Compassionate Congressional Candidate Compels Community Caring

Tom Perriello has instituted a community service initiative that requires campaign staffers and volunteers to donate ten percent of their time to the community.
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Politicians promise all sorts of things on the campaign trail, but it's a rare breed of politician that follows through on their promises at all, let alone before they're even elected. Enter Tom Perriello, a Democrat running a unique campaign in Virginia's solidly red 5th congressional district.

Perriello has instituted a community service initiative that requires campaign staffers and volunteers to donate ten percent of their time to the community. He calls this "volunteer tithing," after the Christian practice of donating a tenth of one's income to the church. According to Jessica Barba, Perriello's Communications Director, "Tom doesn't shy away from talking about his faith like some Democrats," and the aegis for the volunteer tithing, "comes from his deeply held Catholic beliefs. Tom is serious about the culture of service, and is running a campaign as a reformer who is willing to put his money where his mouth is."

By all accounts, he has. At press time, according to the campaign website, staffers and volunteers have donated 333 service hours around the district. Teams of around five volunteers have gone to Habitat for Humanity builds, soup kitchens, senior centers, and helped teach children literacy. The community response has been strong. "At first people didn't really understand who we were or what we were doing," said Barba, "but it didn't take long for them to be genuinely appreciative. We now have people actually coming up and suggesting places for us to volunteer."

Not only are people taking notice, but the message appears to be working. Virginia's 5th (which includes Charlottesville and Danville) voted for George Bush by a 13% margin in 2004. Notice as well that Perriello's opponent Virgil Goode won by a staggering 28% margin that year, and by 19% in 2006. While Perriello undeniably faces an uphill battle, his volunteer efforts have not gone unnoticed in a district that places a large premium on faith-based community service. They haven't gone unnoticed in the polls either; earlier this month the Cook Political Report changed the district from "solidly Republican" to "likely Republican (see here)."

This does not come as a shock to Barba. "Most people are amazed by what we're doing," she said. "The [volunteer tithing] has brought the campaign and its staffers to places where most campaigns never go. And because time is such a valuable commodity in political campaigns, people know we really mean it. Most people are amazed and thankful."

Should Perriello pull off the upset victory, his commitment to community service would certainly manifest itself in policy decisions and potential legislation. According to Barba, he strongly supports additional funding for service organizations such as Americorps and the Peace Corps, and he would do what he could to inculcate a culture of giving back among his constituents and the country at large. Here's to hoping he succeeds and that many more politicians follow suit.

Abe Silk is a contributing writer for All Day Buffet, a website and organization that brings social causes and the creative community together. It's a simple idea: Inspire Action. Change the world. Have Fun. Because doing good shouldn't feel like a chore. Visit http://www.alldaybuffet.org

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