Creating awareness through text banking: a euphoric experience.
Blog written by Gayle Chimo, Green Team Leader at Oconee Street United Methodist Church. Picture above: Gayle and her husband, Rudy, text banking with GIPL from their home in Athens, Georgia — October 2025.
My faith teaches me to be a good steward of God's Creation, which includes fostering equality for all.
As a United Methodist, I believe in the Social Principles that are rooted in the Gospel to love our neighbors, to do justice, and to care for the vulnerable.
Therefore, participating in a text bank to bring awareness to my community about elections that may impact our livelihood aligns with my faith.
The day I was scheduled to attend a virtual text bank with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), I was at CVS getting a vaccine from my pharmacist, April.
After the jab, she asked me what I had planned for the rest of the day. I replied that I would join GIPL for virtual text banking for the upcoming Public Service Commission (PSC) election. I was surprised that she was unaware of the election. It created a perfect opportunity to share how important the election was, since the PSC regulates Georgia Power to ensure we get safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced electric rates.
This experience reinforced the need to get the vote out, realizing there were people unaware of the election and what the PSC does by regulating investor-owned electric, natural gas, and telecommunication services, including setting Georgia Power electric rates.
That evening, my husband Rudy and I joined GIPL's virtual text bank. We were slow to start, learning the system and navigating through the screens from text to responses, but in no time, we were rock 'n' rolling, moving through our lists.
The preset responses made it quick to answer various questions from people. It was like a little dopamine rush when people responded that they had already voted or asked for assistance finding a polling place.
Helping people and bringing awareness to this very important election was exhilarating!
I am so proud to be a member of Oconee Street United Methodist Church (OSUMC) in Athens; we are a church engaged in social justice and community outreach. In past elections, we have sent information to the congregation with dates and times of early and election day voting and assisted with Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) to provide transportation for people to vote if needed.
OSUMC also was in the community helping direct people from the elections office to the new downtown early voting location.
Thank you, GIPL, for bringing awareness of this important election to the public, and to everyone who got out and voted their faith!
