VOP Front Porch Diaries

Anne Kern

Petersburg Team

Wow, I can’t believe that we have been canvassing for two and a half months now….

We all talked to an incredible amount of people and have heard so many different stories.

 This internship has broadened my horizons in so many ways.

 First off I don’t take the health care system back in Germany for granted anymore. It’s still difficult for me to understand, how this system works here and why so many things aren’t working properly the way they should.

How come you have to have car insurance, but no health insurance???? Back home in Germany (although I must say Richmond has grown to become my home now, too!) health care is no issue. You have to have it. End of story.

So that is one of the big things I have learned in the past few weeks.

In addition to that I realized how lucky I am.

Back in Germany I have a healthy family, my parents have been married happily for over twenty years and I have a good education.

I always considered those things to be quite normal – now I think differently. After seeing so many sick and broken families, and realizing how many people simply can’t afford to send their kids to college, I appreciate my life way more.

For this blog in have no story to tell.

All I want to talk about is a phrase I heard a lot throughout the course of the summer:

Thank you.

Thank you for wanting to help.

Thank you for doing this.

Thank you for leaving my porch.

But there was one particular one that really struck me:

Thank you for making me think.

Have you ever wondered how many people have actually started to think more about the issues we talked about with them?

I think our job stimulates peoples’ thoughts.

I believe we have the power to make something happen.

And I know we can help.

 Thank you VOP for this amazing summer!