On March 8, hundreds packed Altoona High School for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy rally — and a CVI leader was the one who opened it.

Just days after Rep. Van Orden’s staff locked constituents out of his district office, Cyndi Greening took the stage to tell that story to a packed house. The message was simple: when your congressman won’t face you, you find a bigger room.

The rally drew coverage from WQOW, WXOW, WEAU, and was livestreamed nationally. For a group barely six weeks old, it was a sign of how fast CVI’s voice was carrying — from a locked office door to a national stage.