Continuing our tour of our offices in New Mexico, today we're spotlighting our office in Alamogordo.Faina, our local organizer in Alamogordo, explains what inspired her to become involved in the campaign:
I always prided myself on being apathetic when it came to politics. I felt very detached from our government and never bothered to find out exactly how politics affects our lives on a daily basis. To me, our government was always the entity that dealt with matters that I could not relate to, such as foreign policy and trade. I never deeply cared for the rest of the world, I was more concerned with things that I thought directly affected me. I began slowly growing out of that mindset when a friend opened my eyes to the importance of bettering the world around you through bettering yourself. I began seeing the importance of political activism, and became interested in the presidential races that were coming up.I read The Audacity of Hope after the same friend told me about Barack Obama’s speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The book really impressed me in how easy it was to read and understand, especially for somebody like me. I started getting very excited about Barack’s candidacy, and was even toying with the idea of getting involved with the campaign. I decided to attend a rally in Washington Square Park in September, and it blew me away. It was attended by over 24,000 New Yorkers, of every color and background, and what amazed me the most, was that all these people were coming together for a cause. I realized the concrete possibility of bettering our world, not just through Barack’s proposals, but through ourselves. Barack’s ability to bring people together is what inspired and motivated me to volunteer.I walked into a local office in October, and have not been able to walk out. We registered voters in New York City, braved the snow and the freezing weather in Iowa and New Hampshire, and knocked on doors in sunny Texas. Our grassroots efforts continued through June, and we followed each primary election with bated breath, and it never ceased to amaze us at how many people were watching as intently as we were.Now I am organizing in Alamogordo, New Mexico and it has been an honor to meet and work with a group that has been organizing here for years. I have gotten a chance to talk to Democrats, Republicans and Independents, all of whom are yearning for the change that this country so desperately needs. The volunteers in Otero County have been working nonstop, making phone calls, knocking on doors, writing letters, and talking to everyone they know about why they support Barack Obama. This county has not voted for a Democrat decades, but we know that now, more than ever, is the time to turn New Mexico blue.
Find your local office and stop by to see how you can become involved in your community today!
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