As New Hampshire voters head to the ballot boxes today, I am reflecting with Iowa volunteers about their experience caucusing for ONE last week. We asked members to stand up on caucus night, while the whole country was watching, to show support for life-saving programs in the poorest parts of the world. Watch our slideshow of photos from the event, and read what some of our volunteers had to say:
“The fight against poverty really hits home for me being that I come from a lower income family I can relate to this issue. But even on a deeper level I can appreciate the fight more since I had the chance to see it for myself firsthand.
During my service in the US Navy I was deployed to Senegal and saw how some of the people in even that modernized area had to live, and my heart went out to them. We were unable to drink the local water because it was contaminated.
Also while there, I became ill with malaria. To the locals it was an everyday occurrence but for me, it was life-threatening. I contracted the worst strand and stayed in the hospital for four days then flown to the Naval base in Rota. As a descendant of an African tribe, as a woman and as someone who truly cares, I hope that all the work ONE is doing will bring the much-needed medicines for the malaria and AIDS patients. God bless” -Shanna
On New Year’s Day I boarded a plane at DFW International Airport destined for the fertile plains of Iowa in order to help bring the message of the ONE Campaign to the Caucus goers in the area surrounding Des Moines, Iowa. Little did I realize that I would have the time of my life advocating for the Living Proof solutions found in only 1 percent of the federal budget.
When I watched the Iowan caucuses on national TV on Thursday night, I quickly spotted ONE bands and shirts throughout the crowds. Now it’s your chance to share the stories that the TV cameras didn’t capture.
With months of candidate engagements with every major candidate, to our December “ONE To One” campaign urging Iowan voters to use our “On The Record” microsite to inform their election choices, to our “Caucus For ONE” campaign to get ONE planks added to every Iowan caucus party platform, the excitement Iowa ONE members created around the issue of global poverty on caucus night was predictable, and yet still really exciting to see.
If you’re an Iowan ONE member who was at a caucus last week or has been involved in any way during the months leading to the caucuses, please use the comment thread below to share your story. Your actions can serve as an inspiration for ONE members across the country.
I can’t believe we’re in the middle of January already! After months of hard work and dedication ONE members across the state of Iowa showed the nation that we not only stand up for Democracy but we stand up to fight extreme poverty as well.
ONE’s Iowa caucus project proved extremely successful with almost 700 registered participants around the state. ONE members and supporters wore T-shirts, bands and stickers for visibility. They also submitted and passed planks about extreme poverty to their county platform committee in hopes of eventually getting a plank put in on the state party platform.
At my location alone there were 3 people in ONE T-shirts! At the location across the street a ONE member was nominated to be the precinct caucus secretary, which was the location CSPAN was showing live across the country! Other members reported their whole families showing up in ONE shirts!
There were thousands of media people here from all over the world, and many of them were asking about ONE and what we are doing. We had a table set up at the convention center in Des Moines where most of the media outlets called home base. Our CEO David Lane came to speak with the press during a ONE reception along with State Co-Chair Former Governor Terri Branstad.
I would like to thank everyone who was instrumental along the path to this day. For every staff member, volunteer, campaign staffer, candidate, or just ONE member- thank you for everything you have done to help. To everyone who has volunteered time, tabled at events, blogged, written Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor, asked the candidates tough questions, and supported ONE at your caucus; Thank You! When it came time for Iowa’s turn in the spotlight, we sure know how to shine!
Always remember: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a singe step.”
I’m live blogging too. Except, unlike Josh Lozman who’s in Iowa, I’m just watching on TV from a caucus watching party.
First of all, at Precinct 53 in Des Moines, as aired on C-Span repeatedly, the caucus chairperson is wearing a ONE band and the man next to her has a ONE shirt on.
Second of all, (somewhat less important) does or does not the below potato chip (found tonight) look exactly like Iowa?
I am here in West Des Moines at Southwoods High School.
I’ve been told that the turnout here is enormous compared to past year. In one precinct, the number of people that changed or newly registered was larger than the number of people that caucused in any one caucus over the last twenty years.
ONE’s CEO, david lane, has been in Iowa all day along with many one staff and ambassadors. David was interviewed by several major media outlets about ONE’s involvement in the campaign and we have collectively been to dozens of events in the past 24 hours reminding candidates not to forget about the world’s poor.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
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