Welcome!
About three-quarters of the folks who join an organization like ours are comfortable with just their names on our members list, or with just coming to meetings. That's just fine! That meets their needs, and we know where to find them if we really have to.
Other folks want a more active role. They want to be doing something! If you're one of these folks, Boy! Do we have room for you! So check the list, pick something you like and join us!
Programs and Meetings. This is a group that meets roughly once a month to decide on programs, targeted to be interesting enough to get folks out of the house on a weeknight. To join, click programs@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org
Members: Wally Retan
Program Hospitality. Provide or arrange for refreshments at meetings. Click hospitality@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org
Publicity. Work on getting announcements of meetings distributed, by email, mail and flyers for windows or bulletin boards. Also publicity of other events where we're making our presence known. Click on publicity@HealthCareForEveryoneAlabama.org
Truth Squad. The objective: not to allow a falsehood or distortion about health care and health care reform to go unchallenged. We need reviewers, letter writers and name loaners. Reviewers: aiming to check as many of the state's papers every day as we can. Much of this can be done online. Letter writers: When a reviewer catches a problem, they can either write a response themselves or pass the problem on to one of the letter writing members of the squad. Name loaners: newspapers often won't publish more than one letter from a person more often than every 30 days. When a writer is short of 30 days, a name loaner would be willing to send a letter, written by a letter writer, to the editor, tidied up so that it would look as if name loaner wrote it in the first place. (It goes without saying that the name loaner would never be asked to be the 'author' of something they didn't agree with.) To become part of the squad, click squad@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org.
Members: Wally Retan
Free Clinic Support. (Sometimes called "Cookies for Clinics") Yes, there are lots of places folks can get care. Doctors and hospitals and the Community Health Centers and charity hospitals and such. Some folks don't fit in those places. Some folks still depend on free clinics for their care, if they get any care. So it makes sense for us to support free clinics until there's Medicare for Everyone. We'll start by bringing food...cookies and such...to free clinic volunteers on the nights the clinics meet. While we'd not be 'selling' our message to their staff or patients, we'd probably be wearing t-shirts that identify who we are. The program needs a coordinator to work with the clinic, and a volunteer coordinator and volunteers. Click FreeClinic@HealthCareForEveryone-alabama.org
Members: David Brown.
Medical Students/Health Profession Students. Students enter the health professions...medical students, nursing students, students in public health, dentistry, social services and so one with a lot of idealism, a lot of energy. While students are very welcome in our organization, of course, we'd be eager to support them if they chose to develop student organizations of their own. Like the ones in California. To join the advisors, click advisors@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org
Members: Wally Retan
Organizing the student organization: Christopher Gamboa
Membership. Yes, individual membership is one reason for leafleting and public speaking. We need organizational members, too, partly to let the world know that we speak for more than a handful of people, partly to be sure that there's wide awareness of what's going on. We can look with envy at what organizations like Alabama Arise have been able to do in recruiting organizational support, but their accomplishments can be an inspiration, as well, a sign of what it's possible to accomplish. Please click membership@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org to help in this important activity.
Fundraising. The Coalition has significant fundraising needs. Right now there are unglamorous administrative costs to cover, unglamorous but they're there. Soon there'll be advertising to spread our message of Healthcare for All...and the message that we exist. Individual contributions through the web page are critically important. More major fundraising will needed when we start our major campaigns. If you can help raise funds, please click funds@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org.
Fun Events. Early in 2011 we'll be increasing our visibility with tabling and brochure handouts wherever crowds are gathered, or maybe just attending events wearing our T-shirts. Many of these events will be advertised in the newsletter, but if you'd like to be specially notified, please click on events@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org.
Facebook Page. We need an editor to change our present offering into a more effective use of social media. Volunteer? Click Facebook@HealthCareForEveryone-Alabama.org.
Member: Christopher Gamboa.
Finally. Most important. Have fun. Participation in a cause that you believe in can be wonderfully gratifying. You'll have the chance to meet other idealistic, energetic people who share your belief that the world can be, must be made better and that it's possible for you to make a difference. Take time to get to know the people that you're working with...a campaign, a cause like Improved Medicare for Everyone can form the centerpiece of a social community, a group of friends who'll be part of you for the rest of your life. Don't get discouraged...this is a marathon, not a sprint. Yes, we'll have setbacks, sometimes for years, but the great, slow surge of history has brought us social security, unemployment insurance and food stamps, civil rights, women's suffrage and an African-American in the White House. We will have 'the same, high-quality, government-financed health care for everyone' someday.
I guarantee it.