A great cause and project by Democrats at Work:

“This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change.” -President-elect Brack Obama

Click here to contribute to a food bank near you!

Across the country, food banks are struggling to keep up with increased demand. And with the holidays approaching, Democrats Work is doing something about it. We need your help. Today, we are launching the Yes We Cans Virtual Food Drive to help you donate to the food bank in your community.

Here’s how it works:

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It’s way too easy as a California voter to think we can just sit back and watch Obama and McCain duke it out in the battleground states while resting easy in the knowledge that California’s 55 electoral votes are solidly in Obama’s column.

But wait. Did you hear that? That’s the sigh of relief that the McCain campaign is breathing knowing that you are one less volunteer trying to win the presidency for Barack Obama. Campaigns are not just won with ad buys, debates and media coverage. They are won through grassroots efforts - people volunteering their time to make phone calls and knock on doors and talk to their friends and family. Some of these battleground states will be won or lost with a few hundred votes. Whether you’ve got a free weekend to drive down to Nevada or a couple of hours in the afternoon to make phone calls or do data entry, your efforts could be crucial in securing a win for Obama next month.

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California volunteers will be crucial to the outcome of this election - particularly when it comes to their outreach to Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada voters. This weekend field offices across California will be holding phone banks to reach out to voters in these states. No experience is necessary. Campaign staff will provide you with everything you need. You can RSVP here.

Volunteers phone banking at the Los Angeles Office/California Headquarters for Obama for America.

Posted by supporter Evelyn at Facebook (thanks to Evelyn for allowing us to cross-post! :))

Thoughts after getting inspired by the volunteers

I wanted to share my thoughts on what I’ve gained from working on a voter registration drive. Working on any campaign demands long hours and a lot of patience. It is not a glorious job. It is about working at the grassroots level. But, the rewards are enormous. The sacrifice is worth it.

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A call to action from the Obama campaign to give blood to help the survivors of this tragic accident in Southern California:

Yesterday afternoon, a Metrolink commuter train carrying 225 people collided with a freight train in the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley, killing at least 23 and leaving at least 135 injured. Survivors have been rushed to several local area hospitals and many are in critical condition.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help. The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center will be open Monday through Friday to accept blood donations. Healthy donors of all blood types are needed to donate blood. Appointments can be made by calling 310-794-7217 ext. 2. Contact the Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS or visit www.redcross.org for other information about blood donation or ways you can help.

Thank you, and please keep your thoughts and prayers with the families and victims affected by this terrible tragedy.

Mitchell

Mitchell Schwartz
California State Director
Obama for America

Tonight, Sen. Obama participated in the Service Nation Presidential Candidates Forum at his alma mater, Columbia University.  Obama and John McCain discussed their positions on service separately, meeting briefly on stage to shake hands and hug in a moment of civility in what has been a week filled with negative campaigning by McCain and Palin.

Sen. Obama explained that with the crises facing our country, it’s critical to have “all hands on deck.”  He discussed his national service plan, which includes “a new ‘Green Vet Initiative,’ increasing the all-volunteer military, expanding AmeriCorps, doubling the size of the Peace Corps, expanding service programs involving retired people, and creating a tax credit making the first $4,000 of college tuition free for students who perform 100 hours of public service a year.”

Since the forum took place on the anniversary of 9/11, Sen. Obama was asked what 9/11 represented to him.  Noting that the tragedy was certainly a sign of the evil that can happen in this world, Sen. Obama said that 9/11 also demonstrated how Americans can come together and serve each other.  It’s that spirit of “mutual responsibility” that makes American the greatest nation on earth, and Sen. Obama committed to using his presidency to tap into and harness that spirit.

To watch excerpts from the forum, go below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the major themes of Sen. Obama’s campaign this year has been service.  The theme of service is not necessarily new to politics - John F. Kennedy emphasized service in his presidency through his speeches and policies such as creating the Peace Corps, John Kerry proposed a national service corps idea as part of his campaign in 2004, and of course, President Jimmy Carter has embodied service in his life as a public servant and afterwards through his work with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

In that spirit, the organization Democrats Work was created to bring the grassroots enthusiasm for political change to our communities.  At this year’s Democratic National Convention, delegates can be a part of the spirit of service and help make Colorado a little better place than we found it.

On Wednesday, August 27th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Michelle
Obama and Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter will co-chair the Delegate Day of
Service, which aims to inspire hundreds of thousands of Americans in a renewed
commitment to service.  Projects will range from canned food sorting,
painting at local schools, serving meals at shelters, reading to children,
removing graffiti, landscaping at local schools, tree planting and park
maintenance. Delegates will have the opportunity to lend a hand at project
sites throughout the Denver area – many downtown for minimal walking.

We encourage you to sign up for a project here:  http://www.metrovolunteers.org/AboutUs/index.php/Delegate_Service_Day.htm.  I’ve signed up!  Will you?

Many of you have probably heard about the devastating floods that have hit the Midwest in recent days, and many of you are probably wondering how you can help.

Sen. Obama has set up a link to the Red Cross on his page, and he’s encouraging all of us to do what we can to help.  You can give to the Red Cross here.  You can also find information on volunteering at a local shelter if you’re in the area.

Read some messages of hope and thanks from those caught in the flooding on the Obama campaign blog here.

Many of you have probably been following the tragic events in Burma and China.  Burma was recently hit by a terrible cyclone that may have resulted in over 100,000 deaths and over 2 million left homeless.  Earlier today, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit near Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.  Reports are still coming in, but the death toll could easily climb to over 10,000, with many more injured and homeless.  In some cities, 80% of the structures have been destroyed.

One of my good friends is a reporter for an international new agency in China.  Just 30 minutes ago, she described a chilling image to me in an e-mail - a school yard filled with hundreds of dead bodies of children, each with a set of mourning parents.  She said the sound of sorrow is unbearable.

Sen. Obama and his campaign are calling on all of us to help.  You can give to disaster relief efforts at www.RedCross.org.  Right now, the Red Cross site is apparently overloaded, so another good option is Doctors Without Borders.  As Sen. Obama is committed to healing so much of the hurt that has been visited on this world, we can do our part as citizens of both America and the globe.  Whether you give 5 cents or 5 hundred dollars, every gesture is meaningful to someone in need.