“We’ve got to keep this great group together”
As September draws to a close, across the country volunteers are continuing their tireless, methodical work to push for health insurance reform. From phonebanks to canvasses, public rallies to meetings with members of Congress, they've continued to push for reform, while carrying on the tradition of campaign that was unlike anything the political world had seen before.
From the St. Petersburg Times in Florida:
Almost every day across Florida and the country, one can find volunteers marching into congressional offices, manning phone banks, knocking on doors and collecting signed pledges of support for Obama's health care reform goals. The group signed up more than 3,000 volunteers in August alone and has held more than 500 events across Florida since June 6, collecting nearly 100,000 forms from people showing support.
"We're getting our voices out there," Robin Rosenbaum, regional field director for Organizing for America, told about three dozen enthusiastic University of South Florida and University of Tampa students writing letters to Sen. Bill Nelson and to newspapers Thursday night. "The more folks we have writing letters, the more change we'll see."
... "I met so many cool, like-minded people. After the campaign ended, it was like, 'We've got to keep this great group together,'" said Safety Harbor artist Malanda Schmitz, whose group, United 4 Change, remains active and recently organized a 100-person health care rally on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. She works closely with Organizing for America.
"Every person that I talk to that understands health reform a little better," Schmitz said, "then they can talk to one other person and help them understand a little better and it will grow from there."