Organizing for America | Cheltenham for Obama

By Katie - Dec 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm EST

Also listed in: 6 groups

No More Plastic Bags Objective: To raise awareness and encourage the use of reusable bags in place of plastic bags.

Plan of Action: Educate shoppers on the negative impact plastic bags have on our environment and actively promote the use of reusable bags. Eventually eliminate the use of all plastic bags by passing township ordinances and a tie in to Earth Day. This project initiative will be targeted for a March 2009 completion and will not be included as an Inauguration effort.

How you can participate:

1. Join the Planning Committee

Contact: Project Manager Ilene Rush mice30@comcast.net

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Food Drive

By Katie - Dec 31st, 2008 at 5:36 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

Be the Change Baederwood Food Drive

Mission statement: To continue the momentum and community-focused spirit of the Obama campaign, Be the Change Baederwood is coordinating a food drive to benefit the Abington Food Cupboard.

Goal: To collect 500 bags of non perishable food to replenish the Abington Food Cupboard.

Background: The Abington Food Cupboard, part of the Interfaith Housing Alliance, operates out of the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (2086 Parkview Avenue, Abington), Monday through Friday, 11:30AM--3:30PM. They provide nonperishable food to residents within a ten-mil e radius, covering Southeastern MontCo, southern Bucks County, and part of Northeast Philadelphia. They receive food requests from clients via their hotline (215-885-2234), and volunteers fill bags with food each weekday from 11:30AM--1:30PM for clients to pick up between 1:00--3:30PM. In June---a typical month before the full-scale economic crisis---the Food Cupboard fulfilled orders for a total of 65 clients (approximately 236 bags of food). In October, the number of clients rose to 100, and during this holiday season, the number of client requests reached 30 per day at times. (One of our Project Managers will be visiting the Food Cupboard on January 5th to meet their personnel and to volunteer in order to get a better understanding of their operations, clients, and overall needs.)

Wish list: At this time, the Abington Food Cupboard has enough of certain items---particularly cans of soup, canned corn, and canned beans---but is severely lacking in many others, particularly the following:· CEREAL: Both regular/cold (corn flakes, etc.) and hot (oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, etc.).· PANCAKE MIX & SYRUP· MILK: Dried/powdered milk and canned condensed milk.· CANNED FRUIT· CANNED MEAT: Stew, chili, ham, etc.· CANS OF TUNA & MAYONNAISE· CHEF BOYARDEE/DINTY MOORE PRODUCTS· PASTA & SAUCE· PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY: Especially jelly (or jam, preserves, etc.).· COOKIES & KIDS’ SNACKS· COFFEE & TEA

Plan of action: The BTC Baederwood Food Drive will follow the successful Boy Scout food drive model: The members of our volunteer team are collecting paper shopping bags. You can pick up these bags and instructions on January 6th in the Baederwood Office parking lot from 7:30–8:30PM and distribute these collection bags to neighbors, friends, family, etc. by January 10th. Then on January 17th, you simply pick up the bags you left with neighbors and drop them off at the food cupboard. (Directions will be included when you pick up the bags.) In addition, we are asking for volunteers take leadership roles in complementary efforts, such as arranging for high-profile food-drop containers at local establishments or setting up outside of local grocery stores on the morning of the 17th to collect food items that they have encourage people to purchase & donate. (We are working on locations/permission at this time).

How you can participate:

Donate requested food items.
Gather brown paper bags for donation collection.
Engage local establishments as food collection/drop sites.
Volunteer to drop off and collect 5–10 bags from friends and neighbors (bags can be picked up on January 6th).
Volunteer to work at a collection site on Saturday, January 17th.
Spread the word to your contacts by e-mail, flyer (available electronically), phone or in person.

Contact:

Project Manager Kathleen Joyce kjoyce_ward9@comcast.net 215-738-6025

Project Manager John L. Spiegelman spiegs@spiegs.net 215-740-4306

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O Positive Blood Drive

By Katie - Dec 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

O+ Blood Drive Objective: To promote the donation of 500 extra units of blood between January 4-17th in celebration of the Inauguration of President Obama.

Plan of Action: The O-Positive Program will run from January 4-17, 2009 throughout the Montgomery, Bucks, and Philadelphia counties. We will also be accepting “Drip Clicks” from anyone around the country who is willing to participate in the program. Our Web site is currently built (http://www.opositiveprogram.org/) and will act as the communication, organizational, promotional fulcrum for our project. Our Media Committee will have the Media Kit done by Tuesday, December 30th, in time for our Media Blitz on Wednesday, December 31st through January 5th. We are targeting press, radio, TV on the media side, as well as colleges/high schools, regional politicians, volunteers within “Be the Change-Baederwood, and walk-up volunteers. This committee has met twice via phone conference and once at the Abington library. Once the Media Blitz commences and the program is underway, we will send volunteers to approximately one dozen of the blood drives throughout the 3-county region to help out, as well as track O+ donors, on site. This provides a great chance for people who might not want (or aren’t able) to donate blood to still be involved. In addition, the Web site will include a “Drip Click” icon on the front that will, first, tally the number of donors and, second, provide our Web site visitors the chance to provide Opt-In information, as well as a 25 words or less message to President Obama. Once the program is complete on January 17th, we will tally the number of units donated, compile all the messages, and create a final document to deliver to the White House during Inauguration Week.

Benefits: Besides enhancing the efficacy of Red Cross Blood Drives in our region, this project keeps the Obama team working and on-task until after the inauguration. Some other benefits of this program are: it will create a Media Committee for the BTC-Baederwood group as a whole, it will generate good public relations for BTC-Baederwood, it will generate a Web site that can be used as a project model, and it will provide a testable model to determine if this program should be expanded to a national/international audience.

How you can participate:

Donate & Drip Click at our web site http://www.opositiveprogram.org. Walk-ins are also accepted.
Volunteer to work a shift at an area blood drive at our website http://www.opositiveprogram.org
Spread the word to your contacts by email, flyer, phone or in person

Contact:

Leadership

Dr. John G. Duesler, Jr. jgduesler@opositiveprogram.org

Janice Winston janicewinston@opositiveprogram.org

Julie Haywood juliehaywood@opositiveprogram.org

Media Committee

Donna Lima-Montero donnalima-montero@opositiveprogram.org

Tricia Shore triciashort@opositiveprogram.org

Judy Sherman judysherman@opositiveprogram.org

Natalie Lavelle natalielavelle@opositiveprogram.org

Volunteer Coordinators

Donna Lima-Montero donnalima-montero@opositiveprogram.org

Julie Haywood juliehaywood@opositiveprogram.org

Graphic Artist

Tim Ehlenbeck timehlenbeck@opositiveprogram.org

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Be the Change Baederwood Meeting 121008

By Katie - Dec 27th, 2008 at 3:22 pm EST

Also listed in: 8 groups

Be the Change Baederwood Hello Baederwood! Thank you all for your enthusiasm and interest in continuing working together for change. Attached and below please find the notes from our December 10, 2008 meeting. Key things to note:

INAUGURATION DAY PROJECTS:The “Change is Coming” team requested groups find a project to complete before Inauguration Day. We came up with three. Contact the Project Managers if you want to help plan the event. More information will follow to all on how we can participate.

Help stock local food banks. Project Managers: Kathleen Joyce Kjoyce_ward9@comcast.net 215-738-6025 & John Spiegelman Spiegs@speigs.net 215-740-4306

O+ Blood Drive to collect 500 units. Project Managers: John Duesler jgd@greendiscgolf.com 215-913-0569, Julie Haywood woalex@aol.com 215-715-6852 & Janice Winston janicewinston@yahoo.com 215-806-0300

Eliminating the use of plastic bags in Cheltenham. Project Managers: Karen Synnestvedt Karin-sunshine@comcast.net 267-994-3161 & Ilene Rush Mice30@comcast.net 215-470-2998

NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, January 14th at 7PM at Jay Cooke Hall, Elkins Park PA. Come prepared to make a 60 second presentation of your ideas about what our organization should be and do.

JOIN BE THE CHANGE BAEDERWOOD: (Temporary Working Title)You must REQUEST TO BE ADDED TO OUR EMAIL LIST.Please send an email with your name, email address, telephone number and township to dbernstein218@gmail.com. Spread the word because we won’t have access to the campaign lists much longer.

Katie Maher

katiemaher@comcast.net

215-782-8889

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mohandas Gandhi

MEETING MINUTES 12/10/08 – Following is a high-level recap of the meeting.

Participation

Approximately 75 present; 41 sent regrets.
Attendees came from Cheltenham, Jenkintown, Springfield, Ambler Horsham, Hatboro, Philadelphia, Upper and Lower Moreland, Bryn Athyn
PA Legislative District 154 Representative Larry Curry also attended the meeting and has offered to provide a summary of the legislation & projects currently under consideration here in PA.
Katie Maher, Primary Team Leader of Cheltenham for Obama and General Election Director for Montgomery County Democratic Committee, chaired the meeting.
Tricia Shore was recording secretary and provided us the minutes within 24 hours of the meeting.
Lorraine Marino facilitated our brainstorming session and outlined the January meeting so that we can come prepared to discuss the future of our group. She also provided assistance in finalizing our meeting notes.

Meeting Goals

To reconnect and re-engage the Obama volunteers and welcome new ones; to recap where we are since the election and begin to talk about ways to leverage ourselves going forward.
To identify a unifying short-term project(s) we could do as a community – before the Jan 20th inauguration, as requested by the Obama team.
To prepare for a January meeting where we begin to identify longer-term ways to leverage ourselves as change agents.
To set up an interim governance structure for the next 4-6 months until we are clear on what direction the group wants to take – and the Obama administration requests.

1. Reconnect and Reengage our team

Katie reviewed the goals we outlined back before the primary:
- Obama winning the Presidency -- CHECK!
- Engage the Democratic Party-- CHECK!
- Evolve as an organization after the election
Currently, Obama has a list of 13 million email addresses and 3 million volunteers. Locally we have about 2500 volunteers in Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Springfield alone.
The Obama Transition Team is asking us to reach into our communities of volunteers – through house parties and informal meetings – to identify ways to make use of these volunteer networks. Nate relayed that there is some talk of the Obama administration establishing field organizers and offices in some new form.

2. Select short-term project(s) we can complete by Jan 20th (Inauguration Day) ·

Lorraine Marino facilitated the group through a process in which we identified 3 projects. First she provided criteria for the project(s): Any project would have to…

o Be simple enough to be doable by January

o Have a positive impact on the community – address a real need

o Be of interest and accessible to a majority of us

o Not duplicate or interfere with an existing organization’s mission ·

The process

o The group first tossed out some potential ideas so we could get a feel for people’s interest and ideas.

o We then broke into smaller groups to discuss ideas.

o Then, in the large group, people identified suggestions from their group, which were charted for everyone to see.

o The group then boiled this list of potential projects down to the Top 3 Projects for completion before Inauguration Day through a voting process. These include:

Organizing to help stock local food banks which are in direct need of help in our area. Project Managers: Kathleen Joyce and John Spiegelman
Support the O+ Blood Drive (affectionately referred to as Bleed for Obama!) with a goal of trying to get 500 units before the election. Project Managers: John Duesler, Julie Haywood, Janice Winston
Take a step toward eliminating the use of plastic bags in Cheltenham. Project Managers: Karen Synnestvedt & Ilene Rush

o We had team lead(s) volunteer for each project. The role of these team leads includes: Calling the first meeting, at which time team members would think through what’s achievable in the time given; and to organize how to manage the project and involve others.

o Everyone signed up for the projects they wanted to be part of. Key points that came from the group’s discussion

We don’t want to do something that duplicates an existing organization, which has the expertise and leadership already. We also need to respect that there are many organizations in need of support – of volunteers or supplies. We could provide a strong volunteer base for such organizations.
We should, for the longer term, research what organizations there are in our area and find out from them what is needed. We could then help organize to serve those needs.
We also need to respect the existing leadership in organizations, so we don’t undermine what they are doing.
We should look for ways to take this short-term action but also do so in a way that we could make a sustainable difference. Many shared the view of wanting to effect meaningful social change – not just a one-time event.

(A list of the team leaders as well as the additional project ideas is provided at the end of these notes.)

3. Preparing for the January Meeting Though specific plans for the January meeting may be refined by the interim leadership team, the main goal is to share and consider ideas for how we might continue to leverage ourselves as a group longer term. At the January meeting, anyone who has an idea should get their thoughts together and come prepared to give a 30-60 second pitch for that idea. We’ll have a process to follow, so that others who are interested in one or more of those ideas can gather to talk more about them. We don’t need to come to any final decisions in January. But we want to begin the process. Lorraine presented some categories based on input from Art Haywood -- to help us think broadly, not just about service-oriented projects:

Political - Related to the political process – identifying and influencing elected officials; party infrastructure, making or changing legislation or public policy. etc.

Civic - Related to local/township or regional citizen committees; these are not related to a political party. (For example, there are many openings on Cheltenham’s Citizen’s committees, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory Committee, Economic Development Task Force, Environmental Advisory Council, Historical Commission, Human Relations, Library Board and many others.)

Service/charitable - Community service projects, support of non-profit activities, works of charity, etc.

Issue-based - Focused on a specific issue, such as health care, education, energy, environment, etc – at a local, state, of national level.

Other - An initiative or idea that does not fit in the previous categories. If there is something you are eager to work on – or an idea you’d like to put forward -- come to the January meeting prepared to give a 60-second description of your idea at the meeting. Then, people interested in working on that idea with you will have a chance to meet with you in a break-out group to talk further.

4. Identify Interim leadership

· Katie proposed that we identify an interim governance structure so we can work for the next 4-6 months – until we have more clarity about our direction.

· The group discussed this and we proposed an interim steering committee format, of 6 to 10. People were then invited to sign up for this committee.

· Katie explained that she is committed to launching the organization but needs others to provide leadership and administrative support. Once the group defines the organization over the next few meetings, an appropriate leadership group can be created.

· Deb Bernstein has volunteered to manage our membership list.

· Mike Lazrus has volunteered to address our technology needs.

Next steps

Team leads for each project are to call the first meeting and bring together team members who can help think through the project goal more thoroughly – and begin organizing it and how to include others.
We will meet January 14, 7pm-9pm at Jay Cooke Hall. We thank Marissa and the St. Paul Community for their hospitality and support.
Anyone who has suggestions for other meeting spaces for our use beyond January should provide these to Katie. We would want space that could accommodate up to 100 people. (e.g., Abington Friends was suggested, as they have space for bigger meetings.)
The Obama organization has been having meetings with field organizers to plan next steps. They might open field offices across the country; no definite plans are in the works yet.
We should seek ways to become engaged with our local organizations and other ways to become involved in our communities. We will become familiar with the issues and learn about politics. We may be needed to support the legislative initiatives so we ought to be educated citizens on our very local politics.

Other current and upcoming events

Moveon.org is collecting photographs of Obama supporters holding a sign that says, “I stand with President Obama on …”, the individual’s name and city. After the meeting, many participants had their pictures taken for this project.
Inauguration parties include the Living Word Church in Roslyn. Price of admission is an item for the food pantry; also, this is planning underway to use the Ambler Theater; Please call them for details.
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-2228, http://inaugural.senate.gov
Creek side Co-op will have a meeting to announce its location December 18 at Curtis Hall at 7:30.
Dean For America became Democracy for America, which grew out of Dean for American, is asking for anyone interested in a training they will be offering for organizers. If interested call Kevin Shaw 215 328 9104 paul4horsham@huges.net
rootscampPhilly are participant driven events or forums, using the "unconference" or "open space" format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians in the progressive sphere to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment. Initiated by the New Organizing Institute and based on the phenomenally successful BarCamp model, RootsCamps are self-organized with no pre-set agenda. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners. Sign Up Now RootsCamp costs $10.00. http://rootscampphilly2009.pbwiki.com/

Additional project ideas from our brainstorm session:

Start a soup kitchen to serve those in need in our area, which is currently underserved and/or find ways to support Meals on Wheels
Research existing non-profits in our area to see where they need help, so we can support existing organizations in need, rather than start something new where expertise already exists.
A day of service on Martin Luther King Day. Ideas included providing food, involving other key groups, such as schools, etc in various projects, such as clean ups. green computer recycling, a “Volunteerism” Fair highlighting the many places where citizens can contribute their time, etc.
A clothing drive to support Dress for Success, an organization that supports women in need who are returning or entering the workforce; The Whosoever Gospel Mission, who supports homeless families.
Have a “Lights Out” hour in the community to demonstrate our commitment to energy conservation.
Tutors and after-school program volunteers.
Web Information Retrieval Service providing individuals with no internet access and/or familiarity with the web ‘information search’ services.

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Dear Alaska - Here's How You Sell a Plane. Love, Ed

By Katie - Sep 9th, 2008 at 10:23 am EDT

Also listed in: Cheltenham for Obama

Maybe Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin should take a lesson from the Rendell administration on how to sell a state airplane.

Pennsylvania is preparing to turn over the keys to one of its two executive planes to an Illinois company that has agreed to buy it for $1.375 million – above its appraised value and several hundred thousand more than the state paid for it 16 years ago.

Palin, the governor of Alaska, tried to win points as a reformer by declaring at last week’s GOP convention that upon taking office, she put her state’s jet on eBay. Turns out, she did just that, but in the end, it was sold through a broker for $2.1 million – less than the $2.7 million that Alaskan taxpayers paid for it under a past administration.

“It just goes to prove that a high-flying but inexperienced politician is no match for a down-to-earth professional when it comes to selling state planes,” said Chuck Ardo, Gov. Rendell’s press secretary.

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/

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Baederwood Office is Reopened and we need STUFF!

By Katie - Jul 18th, 2008 at 10:44 pm EDT

Also listed in: 4 groups

It's official! The old/new Baederwood office for Barack Obama's Campaign for Change is back!

As of tomorrow, it will be ready and waiting to receive your help... I'll be there from 9am to 9pm tomorrow (Saturday, July 19th) and Sunday (July 20th) to clean, welcome new volunteers, accept donations of services, furniture and supplies—see lists below—and generally start getting things rolling again! Our volunteer leadership organizing meeting will still be this Sunday 7/20 at 7pm, in the office. If everyone who attends brings at least one chair (preferably one we can keep through November), then we should all be able to sit during the meeting! It is expected to last 90 minutes, and I will be available afterwards for further discussion.

In case you don't remember, or you're new to our team, the address for the office is 1647 The Fairway, Jenkintown (though it's technically in Abington). Please RSVP for the meeting here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44y9q

We will need LOADS of help getting the office back into tip-top shape for the next four months. Baederwood will be the nerve-center of the campaign in Abington, Rockledge, Jenkintown, Cheltenham, and Springfield. If you can help us find anyone willing to donate the services listed at the bottom of the list (professional painting, carpeting, linoleum flooring, etc.) please contact me as soon as possible. If you can donate any of the furniture or supplies listed below, or anything else you think would be useful, please bring it by at any time this weekend or at any time in the future. For large items, please contact me ahead of time. Unless you hear otherwise, you'll be able to count on an open office from 9am to 9pm every day until Election Day: November 4th!

We will have an official Grand Opening very shortly, at a time to-be-announced. Please look through the entire list below and scour your brains for any and all possible sources of these important supplies and services (some of it will come from the campaign, but it can't hurt to have more... and we'll be opening more offices in the area soon).

I can't tell you all how excited I am to be a part of this amazing movement, and I can't wait to work once again with each and every one of you.

Nate Kleinman

Field Organizer - Baederwood Office

Barack Obama's Campaign for Change

215-264-0446

nathankleinman@gmail.com

BAEDERWOOD OFFICE WISH LIST:

Furniture & Fixtures

Desks
Office chairs
Folding Tables
Folding chairs
Filing cabinets, locking if possible
Sturdy book cases
2 bar height chairs or stools for front reception
Computers
Printers and/or Copy machines
Mouses and Mouse Pads
Apartment size refrigerator
Microwave, relatively new to conserve power
Telephones
Small fans
Hanging magazine holders for Obama Materials available to public
Ladders (2) for set-up
Television
Radio with CD Player
Chalkboard
Dry-erase board
Cork-boards
Desk lamps
Wall clock
Movable privacy screens to block off areas and provide noise control

Office Supplies

Surge Protectors
Extension cords; three prong and two prong
Construction paper
Rolls of paper
Toner
Printer Paper
Labels
File folders
Manila Envelopes Large
Clip Boards
Pens
COPY MACHINE

General Supplies

BIG sponges
Mop
Vacuum
Broom and Dustpan
Dust Buster
Hand brush and Dustpan
2 Buckets
Serving dishes and utensils
Plastic storage containers
Knives
Coffee mugs

Expendable Supplies – Keep it coming

30 Gallon Thick Trash Bags
Waste Paper Basket Trash Bags
Zip Lock Bags – lots for leftovers (large and small)
Plastic Wrap
Tin Foil
Toilet paper
Paper Towels
Tissue boxes
Hand Soap
Dish Soap
Lime-away (for toilet)
Windex
409
Light bulbs for lamps
Paper plates
Plastic and Styrofoam Cups, large and small
Plasticware (lots of forks and spoons, some knives)
Napkins
Disposable or easily cleanable plastic tablecloths

Services Needed for Staging the Space

Paint entire office white (it would be great to get a professional painting company to donate this service in-kind and low odor paint would be appreciated!!)
Repair linoleum floors (best if donated and installed in-kind)
Check of AC to be sure it will survive the Philadelphia Summer (donated?)
Replace the white carpet in back area caked with food from the Primary (donated?)
Electrician - check of power and wiring and outlets to support computers, cell phone chargers, printers, etc. (maybe donated?)
Scrub the bathroom
Volunteers to paint accents and interest using Obama Logo Blue and Red. (And donated paint?)

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Unity Events in Cheltenham Area

By Katie - Jul 4th, 2008 at 8:34 pm EDT

Also listed in: 6 groups

The Obama Campaign had over 4000 Unity Events across the country this past Saturday, June 28th and over 25,000 attendees. Here in Cheltenham/Abington we had 10 events. Nathan Kleinman and Katie Maher visited 8 events in the area and one in Philadelphia for our East Oak Lane Team. We estimate that we met upwards of 300 attendees right here in our own back yard! Proof once again of the enthusiam of local Obama supporters! See pictures and read more on Kevin Hartnett's blog at the link below!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/kevinhartnettPA

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A Thank you to the MontCo A Team from Jocelyn

By Katie - Jun 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pm EDT

Also listed in: 5 groups

My beloved friends in MontCo--the A-Team!

As most of you know, Pennslyvania was my very first state in the campaign. When I left New York, I had no idea what to expect, but was excited, like all of you, by the opportunity to make a difference and work to create sustainable change. This experience has surpassed my expectations. Over the past month from our office in Montgomery County, I have seen our team grow to an enormous group of dedicated, compassionate, value-driven individuals who have sacrificed extraordinary amounts in order to pursue that which we all believe in. I couldn't be prouder of our team and our efforts out here, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to work with you all.

In PA, I learned that the unique approach of the Obama campaign is incredibly laborious and time intensive: helping a voter understand the nitty gritty details of Barack's health care plan or education; trying to help a voter overcome their disillusionment with the system of voting due to their sense of being neglected and abandoned by the government; trying to combat the politics-of-fear approach and dispel the false myths that have been spread about Barack's religion or values; trying to help a voter overcome racism. These things are not easy, and they cannot be done in 5-10 minute conversations. And in order to reach the amount of people we needed to reach in the time that we had, most of our conversations were limited to 5-10 minutes. But we had 20 minute conversations. We had hour long conversations. We were able to do, on a very small scale, those very things that most people deem impossible through these conversations that opened minds and hearts to believe again.

Just remember that this is only the beginning - the beginning of reengaging the American people in the democratic process, the beginning of a new honest and open dialogue about race, and the beginning of restoring citizen's faith in our government. Even for those voters who voted against us or did not vote, our conversations had an impact. People saw our voter outreach. They were touched by our openness, our honesty, our compassion, and the time we were willing to give to listen or talk. People were inspired by our commitment to democracy, and to pursing a fair an accountable American government. They saw how important this movement is to us, and how dedicated we are to seeing it through. We have made a lasting impression on thousands of voters in Montgomery County--new and old. And we will continue working to reengage people throughout the remaining primaries and beyond. Like Barack, I have more faith in the American people than those who wish to influence us solely with manipulative, negative ads, and I firmly believe that we will ultimately win the nomination.

Lastly, I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. You all poured everything you had into this campaign here in Pennsylvania, and I was amazed at every step of the way. Your stories have inspired me. I also can never express enough appreciation for the way in which you took me in. Your kindness and strength made it possible for me to be a part of this campaign and to continue. As I move forward, I will take a little bit of each of you with me. I know as it was during the past three weeks that you will give me the courage to keep me moving forward.I believe I am off to Indiana, arriving just in time for the craziness of GOTV. After that, my path is uncertain, but know that it will be strong and direct because my foundation has been so strong. I would love to keep in touch with all of you. Please free to email and call me at will.With love and appreciation,Jocelyn

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Cheltenham for Obama Team Meeting 6/5/08

By Katie - Jun 3rd, 2008 at 12:23 am EDT

Also listed in: Arcadia University for Obama | Cheltenham for Obama

We will be holding a Cheltenham for Obama Team meeting on Thursday 6/5/08 from 7PM-9PM at Art Haywood's home at 443 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote located directly across from the Cheltenham High School.

We'll be restarting our volunteer team to focus on the Vote for Change initiative and to begin planning community outreach events. Come join us.

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Unity Forum - Democratic Committee 154 - Arcadia University 5/22

By Katie - May 1st, 2008 at 10:54 pm EDT

Also listed in: Arcadia University for Obama | Cheltenham for Obama | Jenkintown, PA for Obama

UNITY FORUM

May 22, 7:00 – 9:30 pm

The Castle at Arcadia University

Easton Rd & Rt. 309

(parking available on campus)

Please RSVP to Brian Gralnick at bgralnick@gmail.com or (267) 253-2007

What does our party stand for?

What makes us different from Republicans?

Help set the agenda for 2008 and beyond!

Hosted by the Democratic Committee of District 154

Interested, but can’t attend? Get involved, contact:

Cheltenham

Steve McCarter

(215) 884-7306

smccarter01@comcast.net

Jenkintown

Penny Cutler

(215) 887-2013

vze345c6@verizon.net

Springfield

Mary Ellen Alviti

(215) 816-6322

SpringfieldDemocrats@gmail.com

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Primary Results in Cheltenham and beyond

By Katie - Apr 30th, 2008 at 7:18 pm EDT

Also listed in: Arcadia University for Obama | Cheltenham for Obama

PA Primary Results April 22nd, 2008

Cheltenham Township:

Obama 7854 63.44%

Clinton 4526 36.56%

Total 12380

Difference 3328 26.88%

Jenkintown Boro:

Obama 805 51.27%

Clinton 765 48.73%

Total 1570

Difference 40 2.55%

Springfield Township:

Obama 3032 54.82%

Clinton 2499 45.18%

Total 5531

Difference 53 39.64%

Region 9

Obama 11691 60.01%

Clinton 7790 39.99%

Total 19481

Difference 3901 20.02%

Obama for America Abington Office Regions 6,7,8,9,14

Clinton Obama

Abington 6,733 7,284

Bryn Athyn 37 132

Cheltenham 4,520 7,850

Hatboro 747 502

Horsham 2,246 1,787

Jenkintown 761 805

Lower Gwynedd 1,027 1,410

Lower Moreland 1,576 738

Rockledge 291 122

Springfield 2,499 3,032

Upper Dublin 3,336 3,054

Upper Moreland 2,443 1,700

Whitpain 1,961 1,862

28,177 30,278

Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district

includes West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Northwest Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County

CountPercentDelegates

Barack Obama 164,941 77.48% 7

Hillary Clinton 47,943 22.52% 2

Total 212,884 100.00% 10

Montgomery County PA Results

Vote CountPercent

Barack Obama 75,682 49.28%

Hillary Clinton 77,886 50.72%

Total 153,568 100.00%

Difference 2,204 1.44%

Pennsylvania Results

Candidate

Votes Percent Delegates

CLINTON, HILLARY (DEM) 1,260,444 54.6% 83

OBAMA, BARACK (DEM) 1,046,220 45.4% 73

Difference 214,224 9.29% 10

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Get Out The Vote on Primary Day Effort

By Katie - Apr 16th, 2008 at 5:23 pm EDT

Also listed in: 5 groups

GOTV – Neighborhood Canvassing

Delegates - - States - - Popular Vote - - all in our winning column. The final ‘justification’ for superdelegates to decide the nomination is ‘electability’ based on ‘big state’ wins. PA is the last large state of the Democratic Party Primary Process. A PA win will prove Senator Obama’s electability and insure his nomination. The PA Democratic Primary is expected to be very close and voter turnout very high for this historic contest. Our efforts to turn out Obama Supporters are critical to insuring an Obama Victory! Our Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort needs every one of us knocking on our neighbor’s doors to remind them to vote on April 22nd.

A grassroots political movement is one driven by the constituents of a community. The phrase "grassroots and boots" was coined by Senator Albert Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana in 1912 who declared: "This party [the Progressive Party] has come from the grass roots. It has grown from the soil of people's hard necessities." The creation of a grassroots movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous. We each came to our decision to support Senator Obama in his run for President because of our own personal stories. We gathered together to share our connection with others who felt the same as we do. United, we exponentially increase our positive impact on the Obama for America Campaign.

We have knocked/called about half of our Democratic Voters in Cheltenham, Springfield, Jenkintown and Abington. We need to finish the job in these next 5 days. Please sign up for as much canvassing or calling as you can through Monday, April 21st. Now is the time to turn your support into action! You can make a difference by joining our critical GOTV Election Day Effort. Door to door canvassing will be our primary focus. A simple knock on the door of an Obama Supporter followed by a big smile and a friendly reminder to go to the polls to vote! It’s that simple. You can partner up if it makes you more comfortable with the task, as long as we reach all of our Obama Supporters and make sure they vote!! Please help us win!

We have a GOTV Wish List which you can help us with!! We’re doing bag lunches and a barbeque dinner on Election Day April 22nd! Here’s what we need:

Election Day Mess Tent Set Up

Catering Tents,Barbeque Grills, fuel, tools, and other cooking accoutrements PA system,Ice Chests and Ice,Plates, forks, knives, spoons, napkins

Election Day Lunch for 500

Sandwiches individually wrapped,Paper lunch bags,Individual bags of chips, pretzels & carrots,Apples, Oranges and Bananas,Individually wrapped treats like cookies and other sweets,Bottled Water, Soda and Juice

Election Day Dinner for 300

Hamburger Patties,Veggie Burgers,Hotdogs,Hamburger and Hotdog Rolls,Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, horseradish, pickles,Potato Salad,Macaroni SaladGreen Salad and Dressing,Desserts of any kind,Bottled Water, Soda and Juice

Event Sign Up

CANVASSING: Sign up at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents . We have multiple canvassing opportunities every day and encourage you to sign up for as many as you can. The key now is canvassing, which is the most effective way to reach voters. Try it! You’ll find the experience empowering and rewarding!

POLL WATCHING:The campaign as created an Election Protection Team which will have attorneys at the polls in PA for voter protection and poll watching. If you are an attorney and interested in participating on this team, please contact Brian Wallach at bwallach@barackobama.com to sign up.

TRANSPORTATION:We will be staging a few volunteers in each township to provide transportation to voters as requested. Please sign up at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents .

Event Title

Date/TimePrimary Day Training to GOTV in Region 9!!Apr 17, 2008 at 6:00 PM

Canvass Staging Event Sat 4/19/08 9AMApr 19, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Canvass Staging Event Sat 4/19/08 12PMApr 19, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvass Staging Event Sun 4/20/08 11AMApr 20, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Canvass Staging Event Sun 4/20/08 2PMApr 20, 2008 at 2:00 PM

Canvass Staging Event Mon 4/21/08 9AMApr 21, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Canvass Staging Event Mon 4/21/08 12PMApr 21, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvass Staging Event Mon 4/21/08 4PMApr 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM

Poll Watcher Sign Up for Cheltenham Township PA ResidentsApr 22, 2008 at 5:00 AM

Cheltenham Township PA Voter Transportation Sign UpApr 22, 2008 at 8:00 AM

Cheltenham for Obama Election Day Voter Canvassing Morning ShiftApr 22, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Cheltenham for Obama Election Day Voter Canvassing Afternoon ShiftApr 22, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Cheltenham for Obama Election Day Voter Canvassing Evening ShiftApr 22, 2008 at 4:00 PM

As always, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead

Baederwood Shopping Center
1647 The Fairway
Jenkintown, PA

Directions from Old York Road(611):
Turn onto The Fairway, at the corner of the Barnes and Noble.
Continue down the road until you see the Baederwood Shopping Center.
Office is Suite 1647(You will see "Obama 08" signs). Google map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=The+Fairway,+Abington&sll=40.107389,-75.118096&sspn=0.008452,0.016158&ie=UTF8&ll=40.107389,-75.118096&spn=0.008452,0.016158&z=16

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Foreign Policy Panel at Arcadia University Thursday 4/3/08 12:15PM

By Katie - Apr 10th, 2008 at 11:30 am EDT

Also listed in: 6 groups

The event drew approximately 300 attendees and at least half were Arcadia students.

Mike Kotyk, Petty Officer, U.S. Navy; Kosovo veteran, outlined his reasons for supporting Senator Obama and introduced Daylin Leach, State Representative 149th Legislative District. When he concluded, Richard Danzig thanked Mike Kotyk, and all of our military men and women for their service and the audience gave them a standing ovation. The Panel included from left to right:Denis McDonough, Former Foreign Policy Advisor and Middle East Expert Susan Rice, Former Assistant Secretary of State, Expert with the Brookings InstitutePaul Bucha, Medal of Honor WinnerRichard Danzig, Former Secretary of the Navy

The event commenced at 12:45PM with three of the speakers presenting short summaries of their backgrounds and specific experience and focus on foreign policy issues. They each defined how Senator Obama offers real change on many critical US foreign policy issues including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Darfur, the United Nations, the Kyoto Protocol, military building and operations, and more.

Paul Bucha started the forum with an apology to the students in attendance; "We blew it. We were given a world of promise and should have returned it to you better than we found it and we did not." He thanked the students and said that it was the students of the sixty's who protested the war who were responsible for saving his life and the lives of other Vietnam service men and women.

Mr. Bucha defined the components of leadership as integrity, confidence, truth, competence and humility, all found in Senator Obama. He expressed concern that the United States operates its foreign policy within several misplaced assumptions: We are the chosen ones and god is on our side; We alone have values; everyone else has self-interests; Technology can solve problems, not people; Solipsistic view of the world (an extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.); egoistic self-absorption, that "they are like us."

This underpins the current foreign policy and our arrogant view of the world. Senator Obama disagrees with this approach and believes that we must talk with people to find out what they value and desire. He went on to repeat the comparison of Senator Obama to Abraham Lincoln. Each speaker got an enthusiastic round of applause, and a supporter in the front of the auditorium lead a spontaneous "yes we can" cheer between speakers, leading Ms. Rice to remark that she had never been to a foreign policy forum/pep rally before but she loved it. Susan Rice began by framing Senator Obama’s unique vision and leadership meeting a pivotal moment in history when it can create broad and lasting impact. She sees significant "challenges left untended because of our involvement in Iraq." Senator Obama "has the wisdom, vision and judgment to say that the current US policies in Iraq and the Middle East are wrong." The challenges we face are transnational, without limits of boarder or country, like terrorists, global warming, pandemics, etc.

"We must respect and be responsible for the safety of everyone, everywhere in the world." Senator Obama has a 21st Century vision of the challenges we face and the solutions we must deploy to face them. "He will bring us together as a people and as a nation." Experience is not the best indicator of a leader's potential as characterized by some of the most experienced Washington players like Cheney, Rumsfeld and McCain.

On January 20th, 2009, one of the three remaining candidates will put their hand on the bible to be sworn in as President of the United States and the world will judge us by who we pick to say that oath. A question on the value of United Nations and the United States participation in it was addressed by Susan Rice. She noted that Senator Obama sees its value, recognizing that it was founded by the United States for a noble purpose but sees the need to reform its flaws. She believes we need to pay our dues and fulfill our obligations. We need to fix the Human Rights Commission to better fill its charge. We need to enhance and improve the United Nations, not destroy it.

The first question was posed by a young male student about the Iraq war. He has friends and family members in the military, and wanted to know more information about Sen. Obama's views on cooling periods between periods of military deployment. Paul Bucha responded that regardless of any intent, desire or need, the United States can not sustain our presence in Iraq.

Troops are extended beyond any reasonable expectation. Ultimately, the US must understand that “there is no victory in Iraq”. He revealed his own personal experience and recent counseling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 40 years after his service in Vietnam. He reiterated the stressors of serving on the ground, and discussed the tried-and-proved equation of one month off for every three months served, a policy that the current administration was not following resulting in thousands of service men and women suffering from severe PTSD. Many of our troops have served four or five deployments in a row.

Another audience member requested specifics for the troop withdraw, and how anti-terrorism operations in the Middle East would be handled after withdrawal from Iraq. The panel said that Senator Obama has already made the hard decision that we want our troops out. Bucha also discussed logistics of withdrawal describing the extraction of troops and equipment, noting that some vehicles that can only move 18 miles an hour down roads that hardly exist and there is only one main rd out of the whole area.

Throughout the Q&A it was clear that the audience was engaged and involved - as each question wrapped up 30 more hands went in the air and as the panelists answered the questions people clapped and showed a very positive response. Although the forum lasted more than two hours the majority of the audience stayed as long as they could, and a number of people went towards the stage after to attempt to speak to the panel members before they left.

Compiled notes of Ann Marie and Katie

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A message to Team Cheltenham from Jacqui Barry

By Katie - Apr 8th, 2008 at 10:58 am EDT

Also listed in: Arcadia University for Obama | Cheltenham for Obama

Dear Team Cheltenham,

First and foremost I want to thank you and congratulate you for your great success! Your team registered nearly 800 voters, last weekend your team knocked on over 1,600 doors and identified more than 400 supporters! I have worked in South Carolina, Alabama and Texas for a total of 4 get out the vote efforts and I can say with confidence that I am truly impressed and inspired by your team and Montgomery County. I am so excited to work with each of you as we work to deliver Pennsylvania to Senator Obama on April 22.

Now is the time for us to remake our country and we must start at the root to build this grassroots movement in Pennsylvania; block by block, precinct by precinct. All eyes have turned to us and the pundits are saying that we cannot win here. However, I have heard this news in every other state that I have worked in and we won those states. We can win here. But it is going to take a little sacrifice. Every great movement in history began with the sacrifice of everyday people that cared enough for a simple cause that they sacrificed their lives for the betterment and empowerment of a generation. All we need to sacrifice are two more weeks. Let’s finish strong and feel great about the fact that at the end of the day on April 22 we did everything in our power to create a better world and a better future for the United States of America.

To win we must identify supporters, recruit volunteers and continue to grow team Cheltenham. In order to win we must:

Phone bank during the week; you can come into the office to phone bank, take a list from the office home with you, or call from pateams.barackobama.com (you must report any calls made from this web-site to me at jbarry@barackobama.com so that we can track Cheltenham’s progress).
Canvass your neighborhood; knock on the door of every potential voter (from a list the campaign provides). Art Haywood put forth an incredible challenge and you have been doing a great job to accomplish these efforts. However, we need more people knocking on more doors. This Saturday 4/12/08 we need your help! Sat at 9 or 1 and Sun at noon! We’ll be repeating it again on Saturday 4/19/08.
Enter data; we need to keep all of our data accurate and updated. We will be having a data entry party in the office possibly Tuesday night (bring your laptop!)
Meet regularly; meeting on Tuesday 4/8/08 and Tuesday 4/15/08 at 7:00 at the Abington office!
Work on Election Day! Join us on Tuesday April 22nd to work at the polls, transport voters and get out the vote for Senator Obama!

Thank you for all that you are doing for Senator Obama, we appreciate all of your efforts! We need you now more than ever to be active. Our moment is now; please do not let the opportunity to change and effect the course of history pass you by! We need each of you to canvass and phone bank with us.I look forward to working further with each of you and delivering Pennsylvania to Senator Obama on April 22!

Jacqui Barry

Field Organizer

Obama for America

"In the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it" - Barack Obama

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A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Katie - Apr 5th, 2008 at 12:53 am EDT

Also listed in: 6 groups

From MoveOn.org

40 years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and this nation lost one of the greatest leaders for peace and justice that we have ever known.

All morning, the staff here at MoveOn have been sending each other his quotes and speeches—words that, decades later, still inspire new generations of folks to action.

We were so moved that we really wanted to share some of them with you, as a celebration of Dr. King's legacy and a reminder that his words are as important today as they were 40 years ago.

* * *

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

* * *

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

* * *

"The time is always right to do what is right."

* * *

Here's a clip from one of Dr. King's most powerful speeches:

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Ted Kennedy and Chelsea Clinton visit Montgomery County

By Katie - Apr 5th, 2008 at 12:29 am EDT

Also listed in: 5 groups

The Spring Reception yesterday was a huge success. We are happy to announce that anyone that would like to watch clips of the event can do so either online using the links below or by watching C-SPAN on Sunday.

C-SPAN clip of Chelsea Clinton’s remarks

**Copy and Paste the link below into your web address bar rtsp://video.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_040408_chelsea.rm

C-SPAN clip of Sen. Edward Kennedy’s speech

**Copy and Paste the link below into your web address bar rtsp://video.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_040408_kennedy.rm

_______________________________________

C-SPAN Schedule of Clips of the event will be broadcast on Sunday, April 6th Sen. Edward Kennedy & Chelsea Clinton at Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Democratic Party Event On C-SPAN at 6:30pm (ET) and 9:30pm (ET) _______________________________________

***Click on the links below for local News Video Clips of the Event:

Click below for NBC 10 coverage

http://www.nbc10.com/video/15789576/index.html

Click below for CBS 3 coverage

http://cbs3.com/video/?id=55113@kyw.dayport.com

***Click on the links below for local Newspaper Coverage of the event:

The Times Herald

http://www.timesherald.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily;jsessionid=n7bVH24Bq7HY1Kjk7JL3JrPTyjkvTrdtcjPHjzLWxXhVQmhvwqv1!-761963651?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FNTH%2FHome&r21.content=%2FNTH%2FHome%2FContentTab_Feature_1843514

The Intelligencer

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-04042008-1514033.html

Thanks,

The Montgomery County Democratic Committee 610-272-2000 www.mcdems.org

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A new Democrat Majority in Montgomery County PA

By Katie - Apr 4th, 2008 at 8:04 pm EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

From: MCDC [mailto:info@mcdems.org]

Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 6:26 PM

To: katiemaher@comcast.net

Subject: Breaking News - Voter Registration Victory

Dear Friends:

Congratulations to all of us... we have done it.

At 4 p.m. today, April 4, 2008, Montgomery County officially became a Democratic County.

The Montgomery County Board of Elections reported at 4 p.m. that the latest count of voter registrations was:

Democrats: 240,232

Republicans: 240,053

Even Better news: the board of elections still has thousands more registrations to process, and with the registrations running 10 to 1 or more Democratic, our county will be a Democratic county when voters go the polls on April 22.

Let us take some time to rejoice this weekend, and think back to those days when people only whispered the word "Democrat" in Montgomery County.

But only take a moment, because our work is not done, it is just beginning. This news should give us the shot of adrenalin we need to work even harder to make sure that our excellent slate of legislative candidates, our statewide candidates and our eventual presidential nominee win in November.

Congratulations! Your hard work and support has helped to make this possible. Your future support and hard work will mean a true Democratic majority in Montgomery County.

Sincerely,

Marcel Groen

Chairman

Montgomery County Democratic Committee

610-272-2000

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Phase II Persuasion Plan

By Katie - Apr 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 pm EDT

Also listed in: Cheltenham for Obama

We are now in Phase II, Persuasion!

We will spend the next three weeks knocking on doors and calling Democrats to identify Obama supporters. With over 250 volunteers and still growing, we will be well positioned to make a difference in Cheltenham Township and Montgomery County. Every hour you can give to our efforts will make a difference!

Abington Campaign Office

The District 9 campaign office in the Baederwood Plaza (near Whole Foods) officially opened its doors on Sunday, March 30th! Jacqui, Jocelyn and Ann Marie are the Field Organizers working out of this new location. Stop in. Say hello. Sign up to help in the office. Sign up to bring them a healthy meal. All of our Training, Canvass Staging Events, Phone Banks, Data Entry and all walk lists and call lists will be managed out of this office.

Door to Door Canvassing

We will be organizing our door to door canvassing by ward and precinct. Volunteers will be a part of their local neighborhood team. This will allow us to make neighbor to neighbor contact, the most effective persuasion technique. Canvass Walk Packets are picked up at the field office and returned immediately on completion so that the data collected can be entered into the Build the Hope database.

Where you fit in

Your precinct is noted after your contact information on the Membership List. The Cheltenham Ward/Precinct map is listed below along with the Precinct Captains and Ward Leaders already assigned. We still need volunteers to fill Precincts 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-2, 3-1, 3-2, 5-1, 5-3, 6-2, 7-1, and a Ward 1 Leader.

Canvassing Schedule

The campaign has identified specific timeframes for canvassing on the weekends; Saturdays from 10AM -2PM and 2PM to 6PM and Sundays from 1PM to 5PM. Precinct Captains will determine whether additional daytime or evening canvassing during the week will be needed. The following schedule is in place. Please sign up for these events on the Cheltenham for Obama Group page.

Event TitleDate/Time

Canvass and Call Training Wed 4/2/08 12 NoonApr 2, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/5/08 9AMApr 5, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/5/08 1PMApr 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sun 4/6/08 12PMApr 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/12/08 9AMApr 12, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/12/08 1PMApr 12, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sun 4/13/08 12PMApr 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/19/08 9AMApr 19, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event Sat 4/19/08 1PMApr 19, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Canvass and Call Training and Staging Event 4/20/08 12PMApr 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM

Canvassing Goals

Cheltenham Democrats total 20,000
There are three official staging events each weekend (Sat 10AM & 2PM and Sun 1PM)
Enlist 75 volunteers each weekend (11 volunteers per ward/ 2-3 per precinct)
Each volunteer knocks on 66 doors during the weekend
Total of 5,000 doors each weekend to reach 15,000 voters by April 22nd

Phone Banking

Phone banking is very flexible, efficient and vital to our effort, especially in reaching voters in locations we can not canvass like apartment buildings and gated communities. You can canvass on your own by signing on-line at pateams.barackobama.com where you will be assigned calls to voters in your neighborhood. Once you set up an account, you can select the call list you want to work. You can do this on line or using a printed list. You can call from home or at the Obama Office, alone or with others, whichever way suits you best. Unlike door to door canvassing, calls can be made during the week, daytime or evening, until we reach each voter. Neighborhood: Montco8Persuade likely voters 143 done 1088 remaining Get a Voter print list enter results Call likely Democratic voters 48 done 818 remaining Get a Voter print list enter results Call next most likely Democratic voters 21 done 358 remaining Get a Voter print list enter results Call voters most likely to answer BEFORE 5PM 4 done 4 remaining Get a Voter print list enter results It is important that as you progress, you track the number of calls, the number of contacts with voters and the number of Obama Supporters you ‘persuaded’. These numbers must be reported to the Phone Banking Coordinator at the end of each shift. We need at least 8 data entry volunteers who can work out of the office, preferably with their own laptop computers if possible, and input canvassing sheets and phone bank data immediately upon return to the office. We also continue to call volunteers who have signed up on www.barackobama.com to grow our ranks. If you want to help, let Genny or Dorothy know!

Phone Banking Goals

Cheltenham Democrats total 20,000
Enlist 50 volunteers each week
Each volunteer calls 100 voters a week
Total of 5,000 calls each week to reach 15,000 voters by April 22nd

Community Outreach

A more intimate way to persuade voters is through neighborhood gatherings. Whether it is a civic group, interest organization or club, gathering together voters to discuss Senator Obama are very effective.
Larger events are also helpful in bringing out the vote! A few volunteers are hopeful that Senator Obama might be able to speak in our area and are working on locating a venue (possibly Cheltenham High School) as well as contacting the Obama campaign. Similarly, an event in the Lynwood Garden section with a well-know supporter/celebrity is being discussed. Some of our Jewish members are forming an outreach effort to the Jewish community in Cheltenham to discuss related issues. We need a Community Outreach liaison to help facilitate these efforts and coordinate Field Staff participation at these events.

Training

Jacqui Barry, Region 9 Field Organizer, will be teaching volunteers how to speak with Democrats about Senator Obama and persuade them to vote for Senator Obama in the upcoming primary. Training sessions are held before every canvassing event (see the schedule above). You’ll learn everything you need to know to be successful!

April 22nd Primary Day!!

We will be working from 7AM until 8PM at all 22 polling locations in Cheltenham Township. We need all hands on deck and every volunteer possible so we can get voters to their polling place, watch voter sign in and contact Obama Supporters who haven’t voted yet. Two of our new positions, Transportation Coordinator and Poll Watch Coordinator are still open so if you are very organized, dependable and willing to put in a long but worthwhile day, let us know! We will also need folks willing to drive voters and to contact other local organizations who can help us get voters to the polls.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA
Voter Services
Polling Locations as of 3/4/2008

CHELTENHAM 1-1 & CHELTENHAM 1-3 GLENSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 400 HARRISON (& LIMEKILN PK) AVE | GLENSIDE, PA 19038
CHELTENHAM 1-2 GLENSIDE FIRE COMPANY | 210 W GLENSIDE AVE | GLENSIDE, PA 19038
CHELTENHAM 1-4 GLENSIDE HALL | 185 KESWICK ( & WAVERLY RD) AVE | GLENSIDE, PA 19038
CHELTENHAM 2-1 WESTMINSTER SEMINARY | 2960 CHURCH RD (& WILLOW GROVE AVE) | GLENSIDE, PA 19038
CHELTENHAM 2-2 TRILOGY APARTMENTS | 8480 LIMEKILN PIKE | WYNCOTE, PA 19095
CHELTENHAM 2-3 CURTIS HALL | 1250 CHURCH RD | WYNCOTE, PA 19095
CHELTENHAM 2-4 CHELTENHAM HIGH SCHOOL | 500 RICES MILL RD | WYNCOTE, PA 19095
CHELTENHAM 3-1 ALL HALLOWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH COMMUNITY HALL | 262 GREENWOOD AVE (& BENT RD) | WYNCOTE, PA 19095
CHELTENHAM 3-2 CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP BUILDING | 8230 OLD YORK RD | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 3-3 ELKINS PARK SQUARE | 8080 YORK (& CHURCH) RD | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 3-4 LA MOTT COMMUNITY CENTER | 7420 SYCAMORE AVE | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 4-1 &CHELTENHAM 4-2 CHELTENHAM SCHOOL ADMIN BUILDING | 1000 ASHBOURNE RD (& WASHINGTON LN) | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 4-3 &CHELTENHAM 4-4 WYNCOTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 333 RICES MILL ( & BARKER RD) RD | WYNCOTE, PA 19095
CHELTENHAM 5-1 GRATZ COLLEGE | 7605 OLD YORK RD (& MELROSE AVE) | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 5-2 &CHELTENHAM 5-3 MYERS SCHOOL/MODULAR | 8149 NEW SECOND ST | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 5-4 CHELTENHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 7853 FRONT ST | CHELTENHAM, PA 19012-1509
CHELTENHAM 6-1 ST JAMES PRIVATE SCHOOL | 8306 BROOKSIDE RD | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 6-2 ELKINS PARK FREE LIBRARY | 563 CHURCH RD | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 6-3 ELKINS PARK SCHOOL | 8149 NEW SECOND ST | ELKINS PARK, PA 19027
CHELTENHAM 7-1 ROWLAND COMMUNITY CENTER | 400 MYRTLE AVE | CHELTENHAM, PA 19012
CHELTENHAM 7-2 BERACHAH CHURCH | 400 ASHBOURNE RD | CHELTENHAM, PA 19012
CHELTENHAM 7-3 CHELTENHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | 7853 FRONT (ASHBOURNE RD) ST | CHELTENHAM, PA 19012

Membership

Included is our latest ‘member list’. We have 212 ‘on list’ and an additional 45 ‘on line’. Genny Standiford, our Membership Coordinator will continue to record all volunteer information and distribute updated lists to all team members so we can stay in contact. . In order to better manage our growing team and the new activities involved in this next phase, we’ve expanded our team leadership. We’re looking for leaders to fill our Phone Bank Coordinator, Transportation Coordinator, Community Outreach, and Poll Watch Coordinator. If you are interested, please contact Katie.

RoleResponsibilities

Team Leader Coordinates and supports the team

Data Coordinator Manage all data for the team

Volunteer Coordinator Manages volunteers to help the team reach its goals

Resource Coordinator Identifies and procures donations of materials, copies, services or meeting space

Phone Bank Coordinator Creates and leads phone banking teamCanvass CoordinatorCreates and leads the canvass team

Faith Outreach Coordinator Leading outreach to faith communities to do voter registration and volunteer recruitment.

NEW Membership Coordinator Intakes all volunteer information and distributes updated lists to volunteer coordinator et al

NEW Transportation Coordinator Coordinate voter transportation to the polls.

NEW Community Outreach Promotes faith and family gatherings to discuss Senator Obama's qualifications

NEW Precinct Captain Coordinates canvassing and calling efforts to meet goals

NEW Ward Leader Provides support to Precinct Captains in wardNEW Ward CaptainSets Knock/Call goals for Precincts

NEW Poll Watch Coordinator Coordinates coverage of every Cheltenham Polling location on April 22nd.

Please note; the “Cheltenham for Obama” email group on the web site only includes about 40 active members. In order to reach our entire membership, the email addresses of all members have to be included. For those of you who have not yet signed up on the Barack Obama web site, please go to www.barackobama.com and set up a personal page and join Cheltenham for Obama. The more of us included in the on-line group, the easier it will be for us to all stay informed about our team activities.

As always, thank you for being the most incredible team in Region 9, Montgomery County and Pennsylvania!

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795 Democrats Registered to Vote!!

By Katie - Mar 25th, 2008 at 9:45 pm EDT

Also listed in: Cheltenham for Obama

We have accomplished something amazing over the last three weeks. We organized and deployed dozens of volunteers who spent hundreds of hours canvassing thousands of Cheltenham Township Citizens making sure they were registered Democrats.

Our first goal through 3/11/08 was to register 65; we hit 64.

Our second goal through 3/17/08 was to register 200; we hit 223!

Our final goal was to register 500 through 3/24/08; we registered 508!

The final tally: Cheltenham Township registered a total of 795 new Democrats (466 new voters and 329 Independents and Republicans who switched to Democrat)! On Saturday 3/22/08 the entire state of PA was awash with Obama supporters helping their fellow citizens register to vote. Montgomery County brought in 2,917 registration forms, the largest number outside Philadelphia! Cheltenham for Obama got 175 registrations, a full 6% of the total haul in Montgomery County (we are one of 60 municipalities in the county!).

I don’t have final totals yet, but my rough estimates put our contribution close to 10% of the total registrations obtained in Montgomery County. I will share with you the final numbers when we get them.

Congratulations to all of you who participated in this Herculean effort! You are amazing! Rumor has it that back in 2000; Republicans outnumbered Democrats in Montgomery County by 100,000. Based on the counts and trends, we anticipate that after our efforts, Democrats will outnumber Republicans for the first time! That is a laudable accomplishment for our county and for our township. You have made the difference.

Never doubt what a small, dedicated group of individuals can accomplish when they are organized and motivated!

On to Phase II – Persuasion Canvassing. Join us on Thursday evening to plan and on Friday evening for training. We start knocking on the doors of our 17,000 Cheltenham Democrats on Saturday 3/29/08!!

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84 Registrations collected Sun 3/16/08!!

By Katie - Mar 16th, 2008 at 10:23 pm EDT

Also listed in: Cheltenham for Obama

I can’t catch my breath!! WOW...WOW…WOW! You did it!! We collected 84 registrations today and smashed through out goal of 200 before Monday, 3/17/08!! Today, we had 21 volunteers out along Cheltenham Avenue and a large group, led by Art Haywood, canvassed all over Lynewood Gardens!! There is no doubt that Obama Supporters are alive and well in Cheltenham Township!!! So, what we have here now is an opportunity to make St. Patrick’s Day a real celebration by registering 17 more! Please get out to the Pathmark, Dunkin’ Doughnuts, Cheltenham Plaza and CVS all on Cheltenham Avenue for however long you can and see if you can get 17 registrations each and help us knock this one out of the park. You are all absolutely incredible!! Thank you so much!

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