Lawmakers sometimes get a bad rap for not doing what their constituents want. But, even if you disagree with their politics or policies, you might find them helpful at times.

Need a passport application expedited? Want to book a tour of the U.S. Capitol? Or maybe you would like a letter from the president for a special occasion? Such efforts don’t necessarily make headlines, but they represent what lawmakers — on both the federal and the state levels — pursue for constituents outside the public eye.

Many lawmakers, in fact, receive a daily stream of letters, phone calls and email from constituents seeking help or advice.

“We have a wide range with the number of constituents that come in, and we try to treat all of the caseloads with the same urgency,” said U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township.

A constituent once asked Beatty to help him obtain more than $10,000 that the Internal Revenue Service owed him for tax returns, she said; the follow-up took a couple of months, but she got him the money he deserved.

To make themselves more accessible, Beatty and U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, rely on telephone town halls to communicate from outside the district.

Stivers began offering such town halls after taking office in 2011, conducting them in the evenings after dinner — a more convenient time for constituents.

“We try to make sure we stay in front of people because, if I’m going to represent people, I have to be accessible to them,” he said.

Much like their federal counterparts, state lawmakers also receive feedback through calls, email and social media — but often about a state, county or city concern.

State Rep. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, fields about 100 questions a week.

Collectively, the questions help her gauge the concerns of constituents — such as tax valuations in Franklin County, water quality, the state of Medicaid and the controversy surrounding Ohio State University marching-band director Jonathan Waters.

“Even if it’s not directly in my district, sometimes we still end up with inquiries,” Grossman said. “It is important to me that, when people take the time to call, we always, always respond and try to help them in the ways we can.”

Because the enactment of legislation requires time, debate and several drafts, Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, often works to accommodate constituents in more expedient ways, he said.

For a constituent with a complaint about the accessibility of town-meeting records, Stinziano said, he helped obtain the records through a rule change instead of an overhaul of existing legislation.

After a deaf Cleveland resident, Richard Simko, reached out to Stinziano, the representative met with him and his translator to talk about changes regarding the qualifications of translators used in Ohio hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Certified translators for deaf people in medical offices aren’t required by law, so family members — often without adequate medical training — try to explain medical terminology to deaf patients, Simko explained by phone through a translator.

With his staff, Stinziano is working with Simko on language for possible legislation that would help.

The bill might be acted upon in the new year, with other lawmakers signing on.

“I’m very satisfied,” Simko said. “He (Stinziano) not only heard me but said he could see what the law says and what he can do.”