Sign up for this two-day training session that will empower regular citizens to recruit and organize volunteers to help elect Barack Obama president!

When: Saturday, August 23 (9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) AND Sunday,
August 24 (8:45 to 5:00 p.m.)

Where: TBD - Location will be in SD13

The first 200 who can attend *both* days and RSVP by Thursday, August 21 at texas@barackobama.com with [Houston] in the subject line will be admitted. We will run this training again for those of you with other plans or who get this message late. Location will be announced no later than Friday noon by email.

The event will be a two-day training session that covers everything from a bedrock philosophy of organizing to specific campaign skills, such as canvassing and phone-banking. Attendees will learn how to play a leadership role in campaigns, both in Texas and neighboring states.

Three things to do before you come to Camp:
1. RSVP! Email texas@barackobama.com with [Houston] in the subject line.
2. We are actively recruiting people who are willing to travel to New Mexico for 10 days-5 weeks to work on the campaign. Please check your calendar before attending and sign on to swing New Mexico to Blue when we ask at Camp.
3. Apply for a leadership role–Fellow, Intern, or Volunteer– my.barackobama.com/page/content/txhome–in which to use your new training

Three things to bring:
1. Lunch
2. Pens & paper
3. Laptops, cellphones & addressbook/calendar

Don’t worry if you can’t make it this weekend! We will continue to hold training throughout the campaign season.

See you Saturday!

Please register for the event here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Monique via email moniqueforobama@yahoo.com.

See you there!

Where: Obama Volunteer Headquarters at 2520 Southmore

What: Houston for Obama meets the second Thursday of each month to discuss updates from the campaign and ways you can get involved.

Please RSVP at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/445wr

- Update from Chicago
- Upcoming Meetings and Events
- Precinct Captain Round-Up
- What you can do to help NOW
- Contact Information

Update from Chicago

It has been announced that Juan Sepulveda will be heading up the Obama campaign here in Texas. In a statement from Juan issued by the campaign, he said, “Our priority is expanding our strong grassroots movement for change across the state so we can help Democrats up and down the ticket and win the White House in November.” We anticipate the arrival of the Houston staff in the next couple of weeks.

Upcoming Houston for Obama Events

Thursday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m.

August Meetup

Obama Volunteer Headquarters at 2520 Southmore

Houston for Obama meets the second Thursday of each month to discuss updates from the campaign and ways you can get involved. This month we will feature two precincts and how they have been organizing in their community.

Rsvp at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/445wr

Other Houston area events sponsored by local supporters can be found at:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple

Precinct Captains

We are beginning the process of organizing the volunteer precinct organizers (formerly precinct captains) for the fall. If you are interested in organizing volunteers within your precinct for the general election, please send your name, phone number, email address, precinct number and house district number to houston@houstonforbama.com.

What you can do to help NOW:

1. Get deputized to legally register voters, if you have not already done so. Voter Registration continues to be our number one priority. The more registered voters in Houston the more potential votes for Obama.

First Metropolitan Church is hosting a deputy registrar training on Saturday, August 23, at 3:00 p.m. at 8870 W Sam Houston Parkway. For more information call 713-983-7878 or visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/44bqj

2. Register Voters

Participate in a group Voter Registration drive organized by Houston for Obama or by Houston Votes, find other supporters in your community that are hosting drives through my.barackobama.com, or organize a drive in your own neighborhood.

One important note on voter registration, the campaign has asked Houston for Obama to send them data on all new voters registered in Houston by our volunteers. After you register voters, please input your data into the Voter Registration Information Form that can be downloaded here. Once data is entered, please email it to Houston@houstonforobama.com. This information will then be given to Obama for America staff for their database and is essential to the success of the campaign here in Houston. They will be using this data to reach out to those new voters in the fall during GOTV (Get Out the Vote). Please note this information will NOT be added to the Houston for Obama database. Therefore, if you register anyone that would like to be added to our mailing list, please send that information separately. If you do not want to share the information on the voters you have registered with Houston for Obama, please enter the data into the template and hang on to it until the staff arrives. Then please just send us your name, phone number, email address and number of voters you have registered so the staff can get in touch with you for the data when they arrive.

3. Become a Texas Democratic Party Neighborhood Volunteer
Have Questions or Want To Get Involved???

Contact Sue Deigaard or Sharon Washington at Houston@houstonforobama.com

We are so lucky to be at the center of big happenings in Harris County here in Houston. We need your help in making sure our local candidates become the elected leaders we need. Please join us and many of our candidates this Saturday, August 9th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, at our Midtown Office Opening located on the corner of Alabama at Travis, located at 3710 Travis (map) as we open the doors to our new Coordinated Campaign Office for the Harris County Democratic Party.

An exciting program featuring Master of Ceremonies County Commissioner El Franco Lee will kick off promptly at 11:00 am. This office was one of Senator Barack Obama’s during the March Primary and we need that same enthusiasm for Democrats this November. The Republicans in Harris County have proven they will do whatever it takes to hold on to their offices, and it will take all of our effort to restore integrity and accountability to our public officials.

We invite you to come and tour our office and enjoy food and cold drinks. In an exciting announcement, we will have Obama items available for suggested donation on Saturday. Get ready for the fall election by getting the latest Obama fall fashion with the following items:

Obama T-shirts
Obama Bumper-stickers
Obama Yard Signs
Obama Hats

Again, we hope you will join us, your candidates, and your public officials this weekend for the fun and festivities at our new Midtown Campaign Office, so we can build momentum to Turn Texas Blue.

See you there!

August 4 is Senator Obama’s birthday, and Houston for Obama, a grassroots volunteer organization, is hosting a birthday celebration in his honor.

Come join local volunteers in a toast to hope, change, and the celebration of Life – the celebration of Senator Obama’s life, and the life that he has infused into grassroots community organizing.

WHO: Obama Volunteers and Supporters (Senator Obama will NOT attend)
WHAT: A Birthday Celebration
WHERE: Chateau
1112 Southmore Blvd
Houston, TX 77004
WHEN: Monday, August 4, 2008
6:30 – 10:00 PM

Houston for Obama is hosting a Vote for Change-Voter Registration Drive Saturday, August,2nd, 2008. We will meet at the Phillip 66 Convenience Store on 6275 W Airport Blvd, Houston, TX 77035 at 10:00 a.m.

• Update from Chicago
• What you can do to help NOW
• Upcoming Meetings and Events
• Contact Information

Update from Chicago

Obama for America is planning a 50 state strategy and staff will be arriving in Texas soon. In the meantime, Houston for Obama is working with OFA to prepare for the staff’s arrival. The Number One priority is Voter Registration. The more registered voters we have, the more votes Obama can get in the fall.

What you can do to help NOW:

1. Get deputized to legally register voters, if you have not already done so. The next deputization session will be:

Houston Votes Deputization Event

Tuesday, July 15^th at 6:30 p.m.

411 Cavalcade (exit Cavalcade from I-45 between I-10 and 610)

rsvp at http://www.houstonvotes.org/

2. Register Voters

Participate in a group Vote Registration drive organized by Houston for Obama or by Houston Votes, find other supporters in your community that are hosting drives through my.barackobama.com, or organize a drive in your own neighborhood.

One important note on voter registration, the campaign has asked Houston for Obama to send them data on all new voters registered in Houston by our volunteers. After you register voters, please input your data into the Voter Registration Information Form that can be downloaded from http://www.houstonforobama.com/forms. Once data is entered, please email it to Houston@houstonforobama.com. This information will then be sent to Obama for America in Chicago for their database and is essential to the success of the campaign here in Houston. They will be using this data to reach out to those new voters in the fall during GOTV (Get Out the Vote).

3. Become a Texas Democratic Party Neighborhood Volunteer at http://www.txdemocrats.org/page/s/NeighborhoodVol

4. Organize or attend a Platform Meeting to help submit proposals for Barack Obama’s platform. For more information on this historic program please visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/listening/

5. Plan a Unite for Change party in your community to engage other supporters to become involved in the campaign. More information on neighborhood organizing for the Obama campaign can be found in the grassroots organizing guide at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actionguide#c101

Upcoming Houston for Obama Events

Thursday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Platform Meeting

Obama Volunteer Headquarters at 2520 Southmore

Obama for America has solicited all supporters to gather in their communities and propose ideas for Obama’s platform. Come be a part of history and help Houston for Obama formulate our proposal to submit to the campaign.

Rsvp at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/platformmeeting/4grvg

Saturday, July 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Voter Registration Drive

Obama Volunteer Headquarters at 2520 Southmore

We will be registering voters in House District 145.

You can also find many other events hosted by other members of the community by searching for events in your area at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple

Thursday, August 14 at 7:30 p.m.

August Meetup

Obama Volunteer Headquarters at 2520 Southmore

Houston for Obama meets the second Thursday of each month to discuss updates from the campaign and ways you can get involved.

Rsvp at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/445wr

Have Questions or Want To Get Involved???

Contact Sue Deigaard or Sharon Washington at Houston@houstonforobama.com

www.houstonforobama.com

If you plan to attend, please sign up at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44h9d

Questions???
Contact Sue Deigaard or Sharon Washington at houston@houstonforobama.com

In order to prepare for this historical event, we will be deputizing volunteers to become voter registrars on Saturday, May 3 at 10 a.m. and Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m. Getting deputized in advance will allow you to hit the streets and register voters immediately after the rally on May 10. If you cannot attend one of these earlier sessions, we will be deputizing at 11:30 a.m. after the rally on May 10. The deputy registrar trainings last approximately 1 hour.

We also need volunteers to help us spread the word about this exciting program. If you would like to help us phonebank to recruit volunteers, please come to the Houston for Obama office at 2520 Southmore Friday, May 2 anytime between 2-8 p.m. Phonebankers should plan to bring their own cell phone. You can also call from home by using the online phonebanking tool at http://my.barackobama.com/callvols

Finally, we have a “wish list” of items we need to make this event a success. If you would like to donate any of the following items, please let us know:

clipboards
pens
bottled water
snacks (ie. granola bars)
Obama support packs & stickers (these can be ordered from barackobama.com)

Questions???

Please email Sharon Washington (sharonforobama@yahoo.com) or Sue Deigaard (sue.houstonforobama@gmail.com)