ABOUT US
HISTORY
GSOP was founded in 2002 by religious congregations, labor union members and community leaders in southern New Hampshire for the purpose of building the power necessary to create lasting social and economic justice in the region, primarily in south central New Hampshire.
Now, we are a non-profit, non-partisan organization rooted in faith and democratic values. As the largest grassroots community organization in New Hampshire, we are made up of thousands of members, including 31 member groups representing thousands of New Hampshire families.
OUR MISSION
Our organization strives to create communities in which residents accept, respect, and value one another; justice, equity, and the democratic process are upheld in all interactions.
We unite to strengthen our voice in decisions that affect our communities by taking action on issues such poor housing, failing schools, barriers to citizenship, unjust working conditions, and costly health care that put our neighborhoods at risk. We work together for a just society.
OUR METHOD
For GSOP, the methods we use to achieve social change–increasing the ability of traditionally disenfranchised people to impact decisions affecting their lives – are as important as the reforms achieved. GSOP believes that every person has the right to be included in the decision-making processes within their community, meaning that grassroots relationships and leadership development are key elements in GSOP’s work.
We use community organizing as our main tactic, recruiting leaders through face to face meetings in local congregations, housing developments, and community centers, and through knocking on doors. We conduct leadership training to create a shared culture of engagement in civic life and a shared set of skills, including how to research key issues and approaches.