What is Obama Works?
Barack Obama on February 5th:
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if
we wait for
some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We
are the change that we seek."
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Obama Works is a grassroots organization currently taking shape nationwide. Obama Works volunteers intend to implement Barack Obama’s message of change through public service, harnessing the immense energy created by his presidential bid to serve their communities.
Our group, according to organizer Amirah Naim, is ‘‘working to transcend our differences and transform our country.’’
We have begun by organizing local Obama supporters throughout PA, CT and NJ, to show our communities that politics is not merely about elections, but about civic participation. We will continue to develop these projects nationwide through the primaries, the general election, and beyond.
Obama Works is a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting a new kind of politics. Inspired by Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer and his message that ordinary citizens can create real change, Obama Works seeks to unite politics and service by mobilizing Obama supporters to improve their neighborhoods through public service.
Support your candidate, Support your community - Together We Can.
What can I do?
An image from the Obama Philly Sweep. Click here to visit the gallery.
Obama Works is a grassroots organization. There are no corporate sponsors, no bureaucracy, and no political insiders. So if you want to start an event, go for it. We have put together a few basic hints and some materials that will help you organize it, which you can find on our resources page. We're working on some more helpful documents and pointers, which should be ready soon. Until then, feel free to email us with questions, comments, or anything else. All that we ask is that if you decide to start an event, let us know so we can let people know about it, and also make sure there isn't already an event in the area.
The best way to stay informed is to join our mailing list. We won't spam you, and we'll always make it easy for you to unsubscribe if you want to. What we will also do is let you know about any Obama Works events in your area, and how you can get involved.
And, again, if you ever have any questions, feel free to email us. We would love to hear from you.
How did Obama Works start?
"Barack's campaign is the first that inspired me to act, but I didn't know how to channel my energy. Just as I neared the breaking point of not knowing what to do, Arvind's email arrived, proposing a new kind of campaign. I responded, describing the Philly Sweep for Barack. I CC'ed Amirah Naim, whom I had befriended on the Obama website after seeing her featured as a phone banker who had made over 1000 calls! Without her strong response, it might well have become another unrealized good idea.
Soon, we got in touch with David and Justin at Yale. "Free time" became "Obama Works Time," and we couldn't be more excited to help Barack in '08!"
-Adam LeGrand, Philadelphia
Two Yale undergraduates, David Manners-Weber and Justin Kosslyn, campaigned as volunteers for Obama in New Hampshire and began to brainstorm new approaches to campaigning. They published an article in the Yale Daily News that posed the question: What if a grassroots campaign were able to take on visible public service projects? What would it say about that movement—and the candidate who inspired it?
That question intrigued Princeton graduate student Arvind Murugan, who wrote about the article on a few group listservs. His words resonated with several Philadelphia area residents - strangers - who started working together online. During the next two weeks, through emails and impromptu meetings, a grassroots movement dubbed Obama Works was born and the first Obama Philly Sweep was organized.
Now, we're busy going national. We need your help. Our time truly is now.
Were you looking for information about Senator Obama and working families? We're glad you're here, but you were probably looking for obamaworks.org.
Upcoming Events
In the press...
- "Obama Sweeps New Haven—Again
"[Obama Works volunteers] conceived of a new breed of political campaign that brings together volunteers, in the spirit of the candidate, not just to rally and to hoot but also to work to improve the world, starting on their own doorsteps."
See more coverage.
Tell a friend!
We are as grassroots as they come - so you're the best publicity we've got! Please consider passing Obama Works along to your friends!
Materials
- Press Release - 2nd Obama Philly Sweep
- Press Release - Obama New Haven Sweep
- Obama Sweep Template
- Why Obama Works
Contact Information
If you need to get in contact with the Obama Works organization, please send an email to contact@whyobamaworks.com.
Links
Obama Works Groups
Online Friends