How-to Canvas: What We Do to Spread the Word and Search for Nancy

What we call canvassing is a combination of actively searching for Nancy, spreading the word and educating people on how to help us search for Nancy, and leaving flyers with people and posted on public places so that others may see it later.

So here are some notes we have gathered on effective ways to canvas.

1     1.       Be sure to take with you the following:

a.       Personal items to keep you cool and protected from the elements (hat, sunscreen, weather gear as appropriate)

b.      Water

c.       A notepad on which you can record any “sightings”

d.      A communication device so you can “call home” if something critical comes up

e.      Flyers – we have both English and Spanish versions (and Korean for that matter)

       2.      Stop in at local businesses, speak to the people working there about whether or not they have seen her and ask if you can post a flyer in their window.

       3.       Look for people that “move around” – nannies, parking meter maids, postal workers, delivery men, etc.  See if they are willing to take more than one flyer to pass around to their co-workers.

       4.       To the extent you are comfortable doing so, engage with homeless people.  Most that we have encountered are eager to help and genuinely concerned for Nancy’s welfare.

       5.       Look for people that “stay in one place” but are likely to see a lot of people passing by, like parking lot security, food truck workers, sidewalk vendors, etc.

       6.       If you have someone who believes they have seen Nancy, please try to collect the following information with open ended questions (without “leading the witness”), i.e., “What color is her hair?” is a better question than “Is she blonde?”

a.       Their name and phone number (some way to contact them for follow-up)

b.      What time of day and on what day they saw her?

c.       What she was wearing?  Hair color?  Height?  Build?

d.      How much was she conversant?

e.      Was she confused or disoriented?

f.        Was she doing something that made them notice her?

g.       Was she with someone - or alone?  (and description of who she was with)

h.      Was she going somewhere?  What direction, or towards what?

i.         If you are thinking they are just trying to make you happy with their answers, throw in a red herring like “Was her arm in a sling?”  “Did she ask you for cigarettes?” or something like that.