Local Faith And Freedom Coalition Volunteers Visited 1,100 Homes This Election Cycle

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

While this election is over, local volunteers with Faith and Freedom Coalition (FFC) are already thinking about the next two-year election cycle. Nine women in the Lookout Mountain area volunteer with the conservative, Christian-focused nonprofit organization because it’s where their talents and their political concerns meet.

Kim Kaye, a Lookout Mountain resident, began volunteering with FFC in 2018 to lead the Dade County (and portions of Walker County) chapter. Reflecting back to 2018, Kaye said, “I felt highly motivated to do something. I felt like the country was not going in a direction that was good for my children and grandchildren or fellow citizens.” Once she learned about FFC’s processes and how the group focuses on informing citizens, she decided that this was where her skills could be used.

With a background in education, Kaye sees herself as an educator rather than a debater. “I don’t like to argue politics. I can educate, but I’m not going to argue. There are ways to discuss these things without having anger towards one another. You can disagree, but why in the world would you want to spew anger at another image bearer of God?”

She appreciates that FFC focuses on informing citizens about political platforms rather than relying on angry rhetoric to push people to vote a certain way. “Our purpose is not to go out and change people’s minds or argue about their choices. That’s why I love FFC’s format.”

Kaye strongly believes in FFC’s principles, which are listed on the website as:

• Respect for the sanctity and dignity of life, family, and marriage as the foundations of a free society
• Limited government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility to unleash the creative energy of entrepreneurs
• Education reform that puts children first and parents in the driver’s seat
• Help the poor, the needy, and those who have been left behind
• Free markets and free minds to create opportunity for all
• Victory in the struggle with terrorism and tyranny while supporting our democratic allies, including Israel

Kaye said, “The Left always talks about hate. We don’t hate anyone, but there are policies we think are so destructive that it would be foolish of us not to fight against them.” Therefore, she and the eight other women are happy to initiate productive conversations about the policies and platforms that are important to them.

This election cycle, the women visited 1,100 strategic houses near Lookout Mountain. Noting that the volunteers are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, Kaye is especially proud that this group of senior women were able to accomplish this in their spare time. Their goal was to inform residents about where and when to vote. If the visit led to further discussion, the women engaged in conversations about political issues.

Kaye said, “FFC tells us that a door visit is 35 times more effective in getting that person to the polls than mailers or phone calls or texts.”

During this last election cycle, you might have come home to an FFC door hanger. The women use this as a tool to open up conversations. Kaye noted that the wording is non-partisan, offering straightforward statements about what each candidate’s platform stands for. This year’s presidential one included a nice photo of both candidates, not intended to paint either as the villain.

Kaye likes to hand this out to people and ask if any issue on the list is particularly important to them. She reported that many people were unfamiliar with the issues listed. She focuses on platforms rather than candidates, looking at the big picture instead of one individual person.

But first, when someone answers the door, the FFC volunteers ask if the residents know where their voting precinct is and if they’ve decided to vote. Kaye said that, surprisingly, many people did not know where their precincts were or details about early voting.

Also, “A lot of people have been discouraged. They read things on social media and almost want to throw their hands up and give up.” The volunteers encourage people that their vote matters. Kaye explained that abstaining is similar to casting a vote. “If you want to change something but you don’t vote, you’re not working toward that end. If the status quo is okay with you and you don’t vote, you’re kind of supporting the status quo.”

She also discussed election integrity. “For a lot of people, election integrity has been an issue. I’ve told them that in Georgia, three very important bills have been put in place since the last presidential election to further election integrity. There are a lot more eyes watching that this time. Just as my role has been to educate and encourage, election integrity has been the goal for other people.”

Kaye said that the women received mixed responses when going door-to-door, but many people were thankful for the information, especially learning about Georgia’s My Voter Page.

FFC believes that the strength of America lies in everyday people—just like these nine women. Part of the website reads, “We believe that the greatness of America lies not in the federal government but in the character of our people — the simple virtues of faith, hard work, marriage, family, personal responsibility, and helping the least among us. If we lose sight of these values, America will cease to be great.”

Therefore, the nonprofit values educating one voter at a time. In FFC’s words, “[We are] committed to educating, equipping, and mobilizing people of faith and like-minded individuals to be effective citizens.”