Trish Philon has been a member of the Harrisonburg Chapter for many years and is particularly interested in criminal justice issues in her community. Recently, her Chapter developed a community-police relations survey to learn more about perceptions of local law enforcement and get ideas from the community.

In addition to community-police relations, Trish is also interested in racial discrimination in the justice system.

“We know that people of color are incarcerated at a disproportionate rate in our city,” said Trish. “We want to understand how this affects the community and what changes need to be made.”

Trish got active with Virginia Organizing because she values diversity and wanted to be a part of an organization that represented a wide array of people.

Trish went to the 2014 Grassroots Gathering and said she was very impressed with the work that all Virginia Organizing Chapters are doing across the state.

Trish said, “I learned so much! Everyone is doing such great organizing in their own communities and then we come together as a part of this larger organization.”

Trish is also interested in immigration reform, environmental issues, and more. She is especially proud of the work her local Chapter did to rename a Harrisonburg street after Martin Luther King, Jr. in the face of opposition.

Thank you, Trish, for your dedication and work to make Virginia a better place.