With a green plastic visor to show her preference for state representative on her forehead, Carol Miller goes door to door handing out brochures and talking to voters.

“I found out we have to have a role in determining our future,” she said. “The Legislature makes decisions, and if we don’t voice our concerns, they make decisions without our input.”

Miller, who is retired from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, is one of many volunteers campaigning for Eugene Blankenship, a Democratic candidate for State Representative, Dist. 14. Republican George Faught, the incumbent, said he also relies on an army of volunteers.

Candidates and party leaders agree that volunteers keep the political machine running. They make random phone calls to strangers. They go out in the summer sun to put up signs. They sort, fold and lick stamps for thousands of campaign mail-outs.

“There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer,” Blankenship said. “Campaigns are won by the grassroots efforts of people.”

Faught said his campaign “has a great group of grassroots people.”

He said members of his family do a lot of the volunteering.

“We have a number of people helping with all sorts of functions,” Faught said. “A lot of our supporters will take material with them.”

With a presidential race and a U.S. Senate race this year, county political leaders say they will rely on volunteers to do all sorts of things.

Muskogee County Republican Chairman Jerry Huffer said, “We’ve got a lot of people stuffing envelopes or who can answer phones.”

Huffer said the amount of time people spend volunteering “varies somewhat.”

“Some work an hour a week; some work 10 hours a week,” he said. “They just need to tell us what times they have available.”

Huffer said Muskogee County Republican Headquarters is located next to Lowe’s and across Shawnee Bypass from Muskogee High School.

Muskogee County Democratic Chair Barbara Staggs said volunteers can do a variety of things, such as go door to door, address envelopes or put yard signs up.

“One of the biggest things they can do is they can talk about their candidate,” she said.

The county’s Democratic headquarters will open Sept. 15 at 18 W. Okmulgee Ave., Staggs said.



Volunteer opportunities

• Muskogee County Democratic Party, Barbara Staggs chairman, 869-8919.

• Muskogee County Republican Party, Jerry Huffer Chairman, 616-1747.

• Muskogee Regional Medical Center, Vicki Cormier, 684-2460.

• Boy Scouts of America, Richard Goforth, Neosho District Director, 207-7971.

• Court Appointed Special Advocates, 686-8199, casaforchildren@sbcglobal.net

• Promoting Animal Welfare Society, PAWS, Dorothy Farmer, 686-7297.

• Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center, Greg Sorensen: 577-3621.

• American Red Cross, 682-1366.

• RSVP (ages 55 and older), 683-1578.

• Meals on Wheels, any of the following numbers: Geneva Doyal, 687-1119; Bethany Presbyterian Church, 682-8683; Grace Episcopal Church, 687-5416; St. Paul United Methodist Church, 687-7571.

• Muskogee Public Library, Friends of the Library and adult literacy tutoring, 682-6657.

• Muskogee Public Schools Mentoring Program, Paula Deen, 684-3700.

• Muskogee Garden Club, Martha Stoodley, 683-2373.

• Muskogee Farmers’ Market program with Gospel Rescue Mission to grow things for low-income people, Doug Walton, 686-6939.

• The Salvation Army needs people all year, 682-3384.

• Ark of Faith, 401 E. Broadway, Sally Weiesnbach, 682-8411.

• Boys and Girls Club Teen Center, 322 Callahan St. Help lead dance classes, sports programs, music classes, art classes. Background check needed. Contact: Ken Henshaw, 684-6345.

• SolAmor Hospice, Beth Kile, 686-6899.

• Disabled American Veterans. Help take veterans from home to and from Veterans Administration facilities including Jack C. Montgomery Medical Center, 1011 Honor Heights Drive, and Childers Outpatient Clinic, 9322 E. 41st Street, Tulsa. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license, pass a brief physical examination and have background check. Contact: Jennifer Poston, 577-3737 or jennifer.poston@va.gov.