Open Left

Agreed . . . and another example (0.00 / 0)

Living Liberally is the perfect example of the model.  In that same realm, our organization - Democrats Work - does similar work in the community service space.  Our aim is to keep Democrats active and engaged when it is not election time by connecting volunteers with visibile, tangible community service projects year-round - cleaning up neighborhoods and parks, planting trees, painting houses for the elderly, supporting veterans, etc.

Come election time, we have built an expanded and easily mobilized volunteer force that can help with voter turnout.  Matt mentioned "nonprofits that do service work and voter turnout," which is exactly what Democrats Work is doing.

Another way of looking at this model is as a blend of the activist and consumer models of political engagement: for the activist, this is an opportunity to put his or her values into action throughout the year - both through service and through traditional political engagement; for the consumer, we demonstrate that Democrats are getting things done and that we're the people you can turn to if there is a need in your community - which, one hopes, will be just as powerful a message as anything they see on TV, in the mail, or on their doorsteps in November.    

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by: DemocratsWork @ Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 11:53:26 AM CDT

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