First and foremost, my volunteer committee is AWESOME!!! It was a wonderfully planned event. We encouraged over 50 people to seek their health care reform answers. And I must say the Redmond PCC's "Grillin' & Chillin'" event is deliciously healthy and AWESOME!
I enjoyed almost the whole day. My committee reasonably agreed to NOT proselytize health care reform and convert people. ALL we wanted to do is inform people and encourage them to write their legislators on their views of health care and any reform. Those who absolutely do not want reform were NOT forced. Those who needed more information, some of us briefly supplied it--pretty much HealthReform.gov. NO PRESSURE!!!
Then the switch in shifts. Volunteers who were untrained. Even after training, arguments ensued. Only a couple of us served on this committee--an lucky me--I had to deflect asinine behavior. Now I KNOW I WAS CORRECT IN STOPPING IT!
1) PCC IS A BUSINESS AND THEY DO NOT WANT THEIR NAME RAKED THROUGH ANY MUD--COMMITTEE AGREED
2) THE EVENT IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE IN A MAINLY CONSERVATIVE AREA SO SUPPORT THE NONPROFIT! COMMITTEE AGREED!
3) HANDING OUT LEGISLATORS ADDRESSES, TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITORS WITH NEWS MEDIA ADDRESSES AND IF THEY WANTED TO SHARE THEIR STORIES IS ALL THE COMMITTEE AGREED TO DO!
So why in the HAYLE are asinine people discussing that mammography radiation causes breast cancer, so don't get mammography? That is irresponsible and that is not a conversation to engage in this event.
I called it off and the ASININE people decided to call the manager of the store to bust me--I KNOW WHY--RACISM!
How can a BLACK WOMAN be professionally in charge of this? Typical of the area. Why am I not shocked? Now if I did go off in my sistah-mode, folks would have called the po-po. I am so sick of this bigotry. It is dumb!
Just imagine if all of our 18 year old children would contribute 12 months to serving our country in one fashion or another. Think about how proud we (the parents) would be. Think about all the great work, the act of unselfishness, the maturity, the responsibility they would develope as citizen of this beautiful and rich country. I served my country for 18 years and I would never regret it. We don't have to send our children outside of the United States, there is too much work needed right here. For Example: We can use Nurses, Services to the Elderly, Assisting with building homes for the homeless. There is so much work to do. But the main thing is to do it out of LOVE.
George Bush has been free to do whatever he likes now that he is out of office. He was even seen at local stores jokingly asking for jobs and posing for pictures. Well it seems that he has been doing a lot of that lately, propping up at what seem like impromptu visits from the former President of the United States. Unlike other Presidents and candidates, Bush is seemingly the underachiever. Al Gore has gone on to be internationally recognized as the Savior of our Planet. Clinton went on book tours, and speaking arrangements. Both have been successful in their jobs after the White House appointment. Poor Dubya has been making photo ops and hiding out in his very expensive neighborhood constantly guarded by the Secret Service. He was on the cover of D Magazine when he returned home, in an obviously photoshopped image of Bush in Khaki Shorts, Striped Polo, (Correction) and a new tan. He himself has been up to nothing, staying out of the political arena and allowing Cheney to take on the Dems by his lonesome. His wife on the other hand was recently at a graduation ceremony at Southern Methodist University. I expect he will be working on his highly classified memoirs on How not to be a President and part two of that installment, How to ruin a prestigious political family name in just 8 years.Read more: http://politicalpete.com/what-is-george-w-bush-doing-now/#ixzz0H85UxILT&B
http://politicalpete.com/
A couple weeks ago we were asked by OFA if we had in our community a positive story to highlight the first 100 days in office of President Barack Obama, and here in Saint Lucie County, Florida, we do. We started organizing and holding regular meetings right after the elections.
Within days of the President’s call to service, a small planning group was formed to help with the President’s vision to bring hope to thousands of college students in our communities and the group’s mission was outlined to provide an outlet for active citizenship in the area of college affordability.
On April 11, 2009 a new non-profit organization, Iduka, was incorporated in the state of Florida.
Iduka was created to promote college affordability by connecting students with lenders, schools, and community service organizations through an Internet based interest free micro-loan program.
Students may also qualify for a loan to grant conversion. In such cases students can pay off their loans by volunteering in their communities if Iduka can secure enough donations to cover such loan to grant conversions. A student enrolled in a Health Care Program at the local community college, can, if matching funds are available, convert an Iduka micro-loan into a grant by volunteering at a local hospital or community hospice.
In addition to a few professionals that have already provided pro bono services, we currently have a group of 10 local volunteers working hard to make this project a reality. This commitment and enthusiasm is a direct result of President Obama’s call to bring change to our communities, country, and the world.
Iduka is currently seeking seed money start operations and fulfill its mission. We are also actively recruiting members to serve on the Board of Directors, particularly individuals with a background in Law and Finance.
Please feel free to contact Miguel Martim (772) 380-4883 or Joan Barnes (772) 871-9104 in case you need any further information and/or would like to partner with Iduka. You can also visit us online at www.iduka.org
It's time to get that vegetable garden going. Plant some "extra" this year and share your bounty with your local food pantry. People in our area are having a difficult time. Reach out by offering your time and your talent for various community services in our area. (I didn't mention giving money - but if you are fortunate to have anything "extra" in that area, the need is great.)
Check the Events tab frequently to see what is going on. In most instances, all you need to do is SHOW UP! Also check out the website USASERVICE.COM. There are service opportunities posted there as well.
Please come to our OFA Listening Tour meeting on Tuesday, April 28th. Check "Find Events" to get more details. See you there!
Imagination Joined to Common PurposeMessage from The White Househttp://www.whitehouse.govDear David:Thank you for your recent note, and for sharing your thoughts with me. Your kind words echo the messages of millions of Americans who have welcomed me and my family to the White House with an outpouring of goodwill.On January 20th, Americans spoke with one voice, choosing hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. Our Nation faces serious challenges, but we will overcome them if our imagination is joined to common purpose.Now is our time to work together, reaffirm our enduring spirit, and choose our better history. With your help, we will renew our Nation's promise to carry forth the great gift of freedom to future generations, as our forebears have delivered it to us.Sincerely,Barack Obama
see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520
THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG Friday, March 6th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
The First Lady at Miriam’s Kitchen
Yesterday Mrs. Obama served food at Miriam’s Kitchen, a local non-profit organization that provides healthy, nutritious meals to the homeless in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Obama discussed the need to support food banks and soup kitchens around the country given that things will get worse before they get better. (View full size) She said Miriam’s Kitchen "is an example of what we can do, as a country and as a community, to help folks when they’re down. We’re all going to need one another in these times. We’re going to need to keep lifting each other up, in prayer and in hope."
USAservice.org International Registrationhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520
Join over 800 active non-partisan community leaders, organizers and national sponsors in helping our fellow citizens renew the United States of America.http://www.whitehouse.gov - President Obama issued a call to non-partisan service and thousands have responded. Volunteers have already organized over 13,000 projects in all 50 states, repainting schools, mentor kids, collect canned food and donate blood.At Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., thousands helped assemble more than 80,000 care packages for our military troops, while in Alexandria, Virginia the Blogfest raised funds for the Fisher House.Please join with us in promoting USAservice.org - 1 ] Join this Facbook group.2 ] Become a member of USAservice.org Registrationhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=589179095203 ] Click on "Invite other Community Leaders to Join" from menu on right.4 ] Select your friends.5 ] Click on "Send invitation"All members agree to support the United States Constitution -http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/index.htmlIt's that simple. Thank you for joining USAservice.org!-----------------------------------------------------USAservice.org Registration Theme SongAmerican Prayer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4rUzf-0QDavid Apperson, Adminhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520#/photo.php?pid=240582&id=1460623847yofast@gmail.com
Two nights, two exciting events.
Last night we watched joyfully as our President eloquently elucidated the way forward through the tangled thicket of interconnected problems facing our nation. It was a masterful and inspiring performance that even had the Republicans on their feet and cheering. It was truly heartening to see this show of bipartisanship, however long or briefly, it lasts.
Tonight Organizing for America on the South Fork had its own group of inspiring speakers who pointed out ways that we can implement President Obama's message on a local level. The theme of our third full-group meeting was service to our community. The speakers included Edna Steck, Director of the Dept. of Human Services for the Town of East Hampton, Audrey Gaines, Director, Youth Services Division of the same agency, Diane Petriglio of the East Hampton Food Pantry, Dru Raley of the Springs Food Pantry, Thomas Quinn, Superintendent of the Springs School District, Rivalyn Zweig of Ellen's Run and Island Harvest and Dorothy Reilly of the Women's Initiatives for a Sustainable Earth (WISE). What a line-up! In addition, I passed on information about service opportunities at the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center. We hope to have more to tell you about that exciting project soon.
The message that we heard tonight was not that different from the message President Obama deliverd to the country last night.
INTERNET USER TRAINING
If you are interested in community service and would like to learn how you can network with others utilizing the Internet then register here.David Apperson will be traveling the country promoting USAservice.org Registration while helping state coordinators organize community leaders, advocates and volunteers in the use of grassroots Internet interaction.Training with be in 48 continental United States from 25 May 2009 through 3 Sept 2009, with a party and celebration on 11 Nov 2009. see INTERNET USER TRAININGLocations for training and celebration yet to be determined but will be posted on usaservice.org once the schedule is complete -Facebook - USAservice.org Registrationhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520
source: http://go.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxLzF
Organizing for America * USAservice.orgWhat a beautiful time in history to be alive. It is now our moment to reach out and help our local community service organizations. For those who would like to help President Obama in his quest for renewing America may I refer you once again to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520We are seeking input and membership from those who would like to be part of USAservice.org -and take a leading roll in participating in the Renew America campaign.In the first week we have acquired over 700 new leadership registrations.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520
barackobama.com Organizing for Americasource: http://tribes.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxHrx
USA Service RegistrationLet us all join in the plan to Renew America Together by supporting the President in USA Service Registration.President Obama issued a call to service and thousands have already responded with amazing alacrity. Volunteers have already organized over 13,000 projects in all 50 states, helping to repaint schools, mentor kids, collect canned food and donate blood.At Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., thousands helped assemble more than 80,000 care packages for our military troops, while in Alexandria, Virginia the Blogfest raised funds for the Fisher House.Please join with us in promoting USA Service Registration -Take part in the program simply by:1 Join this group.2 Become a member of USA Service Registrationhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=589179095203 Click on "Invite People to Join" from the menu on the right.4 Select your friends.5 Click on "Send invitation"It's that simple. Thank you for joining USA Service Registration!USA Service Registration
source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGx2Tj
Hello Friends:
A group of friends met at an event organized by Hayyim in Somerville to organize "Be the Change - Somerville group". Hayyim was an excellent host offered some good food. We started with socializing and discussing our group goals and then explored an idea for our first social service project - "Say It's Your Birthday movement".
Overall Group Goals
General theme for the group offered by Hayyim: Support each other in being bearers of the hopeful, confident and unifying moral vision that drew us to Barack Obama.
To start we thought collectively about the question of ‘ What would keep you coming back to this group?’
Common threads in peoples responses – building relationships within the group and locally, building community with a diverse group of people; doing something useful in the world beyond our-selves; working on multiple projects, issues at the same time; engaging in political discussion for our own education, to generate ideas, etc.
- 1st point of discussion offered by Hayyim: can we come up with a project to engage in in the near term to hold us together as a group; need a concrete goal. One priority might be to develop relationships with local elected representatives.
Ex 1: congressman Michael Capuano: arrange a meeting; offer support for recent efforts to encourage humanitarian efforts and diplomatic intervention in Gaza?
Ex.2: Green energy project? What would it be?
Ex.3. Brajesh ‘ It’s my Birthday idea’ – a MOVEMENT to foster community, charitable donations and community service locally
Say It's Your Birthday
General agreement that the ‘It’s My Birthday Idea’ is unique, creative, fun and has a lot of possibility for fostering community and generating human capital for community service. We all decided we would like to explore it further. We agreed that our first efforts as a group will involve crystallizing and implementing this idea. A lot of excitement was generated!
More about the ‘Say it’s Your Birthday Idea’: Brajesh explained the idea of it being a tradition in his family of doing service or offering donations to help out others on a persons’ birthday instead of buying gifts etc. Use the money/assembled people to achieve some kind of charitable action, service work etc.
Can we build on this idea? Generate a community of celebrants (maybe people in the local Obama organization to start) who sign up to be part of the ‘Say it’s your Birthday Club’. The idea is that on someone’s birthday, people in the network are alerted. The Birthday person can specify donation to a charity or implement some kind of community service project using the voluntary effort of the celebrants who sign up. It can be an opportunity to celebrate, get to know new folks in the Local Obama community and do service work or generate donations to charity.
- use the Beatles song as a theme song (Birthday)?
- what should we call this movement?
- discussion of websites to find charitable organizations of a certain bent
Agenda for next meeting:
- Build on the ‘Say it’s your birthday’ idea.
- develop a bigger picture of what this idea will be
- Hayyim will send out a pre-meeting agenda
- Meeting will be at Hayyim’s house; Sun Feb 8 3- 5 pm
- other people are encouraged to offer their houses or establish agendas for future meetings if they are so inclined
- GO VIRAL!
- GO GLOBAL!!
Every time our nation faces crisis, our national experience has shown Americans rise to the challenge. While government has an important role to play in helping rekindle our economy and addressing the problems of a distressed nation, President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, have a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. We are one nation.The United States is once again at a crossroads and that is why the President-elect hopes to use the occasion of his Inauguration to rally our nation to commit to service in our communities. We are asking for your participation in meeting this challenge.In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods. He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.This website is designed to help promote these events and for Americans to make their commitments, build communities, find opportunities to serve and share their results. These can be events that engage people in direct service, or bring people together to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and how they can commit to becoming more engaged citizens. Please create an event or sign up to volunteer today.
source: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1460623847
UPDATE: Watch Obama Blogfest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOb4ZOnoK2Y
We gathered 13,400 pounds of food -- with more to come tomorrow -- the second largest amount for a single drive for the year!
We brought in $4300 in cash and checks -- the largest amount of any drive for the year!
To put that in context, the Food Bank serves an average of 200 households each, three days a week. The food we brought in in one afternoon, including the bulk food that can be bought with those donations, is almost enough to feed the community for an entire month!
Today the real work begins. President Obama has called on us to rebuild our great nation. Bringing a large, populous, wealthy nation to the next level is our task. We must not be overcome, for the hour is late and time is short. Until campaign season in 2012, we are on a new mission: to achieve our destiny as individuals, as communities, as a nation, and as a world. We are all one people today, but the road ahead will be long and arduous.
Cincinnati Obama 2008 is becoming Cincinnati Supports Our President. I invite mailing list members to create a forum for discussing local solutions to the many problems we face. God bless President Obama, and God bless America!
American Politics has managed to reach a new low in World History. We have been shamed as a Nation, and diminished as a people before the World under the reckless guidance and administration of the 109th and 110th Congress, and the Bush Administration. We have endured through two questionable elections that went unchallenged which led us into a historic financial World Crisis, and an awakening.
Our Trusted News Media abandoned us, spinning confusion and deception which divided us and pitted neighbor against neighbor, State against State. They eliminated the purity of the White which has ever-bound the Red and the Blue together as one, raising walls between Republican and Democrat neighbors that must now be torn down.
The world couldn’t see that we Americans lived under a shadow of fear and neglect through the Media’s caustic webs. The world couldn’t know that we were under a Domestic Assault by corporate interests, until the world’s populations discovered we were all victims of a government sanctioned unbridled greed.
But the corporate interests that disrupted the world’s Global Economy got too reckless. Wall Street executives and Bankers rushed too quickly to cash in on the people’s suffering, and boldly entered into a Contract with an angry Nation. Then they promised “transparency” and reneged on the agreement only months into the transaction.
When our Federal Government failed us, our State and local Government Officials and Boards of Directors failed to protect us too. They ignored the pleas of the people and the Experts that didn’t agree with their own personal Experts. They demonstrated a consistency of putting their own personal prosperity above their own people’s welfare, our fearless leaders fearlessly hiding behind the Privilege of their elected offices.
Out of the gloom came Barack Obama, who had the audacity to speak of Hope in the face of the growing despair. And the prominent Politicians and the News personalities laughed at him. But the whispers of hope would not be drowned out by the laughter.
We saw the hope in a mother’s eyes, in our First Lady Michelle Obama, the image of strength, intelligence and grace. We witnessed the resurrection of a dream in the eyes of our people, and saw the light of hope cast back the shadow of fear hanging over us.
We were told if we dared to believe in Change, Barack could take us all the way to the White House, and hope flourished into new-found friendships and a new awareness of unity, determination and civic duty. Against all the odds, in the face of this enormous crisis, we won the election and took our Country back. Now President Barack Obama is in Washington, and with him is the good will of the American People.
We have our President and Team Obama but, there is so much work to be done. The last eight years have been traumatic, and cries for Justice against the transgressions by the Rogue Bush Administration and their pals are growing. We need not worry, there is nowhere for them to go.
We told President Obama that we would trust him, and at the first difficult decision he was faced with, in regards to the Bush investigations, he has already been criticized. We all feel the anger, we all feel betrayed but, we have to give the Obama Administration the ability to make those decisions if they are to have a chance to succeed.
We need to stay focused on the Change, on restoring the damage our Country has suffered. Team Obama cannot stand alone against our corrupted Congress. We must use the Call to Service to work swiftly and challenge any obstacles who try to keep us from moving forward.
We need to continue organizing and get to those who have yet to get involved. Our President needs us to stand by him, and behind those Public Servants who are standing with us. All across this Country there are many Public Servants who have been blocked by partisanship who need our help too. We have more friends in Government than it appears.
We can’t lose sight that there are many Americans still suffering at the hands of corporate interests. There are homeless families that need us, and our precious World War II generation has been tragically abandoned. Thousands are barely hanging on to their homes while the Mortgage companies are refusing to help them. We are involved in two wars, and our Soldiers and their Commanders have been disastrously neglected. Our wounded Soldiers continue to be neglected as well by an antiquated system. It’s long past time to Show them that their Country is behind them.
We Americans have been through times like this before. These are indeed bad times but, we have endured through the misery of the Status Quo until it shattered itself and exposed the big Conspiracy to be nothing more than a self-perceived Ruling Class, and their utter contempt for their own people. Well, they don’t need to love us. They just need to serve us.
We have also seen from the World’s reaction to the election of President Obama, that it wasn’t America that the world hated. Our global friends and neighbors remember who we are and want Americans to succeed. And from the world we have learned that what makes our Country great isn’t uniquely an American thing. It is a shared human quest that lives among all people. A quest that believes there must be a place in the world where hope and dreams and prosperity can be the birthright of all people, and that one day, that birthright can belong to them and exist within their Home Countries.
We now find ourselves in a new age of technologies that is initiating a New World Culture, in which the world’s populations have a shared interaction and a voice. There is a free exchange of ideas and culture that is redefining the established Media bias of distrust between Nations. With the new technologies we are organizing, and we are also re-establishing Journalism in a new tradition, one that can be trusted by the people, a New Age interactive Journalism that can be easily sourced and verified.
The Global Markets have also opened up opportunities that have yet to be explored in developing new Industries and re-establishing the old. The middle executives have been discarded by the top executives into the melting pot. New networks of entrepreneurs from around the world are free to spawn a new era of growth, while the old Icons of Business blunder their way to ruin. And the corporations who take care of their workers will be favored above the rest by consumers.
The Chronicles of History are no longer the providence of conquering powers or Media historians. In this age, the Chronicles of History are the providence of technology, owned by none and belonging to all. It is continually being recorded by the witnesses of our time by the most unprecedented intercommunication in human history. The story of our time is being recorded every minute of every day, amidst the multitudes of posts on Web Forums and Feature sites, in text messages and in personal Blogs. History is being recorded by you.
The Representatives of Government may write their hundreds of books to shape their own Legacies. And the world will respond with their hundreds of millions of unique perspectives for the future Historians to study in retrospect.
P. G. Rose
Barack is encouraging us to all pitch in to make this country a better place for all of us. I agree that we've generally had too much of a "what's in it for me" attitude and now is as good a time as any to step up to the plate and start giving back.
Starting last week I decided to start doing my part. I'm giving $ to make people's lives better on a weekly basis and tomorrow I'm completing the paperwork to join the Coast Guard Auxiliary. As a member of the Auxiliary I intend to donate my time in two areas: teaching classes in boating, seamanship and navigation; volunteering my time and boat for operational support of the Coast Guard in the San Francisco Bay area.
Let's all start walking the talk!
