Collard Greens Caucus event encourages the community to vote Tuesday

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Black Voters Matter and the Greater Augusta’s Interfaith Coalition held a voting awareness event called the Collard Greens Caucus Thursday. It’s one of many events they’ve held in 2020 to spread the word.

Families from across the CSRA gathered to get their collard greens but more importantly, a chance to hear why their vote matters.

“Our sole purpose is to encourage men and women to go out and vote,” Executive Director of the Greater Augusta’s Interfaith Coalition Rev. Christopher Johnson said.

Black Voters Matter and the Greater Augusta’s Interfaith Coalition gave away collard greens and canned goods this New Year’s Eve at the Henry Brigham Community Center. This is their third food giveaway, each time serving over 400 families.

“Our goal is to have a good time while our people are going to the polls. Have a good time and say you know, polls, it’s not a drag. It should be a good time. It should be a happy moment because this is the time that all citizens can declare I am a citizen because I can vote,” Johnson said.

The coalition recognizes an unmet need in Augusta, not just as a result of the pandemic, but also in any other year Johnson said. This is why giving food and knowledge has been their top priority.

“Let everyone know, you know, you don’t let someone else decide your fate. You get what you vote for and if you don’t vote you get what somebody else voted for.”

With recent record-breaking voter turnout, he said, their efforts seem to be working.

“We noticed that the young people have been coming out to vote, the years between 18 to 40, they’re coming out to vote.”

But he says the community has to stay vigilant because the runoff election on January 5 between Incumbent Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler and Rev. Raphael Warnock and Incumbent David Perdue and Jon Ossoff will decide who controls the senate.

“so that’s why we’re trying to make sure everyone engages. I don’t care if you’re left, right, up and down. Everyone engages so at the end of the day elections count, that at the end of the day votes matter. That at the end of the day, we can’t blame someone else if we did not exercise our own free right to vote,” Johnson said.