DURHAM FOR OBAMA (DFO) was formed in 2008 to organize the local grassroots effort to elect U.S. President Barack Obama and now serves to support our nation's Plan to Renew America's Promise in resourceful ways that empower Durham and all of its residents.
Statement of Purpose
Durham for Obama (DFO) is a volunteer grassroots organization dedicated to local, regional, and global cooperation and progress. Founded in February 2008, DFO leads and supports initiatives that combine community and democratic ideals with direct action to meet the civic demands of the city and county of Durham, in recognition of its character and history, which are rich with tradition, struggle, and promise.
Our foundational goal is to build on the historic political change that has taken place on the national level with a local plan of action that will improve Durham and rebuild our nation. We aim to bring a spirit of hope and resourcefulness to efforts to create real and meaningful change on a local, human scale. DFO accomplishes its goals through partisan and non-partisan political and community organizing that respects and empowers every resident of Durham.
Because we believe it is important to have our voices heard in the local and national conversation, we encourage a dynamic interaction between our organizational goals and the Plan to Renew America's Promise.
DFO's specific goals include:
Expanding voter participation through voter registration and voter education.
Organizing collective political action, community building and community action projects.
Insisting that political leaders remain accountable to the people.
To achieve its goals, DFO will:
Identify issues of concern as voiced by members of the Durham Community;
Research the root causes of these issues and the existing efforts to address them;
Communicate and collaborate with Durham residents, other organizations and community groups, federal, state and local government officals and representatives, and members of the Obama-Biden Administration;
Create problem-solving action plans that are congruent with the mission, purpose, and goals of DFO;
Implement action plans, making effective use of our active presence in every precinct in Durham County through county-wide, precinct level organizing; and
Review and document progress in a manner that facilitates DFO's effectiveness and sustainability.
As the health care reform bill finds its way through Congress, President Obama answers questions from volunteers and supporters at teleconference. DFO's very own Healthcare Committee co-chair, Michael Pearlmutter, ask President Obama a question about the public option. Michael mentioned proudly that he was from Durham for Obama, membership of 11,000, and let him know that we were working hard for him on healthcare reform. Great job Michael!
*** HEALTHCARE WITH HEART ***
HealthcareWithHeart exists to gather and share personal and collective stories (on video) of the need for meaningful health care reform during the August, 2009 recess of Congress.
The health care crisis in America is a hot topic in the hot summer of 2009. Muted by mobbing and lost in translation by mainstream media, a grassroots movement dubbed "HealthcareWithHeart" is finding its way to elected representatives of Congress. Please visit the HealthcareWithHeart website here.
DFO's co-chair for Community Service, Rhonda Robinson, struggles to get healthcare for a pre-existing condition. Rhonda provides a face for why we need health care reform NOW! To read her story, one of many similar stories around America, click on the photo above.
Unfortunately, Rhonda suffered a grand mal seizure a few days after this article was published and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. She is back home now, after spending the night in the emergency room. Our hearts and prayers go out to Rhonda and her family.
A fund to support Rhonda is being established by Durham For Obama to help with her medical costs. If you want to contribute, please contact Faulkner at faulkner@durhamforobama.org or 919-680-6146. Checks can be made out to "Southern Coalition for Social Justice." And in the memo line on the check, please write: "Create the Change/Rhonda Robinson Fund."
Send checks to:
Southern Coalition for Social Justice
115 Market Street
Suite 470
Durham, NC 27701
To fight for health care reform, please 1) sign up to volunteer at one of our health care awareness events below, or 2) coordinate an event of your own with materials from our health care kit.
Thank you kindly for your warm thoughts, concern, and contribution!
In an effort to capture, document, and celebrate the inspiring stories that comprised one of the most successful campaigns of our time, Grassroots Productions is making a documentary film about Durham for Obama. This film is about the grassroots movement
in Durham, NC, that helped turn a red state blue. We hope to not only relive the stories of volunteers and community organizers, but also to remind viewers how enriching and satisfying it is to be part of a larger movement toward a greater good. We hope to come to a better understanding
of how this movement happened and what it will take to keep it going. Please help us make this film! To donate, volunteer, view a 4-minute preview, and learn more about this project, please visit our website at www.AGrassrootsProduction.com. Thank you for your help!
*** HELP FUND DURHAM FOR OBAMA'S WEBSITE ***
We need to raise some money to keep DFO's website, database, and listserv going. Without the website and listserv, we have no easy way to keep in touch with you and let you know about post-election organizing efforts. The website, listserv and database costs $80/month. If you can contribute to this cause (we'd like to raise enough to keep the website up for at least a year), please make a secure donation via paypal at our donation webpage. For further information, please email donate@durhamforobama.org. Thank you!!
Upcoming Events
Please join us and get bi-weekly email updates of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
See our CALENDAR for all future events. Click on any calendar event and directly sign up at the linked website or contact the event coordinator for further information.
Wear a Durham for Obama t-shirt
T-shirts are available for $15.
For more information, see link or contact: Tim at Tim@durhamforobama.org
Commemorative Barack n' Roll t-shirt
Show your Bull City Pride for Obama with this t-shirt. Available for $15. For more information, see link or contact: thao@durhamforobama.org
Healthcare with Heart t-shirt
Make a statement to our elected officials about the need for healthcare reform with this t-shirt. Available for $20. For more information, contact: info@healthcarewithheart.org. To purchase, go here.
CALL FOR ACTION
HEALTH CARE REFORM
It is time to make President Obama and Congress pass comprehensive healthcare reform that will provide quality, affordable healthcare for all. There is only one way to do this: support an honest public option. President Obama would like healthcare reform to be ready to sign in October, meaning that the legislation will be written in the next 30-60 days.
It is not enough to support whatever bill comes out of the Senate Finance Committee; we must work to shape this legislation. You may be asking yourself what you can do to help.
Respectfully,
Michael Pearlmutter and Kathy Murray, Co-Chairs for DFO's Health Care Committee
SIGN AN ONLINE HEALTH CARE PETITION
You can download our health care petition here and get everyone you know to sign it. Before August 2nd, contact one of the DFO members below, and arrange for them to get the signed copies from you:
CALL / WRITE YOUR LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT HEALTHCARE REFORM
Letter template:
Senator/Congressman XXX:
I am writing to ask you to support health care reform that guarantees quality, affordable health care for everyone. I want a choice: to be able to keep my private insurance, or join an honest and robust national public health insurance plan option based on a family's ability to pay. I also want rules to regulate the insurance industry so that health coverage would actually be there when I need it.
Sincerely,
your name and address
Contact the following key legislators:
SENATOR KAY HAGAN **** URGENT!! **** She needs convincing! Be persistent!
Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC)
701 Green Valley Road Suite 201
Greensboro, NC 27408
Greensboro Phone: (336) 333-5311
DC Phone: (202) 224-6342
E-mail contact form: http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact
If you are interested in healthcare reform, you can start right here in Durham. Join Durham for Obama's Healthcare Working Group and get involved today. To join, send a blank email to healthcare-subscribe@durhamforobama.org
Questions? Contact: kathy@durhamforobama.org or michael@durhamforobama.org
TAKE OUR DFO HEALTH CARE SURVEY
Fill out Durham for Obama's Healthcare Survey. Tell us your own story about healthcare and health insurance, and let us know your
opinions about healthcare reform. Please fill out the survey by July 31, 2009. Thanks!
SHARE YOUR PERSONAL HEALTHCARE STORY WITH THE WHITE HOUSE
If something has happened to you that indicates why healthcare reform is urgently needed now, please share your story below. The more real life stories we can amass, the more obvious it will be that real reform must happen right now.
The DFO Education & College Access Working Group urges you to stay involved in the campaign to support the DREAM Act.
This summer, the Summer DREAM Campaign, sponsored by Adelante Education Coalition, is aiming to mobilize grassroots support for the DREAM Act, federal legislation which would provide a pathway to naturalization for undocumented students who either attend college or join the military for 2
years. NC Senator Kay Hagan is one of few newly elected senators who does not currently support the DREAM Act: Join us in telling her that ALL CHILDREN ARE DESERVING OF THE AMERICAN DREAM!
Postcards!
Thanks to AFSC, we have 8,000 postcards available to be signed and mailed to Sen Hagan. We have a series of events across NC through the end of the summer, so if you would like to participate in postcard signing opportunities, just shoot us an email!
