UPCOMING EVENTS

Yes We CAN food drive. (Photos by Debbie Gartenberg)

Stay up to date by checking the new Organizing for America site, my.barackobama.com, and the Obama grassroots community service clearinghouse: usaservice.org.

 

ECONOMIC RECOVERYMEETINGS - FEB 7-8, 2009

Mercer4Obama EconomicRecovery Discussion

Saturday, February 7, 9:30- 11:30 AM

IBEW, 670 Whitehead Road,Trenton, NJ 08648

RSVP:  http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpt23c

If you can’t join us onSaturday morning, check http://my.barackobama.com/recovery for a full listing of other economic recoverymeetings nearby.

 

WE NEED HOSTS ANDMODERATORS!

Because the call for houseparties often comes with little advance notice, we would like to be betterprepared with venues and moderators in the coming months. We will be puttingtogether a list of volunteers who are willing to host policy house parties intheir homes, and also, a list of volunteers who are willing to leaddiscussions. If you would like to be put on the list of possible hosts, pleaseemail us with your name, address and phone number, the maximum number of peopleyou can accommodate, and whether you are willing to serve as a moderator orwould prefer someone else to lead the discussion. The Administration sends outan extensive moderators guide with suggested topics and questions, andoftentimes a video in advance of the meetings to help make leading thediscussion less daunting. If you are willing to serve as a discussion leader,but prefer not to host in your own home, please email us with your contactinformation as well.

 

FOREIGN POLICY FORUM

Year of Change: NewProspects for America at the United Nations, chaired by our own Mercer forObama co-chair Jeff Laurenti

Fri, Feb 6, all day

United NationsHeadquarters, New York

Register here: http://www.unasouthernny.org

 

HOMEFRONT’S WEEK OF HOPE

Mercer4Obama/Organizingfor America is helping HomeFront organize a Week of Hope (May 9 - May 16,2009). This is an opportunity for us to become a force for positive change inthe lives of local families who are homeless or in the crisis of poverty and toadvocate for the right of every child to a safe, stable home and a chance towork toward a better life.  HomeFront needs volunteers to chair, co-chairor be committee members to work on the following activities:

 

  • 5K Run/Walk for Hope 
  • OutreachEducation in schools and churches and businesses 
  • Benefit Dinner Dance 
  • Hope on Wheels Motorcycle Rally 
  • Outdoor community picnic

 

Organizing will take placein February and March. 

Please contact Sybil Jonesat HomeFront as soon as possible, to let her know how you can help. sybil.jones1@gmail.com, or call her at:  609-903-0376. 

 

CRISIS MINISTRY:VALENTINES FOR FOOD

Valentines for Food is anopportunity to Spread the Love Around!  Valentines Day is a a fun time tosend messages of love to family and friends.  Why not include people withlow-income who struggle to get by in Mercer County in your circle ofconcern.  Demand is up 30% for assistance at our agency. Here is how youdo it through the Crisis Ministry - Valentines for Food program

  1. Help us collectValentines for Food at McCaffery's Market's in Princeton and WestWindsor.  Take an hourlong shift with a friend and ask shoppers topurchase a $3.99 Valentine.  McCaffery will match the donation dollar fordollar and all the money goes to food for low income families.  E-mail cmvolunteer@gmail.com to volunteer. 

 

Giving Opportunities: 

  1. Go to McCaffery'sduring the week of February 7 - 14th and buy a valentine for food at the checkout!

  2. Buy a VIRTUAL VALENTINEon the Crisis Ministry Web Site - www.thecrisisministry.org

  3. Help your local church orschool or business collect food during Valentines week and we will come andpick it up.  Let us know at jarrettk@thecrisisministry.org 

Yes We CAN Food Drive a Huge Success!

Pictures by Debbie Gartenberg

Thanks to everyone who hosted or participated in one of the Change is Coming house parties earlier this month. We compiled lists of important issues and brainstormed about how to most effectively bring about change. For the short term, the groups planned community service projects for the month of January. Notes from the gatherings can be found on the Mercer4Obama website

Mercer4Obama’s first post-election community service campaign was a tremendous success, thanks to Liz Cohen and the hardy crew of volunteers who collected cans outside of area grocery stores on behalf of Crisis Ministry. We collected 600 bags full of groceries and over $1000.
 
The Yes We CAN! Food Drive continues on Saturday, January 17. See below for information on how to volunteer.
 
Donations of cans, clothes and coins are also being collected outside the Princeton Public Library on Jan. 10 by attendees of the Yedlin-Durbin Change is Coming party.
See Trenton Times article: “Political movement uses momentum for good cause
In the course of the next few weeks, we continue to think and plan how best to move forward.  
 
Join us for a Health Care Community Discussion on Saturday, Jan. 3, or sign up to lead a discussion of your own: http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion
 
We’ll be sending out a survey shortly to hear from you which policy areas Mercer4Obama should focus our attention on in the coming year. 
Warm wishes for a happy holiday season!
Jeff Laurenti and Liz Lempert
Co-Chairs, Mercer4Obama
 
*************************************************************
1. SAVE THE DATE: HEALTH CARE DISCUSSION – SAT, JAN 3
2. YES WE CAN! FOOD DRIVE – SAT, JAN 17
3. “CANS, CLOTHES, COINS” DONATIONS NEEDED – SAT, JAN 10
4. COUNTDOWN TO THE INAUGURATION!
**************************************************************
 
1. SAVE THE DATE: HEALTH CARE DISCUSSION – SAT, JAN 3
 
Details TBA.  
Or, sign up to host and lead a discussion of your own: http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion
The national team will provide you with a special Moderator's Guide that will give you everything you need to get the discussion going. Secretary-designate Tom Daschle will even choose some discussions to attend in person.
 
2. YES WE CAN! FOOD DRIVE – SAT, JAN 17
 
As a lead-up to Inauguration Day, we'd like to repeat our very successful Food Drive effort for the Crisis Ministry (in December we collected 600 bags of groceries and over $1000 from 4 sites!). Volunteers  are  needed to collect cans outside area grocery stores, sites still to be confirmed . We'll work in 1-1/2 hour shifts, between 11 am – 3:30 pm.  To help get organized,  we are looking for a team of site coordinators (this involves making arrangements with the grocery store ahead of time, sending reminder notes to volunteers, setting up before the first shift, and breaking down at the end of the day.)   Hopefully we can coordinate by group e-mail and/or phone, but may set up to meet  if that seems needed. 
To sign up for a shift, volunteer as a site coordinator, or help in other ways, please contact Liz Cohen at liz@decarchitect.com or 609-683-5766.  We look forward to working together on this project!
To get an idea of the scope of need & value of our help, please see recent article in Trenton Times (note Mercer4Obama mention after the jump!) - http://www.nj.com/timesoftrenton/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1229663135121630.xml&coll=5
 
3. DONATIONS NEEDED – SAT, JAN 10
 
Princeton Area Change for America will be collecting "Cans, Clothes, and Coins" on Saturday, January 10th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Albert E. Hinds Plaza at the Princeton Public Library on Witherspoon Street in Princeton. The event will benefit The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton, HomeFront, and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK).
Accepted will be food in cans, plastic containers and boxes; clothes for children and adults for all seasons (especially women's extra large), and coins, bills or checks. For further information, contact Shelly Yedlin at shellyyedlin@gmail.com. Please support this effort!
 
4. COUNTDOWN TO THE INAUGURATION!
 
President-Elect Obama will be in Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 17 to board an Amtrak train to Washington, DC. We will forward details on the rally when we receive them.
Princeton Women for Obama is hosting an inauguration party at Triumph Brewery on Nassau Street in Princeton on Tues, 1/20/09 from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. Watch the inauguration on a big screen and enjoy lunch. Ticket prices TBD. 

(Mercer4Obama is not sponsoring this event, but is passing the information along.) Inaugural Ball Honoring President-Elect Barack Obama and a Tribute to the Legacy of our Nation’s Civil Rights Leaders, Tues Jan 20, 6-7 pm Cocktails – Dinner & Dancing until 11:30 pm, Trenton Marriott, 1 W Lafayette Street, Trenton. Tickets are $100 – all proceeds will be donated to the Colored Women’s Federation, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Trenton-Mercer and I Am Trenton. Black Tie Optional. To purchase tickets, send a check for $100 to P.O. Box 55222, Trenton NJ 08638. The check should be made out to: NJ Coretta Scott King Humanitarian Group. Tickets will then be mailed to you.  For more information, call (609) 984-8343.http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1227330359153280.xml&coll=5   

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