Do you want to feel like you've done everything possible to help to elect a pro-choice president and pro-choice state house representatives? I'm sure you do, so please join Planned Parenthood in our Get Out The Vote efforts as we contact our supporters to make sure they get to the polls on Nov. 4th!
What shift can you commit to?
Saturday, November 1st., 11:00-2:00 p.m., 2:00-5:00 p.m., 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Planned Parenthood ( Ann Arbor West Office) Phones only. 2370 W. Stadium Blvd.Ann Arbor , MI 48103. Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
Planned Parenthood (2nd Ann Arbor location) - Phones only. 3100 Professional DriveAnn Arbor , MI 48104Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
America Votes. phones and canvass. 333 W. 7th Street #200, Royal Oak , MI 48067. Contact: Amber.Erickson@ppmchoice.org
Kalamazoo , MI - phones. Contact: Megan.Zapinski@ppmchoice.org
Sunday, November 2, 2:00pm-5:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm
Planned Parenthood ( Ann Arbor West Office) - Phones only. 2370 W. Stadium Blvd.Ann Arbor , MI 48103. Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
Planned Parenthood (2nd Ann Arbor location) - Phones only. 3100 Professional Drive, Ann Arbor , MI 48104. Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
America Votes. phones and canvass. 333 W. 7th Street #200Royal Oak , MI 48067. Contact: Amber.Erickson@ppmchoice.org
Kalamazoo , MI - phones. Contact: Megan.Zapinski@ppmchoice.org
Monday, November 3, 5:00pm-8:00pm
Planned Parenthood ( Ann Arbor West Office) - Phones only. 2370 W. Stadium Blvd.Ann Arbor , MI 48103. Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
Planned Parenthood (2nd Ann Arbor location) - Phones only. 3100 Professional Drive, Ann Arbor , MI 48104. Contact: Liz.VanAlstyne@ppmchoice.org
Kalamazoo , MI - phones. Contact: Megan.Zapinski@ppmchoice.org
* America Votes 11:00am-2:00pm, 2:00pm-5:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm phones and canvass
333 W. 7th Street #200Royal Oak , MI 48067Contact: Amber.Erickson@ppmchoice.org
Tuesday, November 4 ELECTION DAY! 11:00am-2:00pm, 2:00pm-5:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm
America Votes phones and canvass. 333 W. 7th Street #200Royal Oak , MI 48067. Contact: Amber.Erickson@ppmchoice.org
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Our Journey to GOTPCV Weekend
We here at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan have been working hard to reach out to undecided women voters around the state. We've had lots of phone banks, lots of canvassing, lots of volunteers, lots and lots of fun, and, most importantly, some great results.
Over the last month, we've reached out to over 20,000 women to talk to them about John McCain's dangerous record on the issues we care about. When we started these efforts, Michigan was a serious swing state. Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain were here several times a week and Michiganders felt very special being in the spotlight. Then Sen. McCain felt like his resources would be better spent somewhere else and his campaign here dispersed. All of a sudden, we weren't in the spotlight like we had been. But we here at Planned Parenthood knew that the women of Michigan couldn't be taken for granted or ignored just because McCain was gone. There were still some important misconceptions about his choice record that needed to be cleared up, some excellent pro-choice Michigan House candidates to elect, and like always, we are here for women with solid information through thick and thin.
Because of the women we decided to reach out to and because we started early, we are sometimes the first organization or campaign to reach out to them and many of them truly have not made up their minds yet. I cannot express how many times women have told us on the phone or at their door how important the information we're providing is. Many didn't know about McCain's 125 votes against health care or hadn't necessarily thought about this election in terms of reproductive rights- and it's awesome to hear their voice or see their face as the weight of what we're saying registers. Not only are we getting a 2 to 1 support rate for Sen. Obama, but we're getting thanked over and over again for the important work we're doing from the very women voters we're reaching out to. Last night a phone banker in Lansing really felt special when a woman we called told her, "I really appreciate the call. I used Planned Parenthood for birth control and health care when I was younger. I can't afford to donate right now, but you always have my vote and my support."
As of last night, our persuasion work here in Michigan is done. We're moving on to GOTV, or, as I've decided to call it, GOTPCV- Getting Out The Pro-Choice Vote! It doesn't really have quite the same ring to it, but it is more accurate in our case. We wouldn't be working so hard for candidates like Sen. Obama or our local pro-choice picks if they weren't really great on our issues. And many of our supporters wouldn't be so excited about voting for them if they weren't 100% pro-choice. Just the other night, I had a woman tell me on the phone, "I'm voting for Sen. Obama, because he's pro-choice!" Another woman told me that she was voting for our house candidate because she trusted our opinion and we called and asked her to.
The whole adventure of this election has been fun. I feel good knowing that I’m making a difference for the sake of the woman here in Michigan and across the country. And I’m reminded of how appreciated it is every day by our volunteers and the women to whom we’re reaching out to support our cause.
Over the last month, we've reached out to over 20,000 women to talk to them about John McCain's dangerous record on the issues we care about. When we started these efforts, Michigan was a serious swing state. Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain were here several times a week and Michiganders felt very special being in the spotlight. Then Sen. McCain felt like his resources would be better spent somewhere else and his campaign here dispersed. All of a sudden, we weren't in the spotlight like we had been. But we here at Planned Parenthood knew that the women of Michigan couldn't be taken for granted or ignored just because McCain was gone. There were still some important misconceptions about his choice record that needed to be cleared up, some excellent pro-choice Michigan House candidates to elect, and like always, we are here for women with solid information through thick and thin.
Because of the women we decided to reach out to and because we started early, we are sometimes the first organization or campaign to reach out to them and many of them truly have not made up their minds yet. I cannot express how many times women have told us on the phone or at their door how important the information we're providing is. Many didn't know about McCain's 125 votes against health care or hadn't necessarily thought about this election in terms of reproductive rights- and it's awesome to hear their voice or see their face as the weight of what we're saying registers. Not only are we getting a 2 to 1 support rate for Sen. Obama, but we're getting thanked over and over again for the important work we're doing from the very women voters we're reaching out to. Last night a phone banker in Lansing really felt special when a woman we called told her, "I really appreciate the call. I used Planned Parenthood for birth control and health care when I was younger. I can't afford to donate right now, but you always have my vote and my support."
As of last night, our persuasion work here in Michigan is done. We're moving on to GOTV, or, as I've decided to call it, GOTPCV- Getting Out The Pro-Choice Vote! It doesn't really have quite the same ring to it, but it is more accurate in our case. We wouldn't be working so hard for candidates like Sen. Obama or our local pro-choice picks if they weren't really great on our issues. And many of our supporters wouldn't be so excited about voting for them if they weren't 100% pro-choice. Just the other night, I had a woman tell me on the phone, "I'm voting for Sen. Obama, because he's pro-choice!" Another woman told me that she was voting for our house candidate because she trusted our opinion and we called and asked her to.
The whole adventure of this election has been fun. I feel good knowing that I’m making a difference for the sake of the woman here in Michigan and across the country. And I’m reminded of how appreciated it is every day by our volunteers and the women to whom we’re reaching out to support our cause.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Calling for Choice
Today I want to tell you all about something amazing. Something revolutionary. Something absolutely incredible.
...Something that has changed phone banking forever!
The Predictive Dialer!
Just think about this scenario: you go to volunteer with a campaign. They have you make phone calls to get out the vote for their candidate. They hand you a piece of paper with names and numbers of supporters and you sit down to dial. No one answers the first call. The second person's number is busy. You then get an answering machine. Finally, after 15 calls, you get to speak to a person. After a three hour shift you've hardly talked to anyone. And your dialing finger hurts.
Now, just think about this scenario: you love Planned Parenthood and all we stand for and you want to help us elect pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot. So, you sign up to attend one of our Calling for Choice phone banks. You come in, we give you some snacks, train you on totally cool technology called Predictive Dialing, and then you sit down at a computer. You log in and the phone next to you rings. You pick it up and the calls actually come to you! You never dial a number, you never get not-homes, you never get a busy signal, and in an hour you can reach up to 100 people! You feel effective, you're not tired of hearing the ringing of the phone in your ear all night, and your dialing finger is well rested. And, you've gotten to chat with the other dozens of PP phone bankers through the computer system's chat room while you were between calls.
You leave happy and knowing you made a difference. More women are voting for Sen. Obama and local pro-choice candidates because of your work!
I always make a guarantee to our volunteers that they'll have fun at our phone banks- and I will make that same guarantee to you!
If you haven't volunteered with us yet, we've got 8 days to ensure a win on November 4th and we could use your help.
Join us for phone banking to Get Out the Pro-Choice Vote!!
If you're interested, let me know: Dessa.Cosma@ppmchoice.org
...Something that has changed phone banking forever!
The Predictive Dialer!
Just think about this scenario: you go to volunteer with a campaign. They have you make phone calls to get out the vote for their candidate. They hand you a piece of paper with names and numbers of supporters and you sit down to dial. No one answers the first call. The second person's number is busy. You then get an answering machine. Finally, after 15 calls, you get to speak to a person. After a three hour shift you've hardly talked to anyone. And your dialing finger hurts.
Now, just think about this scenario: you love Planned Parenthood and all we stand for and you want to help us elect pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot. So, you sign up to attend one of our Calling for Choice phone banks. You come in, we give you some snacks, train you on totally cool technology called Predictive Dialing, and then you sit down at a computer. You log in and the phone next to you rings. You pick it up and the calls actually come to you! You never dial a number, you never get not-homes, you never get a busy signal, and in an hour you can reach up to 100 people! You feel effective, you're not tired of hearing the ringing of the phone in your ear all night, and your dialing finger is well rested. And, you've gotten to chat with the other dozens of PP phone bankers through the computer system's chat room while you were between calls.
You leave happy and knowing you made a difference. More women are voting for Sen. Obama and local pro-choice candidates because of your work!
I always make a guarantee to our volunteers that they'll have fun at our phone banks- and I will make that same guarantee to you!
If you haven't volunteered with us yet, we've got 8 days to ensure a win on November 4th and we could use your help.
Join us for phone banking to Get Out the Pro-Choice Vote!!
If you're interested, let me know: Dessa.Cosma@ppmchoice.org
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Knocking for Choice
Knocking doors during an election is proven to be the most effective way of conversing with voters and persuading them to vote your way. Being engaged by someone who cares enough to come to your door is a pretty unique experience.
That face to face election work is really empowering for the door knocker too- not only do you get great exercise on a beautiful fall day, but you really understand how much of a difference you're making when you're out there- literally meeting people where they're at and talking to them about something you're passionate about. And often times, at someone's door, they'll even tell you to "keep up the good work" or that they're impressed to see you out there in your free time working to make Michigan better.
This election has really been an interesting ride since it began nearly 2 years ago! So many things have happened that we could have never predicted that it's hard to believe that we're actually close to this thing being over. With just 12 days until the election, we have to pull out all the stops and make sure that we elect Sen Obama and local pro-choice candidates.
Our field program here at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan works exactly toward that. We're working, by knocking doors and through phone banks, to help persuade undecided women here in Michigan to vote with their pro-choice values in mind.
The choice is clear: we have a presidential candidate (John McCain) who doesn't think Roe v Wade was a good decision, and hasn't supported sex ed funding, contraceptive coverage by insurance companies, and has voted against women's health care 125 times in his career. And then, we have a candidate (Barack Obama) who has been a consistant ally of Planned Parenthood and women and is unabashedly pro-choice.
Join us in to win this historic and critical election! We know who to pick when we vote on Nov. 4th, but we need your help to educate women who may not yet know the vast differences between these candidates.
If you're interested in knocking doors or making calls with us, let me know (dessa.cosma@ppmchoice.org)
That face to face election work is really empowering for the door knocker too- not only do you get great exercise on a beautiful fall day, but you really understand how much of a difference you're making when you're out there- literally meeting people where they're at and talking to them about something you're passionate about. And often times, at someone's door, they'll even tell you to "keep up the good work" or that they're impressed to see you out there in your free time working to make Michigan better.
This election has really been an interesting ride since it began nearly 2 years ago! So many things have happened that we could have never predicted that it's hard to believe that we're actually close to this thing being over. With just 12 days until the election, we have to pull out all the stops and make sure that we elect Sen Obama and local pro-choice candidates.
Our field program here at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan works exactly toward that. We're working, by knocking doors and through phone banks, to help persuade undecided women here in Michigan to vote with their pro-choice values in mind.
The choice is clear: we have a presidential candidate (John McCain) who doesn't think Roe v Wade was a good decision, and hasn't supported sex ed funding, contraceptive coverage by insurance companies, and has voted against women's health care 125 times in his career. And then, we have a candidate (Barack Obama) who has been a consistant ally of Planned Parenthood and women and is unabashedly pro-choice.
Join us in to win this historic and critical election! We know who to pick when we vote on Nov. 4th, but we need your help to educate women who may not yet know the vast differences between these candidates.
If you're interested in knocking doors or making calls with us, let me know (dessa.cosma@ppmchoice.org)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Take Our Daughters to the Polls!
Planned Parenthood is a sponsor of a very cool national project called Take our Daughters to the Polls. Not only do we need candidates to run on pro-women, pro-family, and pro-choice platforms, but we need to empower women to take part in the political process and start a culture of voting early in life. Check this out:
http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/daughters/video.php
... and take your daughters with you to vote on November 4th!
http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/daughters/video.php
... and take your daughters with you to vote on November 4th!
The Final Weeks
Well, you can tell we've been busy over here working to get pro-choice candidates elected, becuase we haven't had time to blog!
Let me tell you, we are having great fun working on this election! Knocking doors and making calls to let the women of Michigan know what's at stake in this election feels so good!
A lot of women aren't aware of the stark differences between John McCain and Barack Obama in regards to women's health care and reproductive rights, and as Planned Parenthood, a trusted provider of health care for over 25% of American women, we have a really important role in helping to educate them. Women thank us all the time on the phones and at the doors for letting them know this important information about the candidates.
If you're interested in helping us win pro-choice victories up and down the ballot, let us know! The numbers are looking good, but we have to be vigilant to ensure that we take the gold on Nov. 4th. Email me if you're interested in getting involved and I'll direct you to the Planned Parenthood organizer closest to you. (Dessa.Cosma@ppmchoice.org)
Let's win this thing!
Let me tell you, we are having great fun working on this election! Knocking doors and making calls to let the women of Michigan know what's at stake in this election feels so good!
A lot of women aren't aware of the stark differences between John McCain and Barack Obama in regards to women's health care and reproductive rights, and as Planned Parenthood, a trusted provider of health care for over 25% of American women, we have a really important role in helping to educate them. Women thank us all the time on the phones and at the doors for letting them know this important information about the candidates.
If you're interested in helping us win pro-choice victories up and down the ballot, let us know! The numbers are looking good, but we have to be vigilant to ensure that we take the gold on Nov. 4th. Email me if you're interested in getting involved and I'll direct you to the Planned Parenthood organizer closest to you. (Dessa.Cosma@ppmchoice.org)
Let's win this thing!
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