Road to Denver: Sofia in Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 21, 2008

SofiaIN The 2008 Democratic Convention will be Sofia’s first convention ever. It’ll also be the first time she’ll vote as a Democrat.

When Sofia sat down and read the Audacity of Hope last year, she suddenly realized she’d been voting for the wrong party. “There was a real connection for me reading the book. I realized I had been living as a Democrat my whole life but had been voting as a Republican.”

I had always voted Republican in presidential elections. But I had been raised to help my community and do what I could for those less fortunate. I realized that in voting Republican, I was voting for my own self-interest rather than for my community. Barack Obama is all about working for the community. So I decided to do all I could to help Barack.

Sofia soon learned that with a grassroots movement as big as ours, there are countless ways to get involved.

The first thing I did was give money, which I had never done before. Then I bought the DVD. And hosted a house meeting. And it snowballed from there.

When Barack lost the New Hampshire primary, Sofia suddenly found herself on a plane to Las Vegas to help the Nevada efforts. She stayed for the whole Get-Out-The-Vote effort – knocking on doors and making phone calls late into the night. “It was great. I met a lot of wonderful people I’m still in contact with,” she says.

And when I got home, there was no organization in Indiana. So I formed a group of volunteers and friends, and we started ramping up efforts here. We did voter registration and organized volunteers. Someone suggested running for delegate. I did, and I won.

Sofia, 36, is married with two black lab mutts. She owns her own advertising company, which helps give her the freedom to volunteer for the campaign.

Before her experience with the Obama campaign, Sofia had never knocked on a door on behalf of a candidate before, and she’d never made a campaign phone call.

It’s a big step, but it’s a great experience. Today, I went to the mailbox, and there was a box of Obama buttons made by some volunteers who heard about me from some other volunteers. Strangers! But they sent me buttons because they wanted to help. This campaign is all about getting to know people and working together for a common cause. We all care deeply about our country and our community, and that shows in the volunteer efforts.

She’s really excited about learning new things at the convention that she can bring back and share with her community.

I have a whole community here that I have connected with who I never would have known if not for this campaign. I hope to bring my experience at the convention back home and share it with the volunteers here to get them energized. Getting elected delegate was a pat on the back for a job well done, but it’s also just the kickoff for what’s ahead.

With just four days to go until the start of the Democratic National Convention, excitement is building in Denver and across America. Soon, delegates from all fifty states will convene in the Mile High City to cast their ballots for Barack Obama and witness his acceptance of the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States.

Thursday, August 28th will be the biggest night of the campaign so far. Even if you can’t be in Denver, you can be a part of this historic convention by attending a Convention Watch Party in your area.

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