Common Dreams NewsCenter

We Can't Do It Without You!
 

Home | About Us | Donate | Signup | Archives | Search

Home > Progressive Community > NewsWire > For Immediate Release
   
Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
   
Mainstreet Moms Oppose Bush
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 30, 2004
8:28 PM
CONTACT:  Mainstreet Moms Oppose Bush
Candace Kuss (415) 215-8520
 
The MMOB Hits 100,000 Mom Milestone: Mother-to-mother Peer Network mails Voter Registration Forms and Encouragement to Unregistered Single Moms
 

SAN FRANCISCO - August 30 - Mainstreet Moms Oppose Bush (The MMOB) is an grassroots, get-out-the-vote organization dedicated to registering single moms. Through "Adopt-a-Swing-State" letter writing parties, they send personal notes and voter registration forms to women that did not vote in the 2000 presidential election.

Launched by one woman in Bolinas, California, just nine months before the 2004 presidential election, The MMOB has grown to 1500+ members in 45 states. MMOB founder, Megan Matson, is surprised and delighted to have reached the "100,000 moms served" milestone this week and credits The MMOB's passionate unpaid crew.

Lists Manager, Diane Dvorin, of Boulder, CO, says, "The pace picks up every day. Every time I think I've finished filling requests for lists of names, more pop up on my screen...and, this is the good news! We've done FL, MO, OH, NV and WA, so far."

Not all letter-writers are mothers; they just share the belief that the Bush administration's short sighted policies, invasion of Iraq, and record federal deficit will be a long-term burden for the innocent generations to come. Don Abrams, of Georgia, the Membership coordinator, says, "You don't have to be a mom, just have one!"

The all-volunteer MMOB is part of the new Do-It-Yourself activism, where creative use of the Internet has made national organizations viable on a shoe-string budget. With far-flung entrepunerial members sharing the work load, Mainstreet Moms exhibit the 24/7 enthusiasm of a new new thing Silicon Valley enterprise, even without that IPO at the end of the tunnel. Feedback from letter recipients gets shared and cheered coast-to-coast via email. Artist members sell handmade VOTE jewelry, plus a sparkly signature VOTE rhinestone letter bracelet to both defray expenses and inject the word into a pop culture setting.

With close to 50 per cent of eligible Americans choosing not to vote in 2000, turning VOTE into a more personal art form, like jewelry, can help jumpstart participation -- especially with younger voters. Megan says, "VOTE is the most empowering, inclusive and undeniable message out there, and it gives people courage to see it."

Stephanie Grossman, a top MMOB party Host in Palo Alto, California agrees. She got her daughter in Manhattan involved. And her 11 year-old grand-daughter, who not only can now name all the swing states, but helped spread the word. She made pink stationary for her activist grammy with a picture of a child and "KIDS CAN'T VOTE, SO MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!" printed in colored crayons across the top.

About The MMOB:

Inspired by Howard Dean's campaign, Megan Matson, a California mother of three pre-schoolers, decided she had the power to reach out to the millions of women that did not vote in the 2000 presidential election. She founded The MMOB and created nationwide Adopt-A-Swing-State letter writing parties being held every month until November. Concerned mothers, sons, daughters and dads have joined The MMOB to send personal notes to single moms in key states, reminding them how much their vote matters.

The MMOB is not authorized by any Candidate or Candidate's Committee.

###

Printer Friendly Version E-Mail This Article
Common Dreams NewsCenter is a non-profit news service
providing breaking news and views for the Progressive Community.

The press release posted here has been provided to Common Dreams NewsWire by one of the many progressive organizations who make up America's Progressive Community. If you wish to comment on this press release or would like more information, please contact the organization directly.
*all times Eastern US (GMT-5:00)

Making News?
Read our Guidelines for Submitting News Releases

CommonDreams.org is an Internet-based progressive news and grassroots activism organization, founded in 1997.
We are a nonprofit, progressive, independent and nonpartisan organization.

Home | About Us | Donate | Signup | Archives | Search

To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.


www.commondreams.org