Grassroots Retrospective.

I've just re-posted stories from our weblog that date back to our first stories and created an archive named Grassroots Retrospective. Hope you enjoy the walk down memory lane. I did! It helped remind me of the oh! so many! events and activities that we collectively created or volunteered for. And I smiled! This - and more - was Grassroots' joyful role in electing President Obama. I'm proud of us!

Kristin and I initiated the Santa Fe Grassroots for Obama weblog in May to improve communications as the campaign pace picked up. Then when Kristin took off for exotic parts of the world, Molly volunteered to help me keep the weblog timely. My thanks, again, to you both!

[NOTE: The only editing I did to stories in the Retrospective was to remove phone numbers and email addresses of folks who were organizing various activities, plus links to surveys or sign-ups that are no longer active.]

A FIRST-HAND INAUGURATION STORY by JoAnn Balzer: "I was there."

"I WAS THERE, in D.C., experiencing history in the making and the inauguration of President Obama, who we all worked so hard for. A new vision for America.

It was a most exhilarating experience on Inauguration day, even after having to stand in line FOR HOURS in the cold grey morning (19 degrees) on Tuesday to get through security and onto the west front Capitol grounds and then waiting FOR HOURS, MORE HOURS leading up to and through the event. Guess what? It was all worth it! And more! ..."

...to read the rest of JoAnn's great Inauguration story, click here.

HOSTS Open House a huge success as the first National Service Day event in Santa Fe.

National Service Day got off to an early start in Santa Fe at an Open House on Thursday (1/15) for HOSTS, Helping One Student To Succeed, a reading program for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders at Cesar Chavez Community School.

Thank you very much to the 25 folks who attended the Open House. We had a good time; you seemed impressed with the program; and you all loved seeing the children! Debby Maas, HOSTS administrator, was extremely grateful for your interest. So am I. And I look forward to hearing about how many signed up to be a mentor. [UPDATE: As of 1/29/09, ten new volunteers joined HOSTS as mentors! I'm so proud! Thanks to everyone!]

It's never to late to learn about the program and volunteer, so for those of you who were not able to make the Open House but are interested in more information, please contact Debby Maas directly at 995-3390.

"I was there," by JoAnn Balzer

"I WAS THERE, in D.C., experiencing history in the making and the inauguration of President Obama, who we all worked so hard for. A new vision for America.

It was a most exhilarating experience on Inauguration day, even after having to stand in line FOR HOURS in the cold grey morning (19 degrees) on Tuesday to get through security and onto the west front Capitol grounds and then waiting FOR HOURS, MORE HOURS leading up to and through the event. Guess what? It was all worth it! And more!

A memorable part of the inaugural, in addition to the most important part making him finally “our” President, was seeing so many Americans of all races come together peacefully to watch him sworn in. Whether it was 1.2 million, 1.5 million, 1.8 million people, whatever, we were all standing there, shoulder to shoulder, for the moment of our lifetime.

Other meaningful inaugural activities for me included the Emily’s List Luncheon, the Lincoln exhibit at the American History Museum, and then, you’d never guess what else? ....parties, lots of parties! The neatest and most meaningful among them for us was the reception that my husband Bob and I co-hosted, with other New Mexicans, for our New Mexico Congressional Delegation on Monday (1/19) from 4-6:30pm in downtown D.C., before we headed for the NM Ball, also that evening.

We had at least 150 guests, a wonderful chock-a-block full party, mostly New Mexicans in town for the inauguration, but others from D.C. with New Mexico connections. The décor was "American and NM flags," a large NM banner sent from the Tourism Department, and the food was heavy, heavy hors d'oeuvres - posole, tamales, and other New Mexican fare combined with sophisticated D.C. goodies provided by our catering company. So perfect and so good! It doesn’t get much better than what we had, and the D.C. ex-pats were thankful for their chile fix.

At our NM Reception: Cabinet Secretary Napolitano was there, along with Senators Bingaman and Udall, Congressmen Lujan and Teague, the Navajo Nation President and VP, Val Kilmer (says NOT running for Gov., but we know how that goes), an Obama Gal from Santa Fe, wearing an Obama "recycled" dress, made from discarded Obama signs, teachers from Rio Rancho, supporters from Las Cruces, Santa Fe Grassroots volunteers, campaign donors, politicos and on and on. The crowd was glorious and diverse, in ALL ways reflecting Barack’s campaign! It was as if all of you were with us, celebrating together. The “Land of Enchantment” ball, the NM Ball, was held that same pre-inaugural evening, Monday evening 1/19, at the National Museum of the American Indian. Many of us who were at the NM reception headed straight there by Metro to the Mall and the Museum. The venue was so meaningful for me personally, as my husband Bob and I are passionate supporters of and advocates for Native American art and culture, and had attended the Museum’s grand opening. A spectacular treat, the icing on the cake, was that the museum afforded a spectacular view of the west front of the U.S. Capitol, which was illuminated on that evening to celebrate the coming inauguration and where we would witness history tomorrow.

Please know, as if you didn't, that we can all feel really terrific about the role we played. Being there somehow made me realize and appreciate that fact, the thought of how hard, each of us in our own way, worked for his election, and how each of us played a part. The WHOLE was truly... definitely... GREATER than the sum of the parts. I can never congratulate you enough. What a celebration, what a moment...Yes, we can, Yes, we did! We can all be proud.

With appreciation,
JoAnn
JoAnn Lynn Balzer
NM Finance Committee for Obama for America
Women's Leadership Committee for the NM Campaign for Change
Santa Fe GrassRoots for Obama
505-982-1793
joannbalzer@earthlink.net

Did you wonder why U2 performed at the Obama Concert?

FROM A GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER, THIS MESSAGE:

The Barack Obama Irish song.
Moneygall is a small village in County Offaly, Ireland. It has a population of approximately 300 people, has a Roman Catholic church, five shops, a post office, a national school, a police station and two pubs.President-elect of the United States Barack Obama's great-great-great grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, emigrated from Moneygall to New York City at the age of 19 in 1850 and eventually resettled in Tipton County, Indiana. Kearney's father had been the village shoemaker, then a wealthy skilled trade.

And now for the SONG...Crank up your speakers.

http://www.oneeyedparrot.org/obama.html

"Choose to Unite," Obama music video, back in the news!

HERE'S AN EMAIL MESSAGE FROM SUSAN SLOTTER, who created and produced the Santa Fe video, Choose to Unite:

Hi Y'All!
Thought you'd get a kick out of learning that Choose To Unite has been included in CD Baby's top choices of Obama songs - a promotion they are doing this week to inspire the Inauguration!
This is what they wrote:

Yes They Did! Hundreds of artists caught Obama Fever at some point over the past year. They wrote, recorded, and released their own anthems pushing for political change. Choosing our favorite 15 was hard work, but now it should be easy for you to program the party music for your Inauguration Day celebration.

I love that they call these "Anthems for Political Change." That truly is what was behind ours! Check out the 15 songs at: http://cdbaby.com/playlist/11

I hope that the song and video continue to inspire a positive focus on values – diversity, unity, community, love and equality – as we move forward in 2009 with our new Fearless Leader!

With blessings,
Susan Slotter
http://www.choosetounite.com/

Wish List for Youth Shelters and Family Services

One of the National Service Day events involved Youth Shelters and Family Services over a three day period.

In addition, Youth Shelters has a Wish List for donations posted on their website. This is an on-going need for very basic, every-day items, not only for the 3-day national service day events. Just wanted to let you know about it. Visit this site, learn about and see if you can help this very worthwhile organization: www.youthshelters.org

Obama-inspired National Service Day in Santa Fe. You're invited.

Barack is calling upon individual citizens and Grassroots groups to utilize their power to serve our communities nationwide. For starters, he requested a non-partisan National Service Day on January 19th, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. It's also the day before our President-elect's Inauguration!!!! (Where almost there, Folks!!!)

There are many National Service Day events in Santa Fe. CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR FULL DETAILS. Find something that motivates and inspires you and sign up!

Inauguration Radio Specials Link Santa Feans to Washington Events

Wishing you could be there for this historic event?

Join Diego Mulligan on 101.1 FM, Santa Fe Public Radio, for Inauguration Specials Monday & Tuesday from 5:06 to 6 PM on The Journey Home.

He'll be getting live reports from NM Citizen/Activists (maybe even a few Santa Fe Grassrooters!) attending the Inaugural Balls. He'll ask our NM Congressional Delegation members about their vision, roles and agenda in the Obama Administration.

YES YOU CAN TUNE IN and be part of the most important change sweeping the nation and shaping your future through the miraculous technology of live wireless communication!

Barack's humanity and intellect - perfect together!

The humanity that comes with the intellect ...

how blessed our nation & the world have become!!!

[Photo of Barack & Sasha Obama courtesy of the Obama family.]

Hugs, High-Fives and a Tribute to Grassroots from Gaye

In less than two weeks, the finest President to walk the halls of the White House in many, many years will be inaugurated…and we helped get him elected. We did it together. We should be proud collectively as Grassroots and you should be so proud personally.

I’m proud for every call you made. All the doors you knocked on. Every piece of data you entered. Proud of every meal you prepared for the staff or phones you answered. For flyers and rally signs you designed or painted. For photocopies you made and paid for. I’m proud of floors you vacuumed, meetings you attended, every new voter you registered, every poll you “guarded,” and every absentee-vote you watched counted.

Mostly I’m proud and grateful for the care and passion you showed, the support you provided, the initiative you took, and every time you stepped forward and said, “Let me take care of that!” or “I can ...” and then filled in the blank with "...train people on Vote Builder …staff the office …maintain this database …direct traffic at the rally …display a bumper sticker and yard sign …wave banners on the street corner…”

Your collective mantra was “What do you need done? I’ll help.” You did it all -- spending countless hours, often without acknowledgement or thanks. More often, I hope, with hugs and high-fives. Consider this message to you my hugs, high-fives (dare I say “terrorist fist bumps”?), and tribute for making Santa Fe Grassroots for Obama the awesome powerhouse it became.

Grassroots donated an unexpected "surplus" to four Santa Fe non-profits

When we set the ticket price for the Grassroots Election Night Returns Party at Real Burger, we based it on:

• 345 max sales (based on fire code restriction) for hot buffet and soft drinks
• Paying for 20 national staffers who we invited as our guests
• Fee for delivery, set up, take down & rental of the large screen television
• Decorations

We inadvertently sold over 425 tickets because multiple volunteers were selling tickets and the last minute flurry of purchases caught us off-guard. Fortunately, there was no fire-code problem because people rotated in and out of the party all night. As a result, however, we ended up with $1,623 surplus! (I didn’t tell the New Mexico legislature; they’d of wanted a loan!)

After consulting with a number of volunteers about highly regarded non-profits, I hand-delivered four checks prior to Christmas, telling each organization that the donation was coming from Santa Fe Grassroots for Obama:

• $623 to Youth Shelters and Family Services
• $600 to The Food Depot
• $150 to The Stocking Fund
• $250 to The Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Fe.

We have received very gracious letters of appreciation from each organization. I made the decision to donate the money rather than go through a lengthy process of refunding less than $4.00/person. The impact seemed much greater in the four bundles than if I had attempted to divide it amongst those who bought tickets.

HOSTS, Help One Student To Succeed, holds Open House TOMORROW MORNING, Thursday, 1/15

If you’ve ever considered being a mentor for kids literacy, drop in anytime during the Open House tomorrow to see this fantastic program in action and learn about volunteer opportunities. (You can volunteer as little as 30 minutes a week! )

YOU’RE INVITED to HOSTS Open House
Thursday, January 15
8:30 am – 10:30 am
Reading mentoring program for 2nd, 3rd & 4th graders
César Chávez Community School
6251 Jaguar Drive, Santa Fe
TO RSVP CLICK HERE. Not required, but appreciated!

HOSTS (an acronym for Help One Student To Succeed) is a reading program for 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders. It pairs one student who needs help in reading with one volunteer who wants to make a difference in a student’s life. Each session is 30 minutes during the school day. One-on-one attention with the same student and weekly individualized lesson plans for each child are the key factors to the child’s success...and to the volunteer’s effectiveness and enjoyment. Schedules are arranged to accommodate volunteers and to establish continuing relationships with students. You can volunteer for as little as 30 minutes the same day each week -- but I'm betting once you meet the kids and see the program, you'll sign up for at least 60 or 90 minutes!

No previous experience needed; you don’t need to be a teacher; you don’t have to prepare lesson plans. You just need to love kids and the idea of helping them succeed in the most basic of life’s skills – reading!

This is community service at its best and most rewarding. It’s also so much fun! Come see the program in action. Meet Debby Maas, the HOSTS administrator, and Deb Lineback, the HOSTS assistant. Learn about the success rate of the program and how you can become part of it!

For more info call Gaye Pollitt 505.982.1899
OR EMAIL ME ggp.hd1340@hotmail.com

For directions if you can't find us on Thursday, call Debby Maas 505.995.3390

DIRECTIONS:
From the corner of Cerrillos Road and Rodeo/Airport Road:
Drive south on Cerrillos (away from town)
Turn right at 2nd stoplight - Jaguar Drive
Take Jaguar a couple blocks. Turn right on Avenida Contenta.
Pass the school playground & turn left into the school parking lot.
School entrance is on your left.
Go to the desk. The secretary will direct you to the HOSTS classroom.

If you are coming from 599:
Take Airport Road toward town.
Turn right at the light on Paseo del Sol. (There will be a sign for Capital High just before the light.)
In approx 1 mile, turn left on Jaguar Drive.
Pass the front of the school and turn left on Avenida Contenta.
Pass the school playground & turn left into the school parking lot.
School entrance is on your left.
Go to the desk. The secretary will direct you to the HOSTS classroom.

Ask Senator Michael Sanchez

THIS POST COMES TO US FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER IN VALENCIA COUNTY, JAY KOCH. YOU OLD-TIMERS WILL REMEMBER THAT JAY AND HIS WIFE NANCY GAGE WERE THE IMPETUS FOR STARTING GRASSROOTS NEW MEXICO FOR OBAMA WAY-BACK IN 2007! THEY RECRUITED ME TO GET INVOLVED IN SANTA FE. GAYE

Senator Michael Sanchez, the NM State Legislature's Senate Majority Leader, has agreed to answer our questions in a conference call...

Thursday, January 15, 20097:00 - 8:00 PM Mountain Time

You will be able to call a bridge line and enter a code to listen to this call. Or you can listen on-line. Go to our new web site Yes-VCAN.com for more details. On the Yes-VCAN.com web page, you will be able to enter your question for Senator Sanchez.

Even if you can't listen live to the call, please submit your question. You will be able to listen to the call later. I want us to learn how the legislature works. Please ask questions about procedures and committees, and things like that. I also want to know how citizens can best communicate with our legislators and how we be effective in influencing what goes on in Santa Fe. Please sign up and submit your question now, even if you can't make the call.

Let's Go Change the World... Jay Koch
565-8526
jaykoch@MakeASum.com