I work for the national service organization, Democrats Work.
We have been getting out into the neighborhoods, cleaning parks, working food banks and as the picture shows we have even hosted a soccer skills camp for urban youth.
We mobilize teams of Democratic volunteers so the people in their communities can see that the Democratic Party is the party of everyday people who are willing to put on a pair of boots, roll up their sleeves and do what is right for American hometowns.
We are new, but we are growing rapidly. Our National Advisory Board that already includes President Carter, Gen. Wes Clark (ret), and Rep. Price (D-NC), has added the wisdom and intelligence of two new advisors; former Senators Gary Hart and Max Cleland.
In today's Huffington Post, Jason Carter's story "From Tear Gas to Soccer Balls speaks of the change Democrats Work is bringing to the political landscape.
Video: Democrats Work and the DNCC pair urban youth from UpLift with players from the Colorado Rapids for a skills clinic.
Jason Carter in the Huffington Post:
In 2004, the most interesting activity at Republican National Convention wasn't inside Madison Square Garden -- it was in the streets. With protests not seen since the '68 Democratic Convention in Chicago, hundreds of thousands of activists packed into pens and crammed the streets of midtown Manhattan. More than 1,800 were arrested.
Next summer, the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver. In the coming months, there again will be an abundance of activity outside the convention hall; but it won't just be civil disobedience -- there will be civic engagement.
In an effort to give back to the community hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention, last week the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) launched a campaign of community service projects that will last through next year. For its kickoff event, the DNCC teamed up with Democrats Work and MLS soccer players to host a soccer clinic for at-risk urban youth. In the coming year, the DNCC service projects will focus on youth, environmental projects, homelessness and hunger.
Democrats Work announcing the new Natl. Advisory Board members:
"The future of the Democratic Party is being written by organizations like Democrats Work," said former Senator Max Cleland. "It is essential that we find new ways to reach into communities and connect with voters, especially in places like Georgia. Democrats Work is playing a critical role in ensuring that Democrats serve Americans not only in the halls of Congress, in statehouses or on city councils, but in our neighborhoods, parks and schools as well."
"Many Democrats have been searching for the one `thing' that will re-brand and invigorate our party," said former Senator Gary Hart. "Democrats Work is an organization that has stopped searching and started doing, and they are taking our party in the right direction with a powerful idea and a new `politics of service.' I am proud to join this effort to unite community service and political activism, bringing the Democratic Party closer to our original principles."
I am a staffer for DemocratsWork, and can be reached at takebackthehouse[at]SquareState[dot]net