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Organization: Obama for America Committee
Date: January 8, 2009
Obama Committee and SCV Jaycees Help Fight Hunger
President-Elect Barack Obama is calling upon citizens and volunteers across the entire nation to participate in the 2009 National Day of Service and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am President of the United States," said Obama. "This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency."
In response, the Presidential Inauguration Committee has organized 4,000 groups in 2,000 cities nationwide to plan, organize, and stage non-partisan community service events in their neighborhoods for the weekend of January 17-19, 2009 — the weekend before Obama's inauguration on January 20. Since Congress sanctioned the National Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day, these historic events have combined to unite Americans in a common goal — renewing our nation from the ground up.
In Congressional District 25 (representing the Santa Clarita Valley), the Obama for America Committee has organized community leaders to assist the Hunger Defense Fund. The HDF is a non-profit humanitarian relief organization located in Santa Clarita. It responds to natural disasters in the United States and around the world by providing food, water, clothing, blankets, personal hygiene items and more to children and families in need. Sadly, the immediate crisis in Santa Clarita is not a natural disaster but an economic one. Due to rampant foreclosures and increasing job losses, the HDF has received a 52% increase of recipient families in the Santa Clarita Valley over last year.
In partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley chapter of Junior Chamber International (the SCV Jaycees), the Obama for America Committee will stock and distribute foodstuffs, as well as help HDF recipients load their vehicles on Saturday, January 17, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The HDF warehouse is located at 26450 Ruether Avenue. It is not heated, so the HDF's staff recommends that you bring warm, comfortable clothing and a warm beverage to ward off the chill.
Please roll up your sleeves, just as President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden will do on the eve of their inauguration. To register online, visit the Renew America Together website at www.usaservice.org, click on "Find an Event," and enter your zip code. To register with the local Obama for America Committee, contact event coordinator DawnAnn Spittle at 661-288-1304 or dawnann888@sbcglobal.net.
If you cannot participate on January 17, you can still help the Hunger Defense Fund by donating dry goods, operating supplies, personal hygiene items, or shelving. These items are needed year-round and in higher-than-normal volume for the additional families that need relief right here in Santa Clarita. For further details, please contact DawnAnn Spittle as above.
As President-Elect Obama said, "When you choose to serve — whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood — you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."
