2018Do it. Absolutely. Even if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing \u2014 I don\u2019t quite know what I&#8217;m doing \u2014 do it, step out of your comfort zone, get involved. I was nervous the first time and it helped so much that I got on-the-spot training. A new volunteer is not just going to be set out there to flounder. There is a lot of support.\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s such a worthwhile program. It\u2019s very rewarding and I enjoy it a lot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/volunteer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about how you can volunteer with VoteRiders.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VoteRiders Florida Super Volunteer Iris Johnston tells VoteRiders\u2019 Digital Communications Coordinator about her inspiration for becoming a VoteRiders volunteer, her work assisting voters at the DMV, and the meaningful impact VoteRiders is having on American lives and our democracy \u2014 January 23, 2024. Tell me about yourself. Aside from volunteering with VoteRiders, what do you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":18964,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[280],"tags":[295,344,328,332],"class_list":["post-18954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-florida","tag-voter-id-assistance","tag-voteriders","tag-voteriders-volunteer","state-fl"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;I Always Feel Like I Helped Somebody&#039; Says VoteRiders Volunteer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Florida Super Volunteer explains what inspired her to become a VoteRiders volunteer, her work assisting voters at the DMV, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/iris-johnston-volunteer-highlight\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;I Always Feel Like I Helped Somebody&#039; 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