OFA-NV is holding a meeting this Thursday January 7th, from 6pm to 8pm to discuss the strategy for our continued efforts to ensure that health care reform passes, as well as further ideas for how we can stay engaged and motivated to prepare for what will be a critical year for our country!
This meeting with be hosted by Nevada Deputy Field Director Dave Osolnick, and will take place at the Washoe County Democratic Party Head Quarters.
To RSVP for this event please click here.
Please join us.
OFA-NV is holding a conference call with a special guest tomorrow for our top volunteers. Check out the email that I sent earlier today, and register for the call now.
Friend -- Tomorrow, Monday, January 4th, at 6:30 p.m., we're holding a statewide conference call to discuss the current state of the fight for health insurance reform and what's next for OFA in 2010. We'll discuss the work we've been doing in Nevada, and we'll be joined by OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird. Once you register, you'll be sent a call-in number and passcode to use. Please RSVP for the conference call. Please join the call: http://nv.barackobama.com/ConfCallNV Talk to you soon, Jennifer Jennifer Lopez Nevada State Director Organizing for America
Friend -- Tomorrow, Monday, January 4th, at 6:30 p.m., we're holding a statewide conference call to discuss the current state of the fight for health insurance reform and what's next for OFA in 2010. We'll discuss the work we've been doing in Nevada, and we'll be joined by OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird. Once you register, you'll be sent a call-in number and passcode to use. Please RSVP for the conference call.
Please join the call: http://nv.barackobama.com/ConfCallNV Talk to you soon, Jennifer Jennifer Lopez Nevada State Director Organizing for America
As this historic year winds down to a close, we would like to extend our wish of a happy holiday and a prosperous new year to all of the volunteers who made all our our successes possible.
This holiday season, take a few minutes to enjoy our holiday video http://bit.ly/HolidayShare, which features OFA volunteers and staff. There is even a special greeting from President Obama.
We have come along way this year towards bringing America forward on issues which mean so much to us all, yet there is much work left to be done.
Let us rejoice this holiday and begin the year anew with a reinvigorated sense of purpose!
We hope you will join us after the holidays to push President Obama’s agenda of change.
For more information or to get involved, email OFA at OFANevada@dnc.org. Please include your name, telephone number, and address.
In order to help clear up some of the confusion and address concerns around the Senate health bill, OFA-NV is hosting a special conference call tonight at 6:30pm pt. The call will feature special guests from PLAN and Senator Harry Reid’s reelection campaign. Speakers will discuss what's in the bill, the history of reform, the reasons why progressives should continue to support the bill, the remaining legislative process, and the political ramifications of failure.
Register for the Call: http://bit.ly/nvcallreg
Description of Call: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpcfcr
We hope you will join us!
If you can’t participate in the call but still want to get involved, email OFA at OFANevada@dnc.org. Please include your name, telephone number, and address.
This holiday season, OFA-Nevada wants to make sure we give something back to make the Silver State a better place. That is why OFA-Nevada organized several December service projects as part of OFA’s “Serve Nevada” community service program.
The first service project was a book drive to collect children’s books. Las Vegas volunteers and staff helped collect nearly five hundred books, which were evenly split between Pearson Community Center and Rafael Rivera Community Center. Kindergarten students at Pearson beamed with glee as a huge box overflowing with new and gently used books was delivered by OFA staff.
Yesterday volunteers in Las Vegas dropped by Bunker Elementary School and Pearson Community Center to read to students.
Leisa Moseley, OFA Regional Director of Nevada, who organized the Read to a Child Program said:
It’s very important that children read and are read to regularly. When I asked the children why they liked to read a third grader told me, ‘I like to read because it touches all my emotions. Some books make me happy.’ I’m thrilled with the positive feedback from the service project. It was a rewarding experience for both the volunteers and children.
It’s very important that children read and are read to regularly.
When I asked the children why they liked to read a third grader told me, ‘I like to read because it touches all my emotions. Some books make me happy.’
I’m thrilled with the positive feedback from the service project. It was a rewarding experience for both the volunteers and children.
In an update from November’s Thanksgiving food drive, the 917 pound collection from our organization equated to 716 meals for needy families in Southern Nevada.
If you would like to organize a community service event or want to get involved, email us at OFANevada@dnc.org.
OFA Intern Yvette S. helps sort books collected from the book drive.
OFA Staff Juan Ortega poses with a box of books before he delivers them to kindergarten students at Pearson Community Center.
Volunteer Joyce E. reads to children at Bunker Elementary School.
OFA volunteer Marla Turner attended a training in Las Vegas on Sunday. Here’s what she said was her favorite part of the training:
As I looked around the room I was inspired by the portrait of "America" that was sitting with me, a group comprised of different races, genders, ages, and backgrounds. And I was once again reminded of why I believe in President Obama and his message; because this diverse group of ordinary citizens had showed up on a cold, Sunday afternoon to work together because Barack Obama made us all believe that we could - and that we should.
Marla Turner wasn’t the only one who walked away with renewed sense of hope. Regional Field Director Steve Sisneros said:
These training are helping build momentum on the ground and strengthening our community by bringing volunteers together. It was great to see so many Nevadans genuinely interested in creating change. It makes me hopeful to think about what we will accomplish as an organization.
The trainings are an opportunity for volunteers to acquire the skills needed to strengthen support for health insurance reform in their local community as the Senate continues to debate their version of the bill.
For more information about the remaining trainings and to RSVP visit: http://bit.ly/dectraining. Can't participate in a training but still want to be involved? Email OFA at OFANevada@dnc.org. Please include your name, telephone number, and address.
OFA – NV would like to invite you to attend a training to engage and empower volunteer leaders throughout Nevada.
These training are part of building our momentum on the ground -- strengthening our community in every part of the country by bringing volunteers together, learning and sharing best practices, and refining our plan to move forward with our vision for the future.
Trainings are scheduled from December 3 to December 8 in Henderson, Las Vegas, Pahrump, Boulder City, Elko, and Yerington.
Click the links below to RSVP.
Time: Thursday, December 3 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Host: Robert Miranda Location: Saxby's Coffee 72 West Horizon Ridge Pkwy. Henderson, NV 89012 Time: Saturday, December 5 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Steven Sisneros Location: Home of Wanda CottonPahrump, NV 89048 Time: Saturday, December 5 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Dave Osolnick Location: Round Table Pizza 174 W Goldfield Ave Yerington, NV 89447 Time: Sunday, December 6 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Dave Osolnick Location: Duncan Little Creek Gallery 516 Commercial St Elko, NV 89801 Time: Sunday, December 6 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Glenda Jurke Location: Home of Glenda Jurke Las Vegas, NV 89129 Time: Sunday, December 6 from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Host: Juan Ortega Location: Home of Laura LichtensteinLas Vegas, NV 89121 Time: Monday, December 7 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Host: Steven Sisneros Location: Home of Barbra Polk Boulder City, NV 89005 Time: Monday, December 7 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Host: Leisa Moseley Location: Home of Sherri Grotheer Las Vegas, NV 89131 Time: Tuesday, December 8 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Host: Juan Ortega Location: Rafael Rivera Community Center Las Vegas, NV 89101
Time: Thursday, December 3 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Host: Robert Miranda Location: Saxby's Coffee 72 West Horizon Ridge Pkwy. Henderson, NV 89012
Time: Saturday, December 5 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Steven Sisneros Location: Home of Wanda Cotton
Pahrump, NV 89048
Time: Saturday, December 5 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Dave Osolnick Location: Round Table Pizza
174 W Goldfield Ave
Yerington, NV 89447
Time: Sunday, December 6 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Dave Osolnick Location: Duncan Little Creek Gallery
516 Commercial St
Elko, NV 89801
Time: Sunday, December 6 from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Host: Glenda Jurke Location: Home of Glenda Jurke
Las Vegas, NV 89129
Time: Sunday, December 6 from 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Host: Juan Ortega Location: Home of Laura Lichtenstein
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Time: Monday, December 7 from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Host: Steven Sisneros Location: Home of Barbra Polk
Boulder City, NV 89005
Time: Monday, December 7 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Host: Leisa Moseley Location: Home of Sherri Grotheer Las Vegas, NV 89131
Time: Tuesday, December 8 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Host: Juan Ortega Location: Rafael Rivera Community Center Las Vegas, NV 89101
If you don't see a training in your town and would still like to get involved email OFANevada@dnc.org.
Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this project a reality.
·
OFA Director Mitch Stewart sent this email to supporters thanking U.S. Senator Harry Reid:
Friend -- On Wednesday night, your Senator, Harry Reid, unveiled the Senate's health reform package. It's a very strong bill that accomplishes President Obama's core goals for reform: provide more security for those who have insurance, guarantee affordable coverage options for those who don't, and rein in the cost of care for American businesses and families. And it accomplishes all of this while reducing the deficit by as much as $777 billion over the next 20 years. This is a huge moment for health reform -- it's farther than we've ever come. And Senator Reid is a big reason for this incredible progress. Now he needs to know that Nevadans stand with him in this fight. Can you call Senator Reid? Tell him: "Thank you for your strong leadership on health insurance reform. The people of Nevada stand with you in this crucial fight." Senator Harry Reid 202-224-3542 We're getting so close, and your amazing work is a big part of why we've been successful so far. Let's keep it up -- and with champions like Harry Reid on our side, we'll get this job done. Thanks, Mitch Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
· Find a Health Insurance Reform Event Near You: CLICK HERE
· Follow Organizing for America Nevada on Twitter: CLICK HERE
· Become a Supporter of Organizing for America Nevada on Facebook: CLICK HERE
There are several Rapid Response Events planned tonight in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Reno.
Make your voice heard on health care by joining us at an event:
To learn more about our Rapid Response Events, continue reading OFA Deputy Director Jeremy Bird's recent email:
Friend-- As a dedicated OFA supporter, I want to invite you to a special meeting to learn about our new Rapid Response program. Across the country, Rapid Response teams of active volunteers will develop a plan to organize their areas -- and then execute it in the crucial hours before votes in the House or Senate, right when swing members of Congress are making up their mind. If we pull it off, the voices of the American people will be louder than special interest lobbyists as we approach the finish line. But to do it, we need our best people involved. Interested in joining a Rapid Response team -- or just want to learn more? Click here to RSVP for an informational kickoff meeting near you to connect with local staff in your state. Despite months of intense lobbying and grassroots pressure, many representatives in the House didn't decide how to vote on reform until there were mere hours left. Passing health reform through the House was a major victory -- but we still have a long way to go. The Senate needs to pass its version of the bill, the two bills must be merged, and the final bill will need a last vote in both houses of Congress. In the days before each vote, insurance company lobbyists will swing into action with last-ditch attempts to block reform. It's essential that members of Congress hear from their constituents right when it matters most. Each Rapid Response team will develop a plan for last-minute advocacy -- organizing friends and neighbors to speak forcefully as one and make it clear that Congress must support reform. At this first meeting, you'll connect with staff in your state, learn more about Rapid Response, and start developing a plan for your area. RSVP today:http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/gpczcb Thanks, Jeremy Jeremy Bird Deputy Director Organizing for America
Friend-- As a dedicated OFA supporter, I want to invite you to a special meeting to learn about our new Rapid Response program. Across the country, Rapid Response teams of active volunteers will develop a plan to organize their areas -- and then execute it in the crucial hours before votes in the House or Senate, right when swing members of Congress are making up their mind. If we pull it off, the voices of the American people will be louder than special interest lobbyists as we approach the finish line. But to do it, we need our best people involved. Interested in joining a Rapid Response team -- or just want to learn more? Click here to RSVP for an informational kickoff meeting near you to connect with local staff in your state.
On Saturday Organizing for America and Health Care for America Now volunteers and staff gathered at McCarran International Airport to thank to Nevada representatives Dina Titus and Shelley Berkley for supporting health insurance reform.
By 10:30AM a crowd of over 15 showed up to give a warm welcome to Congresswoman Dina Titus. In the afternoon a crowd of about 40 volunteers excitedly greeted Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. Both Titus and Berkley were welcomed by enthusiastic supporters waving thank you signs and chanting “we love you”.
“Thanks to the U.S. House of Representatives, we are now one step closer to real, comprehensive health insurance reform Nevadans and this country desperately needs,” said State Director Jennifer López. “Nevadans should thank Representatives Titus and Berkley for supporting health reform.”
To write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper thanking your representative for supporting health reform visit: http://my.barackobama.com/HouseVoteLTE.
From Mitch Stewart:
This is it -- the House of Representatives will vote on health insurance reform tomorrow. All signs point to it being incredibly close, possibly even coming down to a single vote. With the clock ticking, insurance company lobbyists are going all out to stop reform. Please call your represenative now. President Obama is visiting the House tomorrow to call for reform, and I hope you'll add your voice to his right away. If you haven't called before, now is the time. And if you have recently called, thank you -- now please ask friends, family members, and co-workers in your district to join you. http://my.barackobama.com/HouseVote Everything we're fighting for comes down to moments like this -- and every second counts. Thanks for stepping up,
Some great memories from Nevada:
Carolyn E, a community organizer from North Las Vegas, relives her experience during last year’s Election Day:
On November 4, 2008, I woke up early and made one more round in my district to GOTV. I was by myself- but I didn't care. I just knew I had to do every last bit to get Barack "Hope" Obama elected. After doing my last GOTV round, I went home picked out an outfit and got ready to join all the wonderful people I met in Clark County that worked just as hard, if not harder, to elect Obama. We were about to celebrate what we hoped would be a victory. We all thought it was going to be close, even though I boldly told my Deputy Field Director that it was going to be a landslide! After it was announced that Ohio went for Obama, we knew it was going to be a great night and all of our hard work and tears would soon be rewarded. I felt so happy for my community and my family, who have been life-long democrats and we never thought that we would see a man of color in office. It was such a great feeling! One year later I feel I just need to reflect and absorb every moment because we are living in such great historical times. We actually have a voice and hands on change. We direct change. All the phone calls and door knocks, emails and social networking have been exhilarating. We have to remember that President Obama needs each and every one of us to continue to make change happen the best way we know how. We can write history if we just keep the faith and have the courage to go there. I encourage people to link up with Organizing for America - Nevada! Help the President achieve our goals. Yes We Can.
On November 4, 2008, I woke up early and made one more round in my district to GOTV. I was by myself- but I didn't care. I just knew I had to do every last bit to get Barack "Hope" Obama elected. After doing my last GOTV round, I went home picked out an outfit and got ready to join all the wonderful people I met in Clark County that worked just as hard, if not harder, to elect Obama.
We were about to celebrate what we hoped would be a victory. We all thought it was going to be close, even though I boldly told my Deputy Field Director that it was going to be a landslide!
After it was announced that Ohio went for Obama, we knew it was going to be a great night and all of our hard work and tears would soon be rewarded. I felt so happy for my community and my family, who have been life-long democrats and we never thought that we would see a man of color in office. It was such a great feeling!
One year later I feel I just need to reflect and absorb every moment because we are living in such great historical times. We actually have a voice and hands on change. We direct change. All the phone calls and door knocks, emails and social networking have been exhilarating. We have to remember that President Obama needs each and every one of us to continue to make change happen the best way we know how. We can write history if we just keep the faith and have the courage to go there.
I encourage people to link up with Organizing for America - Nevada! Help the President achieve our goals. Yes We Can.
Gladys R, a pharmaceutical sales representative and super volunteer during the general election, recalls her experience during last year’s Election Day:
I remember that day so clearly! My 11 year old daughter and I were up at 6am delivering door hangers on a chilly morning in Las Vegas. Throughout the day, we hopped around different precincts canvassing neighborhood and looking for all of our last minute voters. By the time it got dark, I headed back to the Lake Mead office to see if there was anything else I could do that day. I ended up picking up a voter that needed a ride to a poll. We made it there about an hour or so before the polls closed. While waiting for her to cast her vote, my 14 year old son called to tell me Obama won Pennsylvania. Between the positive voter feelings I got while in the field and that announcement, I knew I needed to go home and bring in the official announcement with my family. I made it home just minutes before the announcement on tv. My son had been following the polls all day and was keeping his own personal tally of the electoral vote count. He was my poll informant that day. When California and the rest of the West coast numbers came in, my son and I watched in amazement how our country celebrated our new President Elect. I was extremely emotional, and I needed to be with my family to take it all in as the phone calls and text messages flooded our home with "we did it" messages. I ended up going to the Democratic Party Election Night bash at the Rio Hotel for just a short while, and after that, I slept for a long time. There is so much work to be done!
I remember that day so clearly! My 11 year old daughter and I were up at 6am delivering door hangers on a chilly morning in Las Vegas. Throughout the day, we hopped around different precincts canvassing neighborhood and looking for all of our last minute voters.
By the time it got dark, I headed back to the Lake Mead office to see if there was anything else I could do that day. I ended up picking up a voter that needed a ride to a poll. We made it there about an hour or so before the polls closed. While waiting for her to cast her vote, my 14 year old son called to tell me Obama won Pennsylvania. Between the positive voter feelings I got while in the field and that announcement, I knew I needed to go home and bring in the official announcement with my family.
I made it home just minutes before the announcement on tv. My son had been following the polls all day and was keeping his own personal tally of the electoral vote count. He was my poll informant that day. When California and the rest of the West coast numbers came in, my son and I watched in amazement how our country celebrated our new President Elect.
I was extremely emotional, and I needed to be with my family to take it all in as the phone calls and text messages flooded our home with "we did it" messages. I ended up going to the Democratic Party Election Night bash at the Rio Hotel for just a short while, and after that, I slept for a long time. There is so much work to be done!
Staff Election Day Memories: Evan Sutton
Evan Sutton was a Regional Field Director for Obama for America - Nevada during the campaign. Here he reflects on his emotional experience when Nevada was called for Barack Obama on Election Day:
As the polls began to close in Nevada, staff was asked to stay in position until the networks called either the race or the state of Nevada. When polls in California closed, the networks named Barack Obama the winner. As I drove with my girlfriend towards the site of the victory party, I felt strangely detached, watching the city pass. When we reached the spaghetti bowl, the National Public Radio team called Nevada for Barack Obama, and I started crying. We arrived at the Rio Hotel just as the President-Elect began his speech. Not wanting to miss the speech, we sat in the car, listening on the radio. We were parked in a side lot, looking out at the Las Vegas strip. I had been on the campaign for almost exactly one year. All the emotion, pressure, and exhaustion of a year of one hundred hour weeks, constant pressure, and the fierce hope that had carried me across the country and through an incredible adventure finally found way to the surface as the tears streamed down my face. We sat in the car listening intently the President's words, sobbing quietly together, holding hands and looking out at the lights.
Evan Sutton is currently the Field Director for Organizing for America - Nevada. He can be reached at SuttonE@dnc.org.
Staff Election Day Memories: David Osolnick
David Osolnick, was a Field Organizer for Obama for America - Nevada during the campaign. Here, he reflects on his experiences throughout last year’s Election Day:
It was election night and I was out canvassing for the last hour until the polls closed. Once 6pm rolled around, and there was only one hour left before months of toil would all come to an end, I found it impossible to stay in the office. I had to do something "real". As I was out knocking on doors I felt a uniquely numbing nostalgia taking over. Somehow, doing what we had always done was draped with an unprecedented level of emotion. It was like stepping out of a vacuum of driven focus, and for the first time in months, looking around and seeing what surrounded me. Walking in a neighborhood I had walked numerous times before, I suddenly found myself with an almost wistful sense of achievement. Win or lose, I knew that our campaign had mobilized a terrific grassroots effort that would have had residual value going forward. I was also motivated with the looming realization that a loss would have undoubtedly pushed those first-time believers and latent cynics - who begrudgingly came out of the political closet for the first time or for the first time in a long while - back into the abyss of political abstinence. Tired, yet hopeful, I canvassed on. A few minutes into what would be my last hour of employment as a Field Organizer, I received a text message. We had won Pennsylvania! Truly a critical win, and for myself as a native Pennsylvanian, it was a personal boon that would propel me onto the next houses with a reinvigorated gusto. A new found spring in my step carried me jaunting from house to house, zig-zagging as I canvassed. With about 20 minutes to go until nothing more could be done, I received another text. The Ohio results were in, and one of my die hard volunteers (the same one who had shared the great news about Pennsylvania, not even thirty minutes prior) had elatedly shared that we had won Ohio! At this point I was really grappling with the idea of packing it in. I found myself reading over the latest text and saying outloud, "so can I stop doing this now?" I finished off my twenty minutes of canvassing and effectively spoke to no one in those last moments, but I maintained solace in the fact that I did all I could. Returning to my office I called my Regional Field Director and asked, "so we won Pennsylvania and Ohio, what are we doing? Should we be working poll lines?" He told me to get down to the Service Employee International Union local in Henderson and be ready to celebrate. I was struck. As I put down my phone I looked at the room full of volunteers looking at me, waiting for some word of what was next. Waiting to see whether they were to move on to some next assignment; delivering water to those in line to vote perhaps, or some other task unforeseen. Normally we would enter the day's data in preparation for tomorrow, but on this day I was met with a new sensation. The work was over. The campaign had not only run its course, but we had won, and as I looked out at the volunteers who were intent on my every reaction (or lack thereof), I found myself savoring the moment. Speaking through a smirking face that wouldn't subside I said, "we won Pennsylvania and Ohio, and my boss just told me that we need to go out there and celebrate!" Tears flowed among volunteers, hugs were exchanged, and our little office was emptied of people like a space shuttle losing its pressure seal, having its inhabitants pulled from it rapidly and without exception. As the lock tumbled into place, I looked in at the now shadowed space that housed such incredible activity over the past months and again was met with a wistful bliss. The quiet serenity seemed misplaced, and clearly foreign to our typically bustling office, yet the whole moment had such a foreign tenor that I found myself taking mental snapshots of everything, hoping it would all be deciphered later. At no point - even as I later watched the official victory come to be over the television, surrounded by friends and allies of this emotional triumph - was I able to do anything but stand stoic. No tears, no real understanding of what just happened, only the occasional eruption of smiles and embraces when reintroduced to the old campaign friends I loved so much and saw so seldomly. Knowing that we navigated past the rocky schools of "the politics of usual" and delivered our candidate to victory left me with an indescribable sense of achievement. As I scanned around the room, I found myself sober with the realization that we were standing at the precipice of our unwritten history. As I write this today, with perhaps our greatest achievements waiting ahead of us, I remain hopeful that those terrific moments of joy will be as much a harbinger of what is to come, as a celebration of that which already has.
It was election night and I was out canvassing for the last hour until the polls closed. Once 6pm rolled around, and there was only one hour left before months of toil would all come to an end, I found it impossible to stay in the office. I had to do something "real". As I was out knocking on doors I felt a uniquely numbing nostalgia taking over. Somehow, doing what we had always done was draped with an unprecedented level of emotion. It was like stepping out of a vacuum of driven focus, and for the first time in months, looking around and seeing what surrounded me. Walking in a neighborhood I had walked numerous times before, I suddenly found myself with an almost wistful sense of achievement.
Win or lose, I knew that our campaign had mobilized a terrific grassroots effort that would have had residual value going forward. I was also motivated with the looming realization that a loss would have undoubtedly pushed those first-time believers and latent cynics - who begrudgingly came out of the political closet for the first time or for the first time in a long while - back into the abyss of political abstinence. Tired, yet hopeful, I canvassed on.
A few minutes into what would be my last hour of employment as a Field Organizer, I received a text message. We had won Pennsylvania! Truly a critical win, and for myself as a native Pennsylvanian, it was a personal boon that would propel me onto the next houses with a reinvigorated gusto. A new found spring in my step carried me jaunting from house to house, zig-zagging as I canvassed. With about 20 minutes to go until nothing more could be done, I received another text.
The Ohio results were in, and one of my die hard volunteers (the same one who had shared the great news about Pennsylvania, not even thirty minutes prior) had elatedly shared that we had won Ohio! At this point I was really grappling with the idea of packing it in. I found myself reading over the latest text and saying outloud, "so can I stop doing this now?" I finished off my twenty minutes of canvassing and effectively spoke to no one in those last moments, but I maintained solace in the fact that I did all I could.
Returning to my office I called my Regional Field Director and asked, "so we won Pennsylvania and Ohio, what are we doing? Should we be working poll lines?" He told me to get down to the Service Employee International Union local in Henderson and be ready to celebrate.
I was struck. As I put down my phone I looked at the room full of volunteers looking at me, waiting for some word of what was next. Waiting to see whether they were to move on to some next assignment; delivering water to those in line to vote perhaps, or some other task unforeseen. Normally we would enter the day's data in preparation for tomorrow, but on this day I was met with a new sensation. The work was over. The campaign had not only run its course, but we had won, and as I looked out at the volunteers who were intent on my every reaction (or lack thereof), I found myself savoring the moment.
Speaking through a smirking face that wouldn't subside I said, "we won Pennsylvania and Ohio, and my boss just told me that we need to go out there and celebrate!" Tears flowed among volunteers, hugs were exchanged, and our little office was emptied of people like a space shuttle losing its pressure seal, having its inhabitants pulled from it rapidly and without exception. As the lock tumbled into place, I looked in at the now shadowed space that housed such incredible activity over the past months and again was met with a wistful bliss. The quiet serenity seemed misplaced, and clearly foreign to our typically bustling office, yet the whole moment had such a foreign tenor that I found myself taking mental snapshots of everything, hoping it would all be deciphered later.
At no point - even as I later watched the official victory come to be over the television, surrounded by friends and allies of this emotional triumph - was I able to do anything but stand stoic. No tears, no real understanding of what just happened, only the occasional eruption of smiles and embraces when reintroduced to the old campaign friends I loved so much and saw so seldomly. Knowing that we navigated past the rocky schools of "the politics of usual" and delivered our candidate to victory left me with an indescribable sense of achievement. As I scanned around the room, I found myself sober with the realization that we were standing at the precipice of our unwritten history. As I write this today, with perhaps our greatest achievements waiting ahead of us, I remain hopeful that those terrific moments of joy will be as much a harbinger of what is to come, as a celebration of that which already has.
David Osolnick is currently the Deputy Field Director for Organizing for America - Nevada. He can be reached at OsolnickD@dnc.org.
Staff Election Day Memories: Leisa Moseley
Leisa Moseley, a Field Organizer for Obama for America during the campaign, reflects on her experience during last year’s Election Day:
When I heard the news that Barack had been elected I was at my Assembly District leader Kathy M's home. Kathy opened up her home to us to use as a staging location for GOTV. We had been out all day canvassing and driving people to the polls to vote. It was a very exciting day with much activity. Volunteers were coming in from everywhere, and as soon as one group came in, another left to canvass. As a troop of volunteers left the office to hit the streets one last time, we had a moment to breathe. We turned up the volume on the tv to watch the news as the election results begun to come in. Upon hearing the results of the election, all of the staff and volunteers in the office began to cry, clap, dance, hug. The feeling was unexplainable. I felt joy, relief, fear of what would happen next, and sense of accomplishment, but overall happiness prevailed. Today, one year later, I feel extremely proud.
Leisa Moseley is currently a Regional Field Director for Organizing for America - Nevada. She can be reached at MoseleyL@dnc.org.
On Tuesday, November 3, volunteers and staff will gather to celebrate the one year anniversary of the election of Barack Obama by viewing HBO’s “By The People: The Election of Barack Obama”.
The documentary is telling the inside story of the historic presidential campaign of 2008.
The event is free and open to the public. Please invite your friends and family.
Food will be available for purchase.
Will you join us?
To sign up in Reno visit: http://bit.ly/3yRwCz.
To sign up in Las Vegas visit: http://bit.ly/4FYgvX.
If you can’t make it on November 3, please join volunteers in Las Vegas on Thursday, November 5 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM for another viewing party: http://bit.ly/3Jqh1I.
I sent this email earlier today:
Friend --This Halloween, Organizing for America is asking Nevadans who support health reform to stay home on Halloween night as part of a Healthy Halloween Reverse Canvass.Instead of going door to door, let people come to you, and give them a flier about President Obama's plan for health reform and a "Health Insurance Reform Now" sticker. With the full Congress about to consider health insurance reform, it's critical for us to get the word out now and build support in Nevada.Click here to sign up.When you sign up, include a phone number we can reach you at -- then we'll follow up to arrange a convenient time for you to pick up materials at our local OFA office.It's easy. All you need to do is stay home on Halloween night (this Saturday, October 31st), give trick-or-treaters information about the President's plan, and ask them to get involved. Together, we can make sure that this Halloween the only scary things Nevadans encounter are witches, ghosts, and goblins...and not big insurance companies who promise treats and only give you tricks.Sign up today:http://nv.barackobama.com/HalloweenNVHappy Halloween,JenniferJennifer LopezNevada State DirectorOrganizing for America
On Saturday, Organizing for America- Nevada launched its “Serve Nevada” program with community service events across the Silver State.
In Carson City, Reno, and Sparks, staff and volunteers collected over 500 jackets, blankets, hats, mittens, and sweaters for the less fortunate. OFA-NV, in conjunction with Capital City Democrats of Carson City, collected warm articles of clothing for the Good Shepherd Clothes Closet, Rural Center for Independent Living, and Do Drop In. These outstanding volunteers are helping keep Nevadans warm for the winter.
At Double Diamond Elementary School in Reno, volunteers re-painted the ground arrows to ensure that directional arrows are bright and visible to improve safety for students.
Homeless and needy families in Reno and Sparks will enjoy turkey with traditional holiday side dishes this season. OFA collected over 800 lbs of food and helped purchase turkeys for Evelyn Mount's Community Outreach Thanksgiving Dinner.
Volunteers for the Henderson Health Care Canvass went door to door to collect urgently needed goods, including water, toothpaste, and toothbrushes to benefit The Shade Tree Shelter. These goods would help support women, children, and pets in crisis who turn to Shade Tree Shelter for help. Not far away, in Las Vegas, the Canvass and Call for a Cause helped educate Nevadans about health insurance reform while highlighting domestic violence and breast cancer awareness.
OFA – NV thanks the many Nevadan’s who helped organize or participate in a service event. Your generous support is helping make the Silver State a better place. To get involved in the next community service event email us at: OFANevada@dnc.org.
Nevada Organizing for America (OFA), a grassroots project of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) dedicated to supporting President Obama’s agenda for change, is launching its “Serve Nevada” program this Saturday, October 24 with community service events and activities across the Silver State. “Serve Nevada” will provide Nevadans with the tools they need to organize service events to help their communities.
This weekends service events coincide with national “Make a Difference Day,” an initiative started by USA Weekend Magazine. “Make a Difference Day” is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. It is one of the most widely recognized days of service and has become a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.
OFA is committed to building on and strengthening the historic grassroots network created during them 2008 presidential campaign. Since last June, OFA has been building grassroots support for health insurance reform. On June 27, OFA coordinated a national day of service with over a thousand health reform service events in all 50 states. In Nevada, events included blood drives and healthy canned food drives. In recent weeks, Nevada OFA has been hosting events with doctors and health care professionals who have highlighted their personal experience with America’s broken health care system. OFA has held nearly 20,000 events in all 50 states and every congressional district encouraging support for President Obama's plan for health insurance reform.
For more information or to get involved check out this email sent earlier today:
Friend -- President Obama has said, "no force for change is more powerful than that of Americans who are making a difference in their communities." So this Saturday, Organizing for America supporters in Nevada are hosting service events throughout the state. Whether you have volunteered many times before, done so for the first time recently, or never had the chance to, this is a great opportunity to help your neighbors and meet new friends. I'd love for you to come out and lend a hand. There's a service event near you this Saturday -- please RSVP today. All over the state, we'll be cleaning up schools, helping to collect warm coats and food for those who need them, and making a real difference. With all the media focus on Washington, we remember that there is work to be done at home too. So while we push toward real health insurance reform, I hope that we can all take some time to serve our community. Please attend a service event near you: http://my.barackobama.com/NVservice Thanks, Jennifer Jennifer Lopez Nevada State Director Organizing for America
Gail said:
“We owe a lot to these men and women. This visit was nice to show veterans that we appreciate all they have done for our country and for us.”
Gail invited a group of OFA super volunteers, as well as Nevada State Democratic Party staff and Washoe County Democratic Party Chair, Chip Evans to help brighten the day for over 100 veterans.
OFA NV Deputy Field Director Dave Osolnick said:
“It was really amazing to see how much of an impact Gail’s event had on each of the veterans we met with. It was even more special to know that democratic groups like OFA are able to exist because of the sacrifices of our veterans.”
This event was part of OFA – NV’s “Serve Nevada” program, which aims to improve Nevada by organizing regular community service events. The official launch of the program is set for, Saturday, October 24, 2009, which is also Make a Difference Day.
To find a service event near you, visit: http://bit.ly/32VRKk.
