Here’s a picture of the volunteers and collaborating organizers in front of the OFA office in Bethlehem at the end of the day before getting back on the bus to NYC, Courtesy of the Manhattan Young Democrats
Over the past two Saturdays canvassers from the VID buses in Bethlehem and Nazareth, Pennsylvania, knocked on 6,514 doors, had 1,787 conversations with voters, registered over 200 people and secured 722 signed commit to vote cards from Obama supporters. That’s the way you win elections.
VID president, Jonathan Geballe, and VID co-campaign chair, and bus captain for life, Peter Crosta have made both Saturday trips, joined last Saturday by VID co-campaign chair Tony Hoffmann. The energy and bonding with fellow NYC Democrats on board the bus is contagious and the welcome from our PA neighbors is warm and generous. We were met by Obama volunteers who opened their homes to all of us New Yorkers (from VID and all the clubs we organized) and served breakfast and lunch. The voters were (mostly) super friendly. President Obama has lots of support in the Lehigh Valley (he received 73% of the Bethlehem vote in 2008). Our job is to make sure the Democrats get out and vote, and secure this crucial battleground state. We ask staunch Obama supporters to sign a voter commitment card which is mailed back to the voter before the election — the most effective way to mobilize voters.
Much credit goes to those who are organizing and facilitating this operation. It has been a team effort. Primary kudos go to Yayoi Tsuchitani who organized the entire effort-from securing commitments and money from various local organizations, to recruiting volunteers, to renting buses at super low rates to raising money to subsidize the buses-Yayoi has done it all. Working with Yayoi are Nadine Hoffman, the person who keeps track of all bus registrants and tabler extraordinaire; Celia Wu, Georgina Christ, and Yayoi-the other tabler extraordinaires (they’ve raised over $500 in just two weeks); Yayoi and District Leader Keen Berger the master chefs who have baked a zillion cookies and cakes that are selling like hot cakes; bus captain Peter Crosta and future bus captain Marti Speranza; and finally Tony and Nadine Hoffmann whose September fundraiser pulled in over $2000 for the canvassing effort. VID can be proud of what we’ve accomplished.
Jonathan, Peter and I would love to have other VID’ers accompany us on the bus. We leave every Saturday at 8:30 AM (arrive by 8:00 to check in) from in front of Babies R’ Us which is located between 15th & 16th Streets on the east side of Union Square Park. The buses return by about 7:00 p.m. To register you can email Nadine Hoffman at buslady17@gmail.com or call VID at 212-741-2994 and leave a message. Please join us and be part of the Obama campaign. Looking forward to seeing you.
Tony Hoffmann