Vanette Jordan volunteers in OFA’s West Oak Lane Office. She’s been supporting Obama with grassroots activism for the last four years, and doesn’t plan to stop soon.

At West Oak Lane’s Obama For America Field Office on September 22nd, volunteers and OFA staff worked to get Philly’s residents registered to vote in this November’s presidential election.  Volunteers such as West Oak Lane resident Vanette Jordan, a 4-year veteran of Obama’s campaign support in Philly, made all the difference in 2008’s election, famously putting a president in office largely through the efforts of far-reaching grassroots organization. In 2012, Jordan hopes it will keep him there.

“I’ve been on the campaign since 2008 working like a circus monkey to get our man elected!”  In her free time, Jordan conducts home meetings, registers voters, and connects with her neighbors here in Philly.

At the office on Saturday, Jordan worked alongside data coordinator Janeen Jackson and data captain Seth Embry, as well

Volunteer phone banker Shirley Green calls voters

as a room full of phone bankers from the West Oak Lane and Mt. Airy areas, including Shirley Green, Greg Tilghman, Cindy Lyles, Diane Harris, Corrine Days, and Rohan Comrie.  Outside the office, Ervin Rembert and Joshua Roberts recruited passersby

for voter registration and to sign voter commitment cards.

All of their efforts were boosted that day, when a special guest arrived to lend a hand.  Beginning at 1:00 PM, First Lady Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson, led door-to-door efforts to help get the vote out.  “First and foremost, Pennsylvania is a battleground state, so this was a good opportunity to come out and see some of the folks who are on the ground, and rally the troops, and also thank them for all the hard work they’ve been doing.  It’s nice to come out and see the folks who are . . . getting the real tough stuff done.”

Robinson encourages OFA volunteers

While Obama can most likely rely on Philly to support him in November, Robinson would contend that we don’t want to take it for granted.  “Every single additional registered voter is profit,” says Robinson.

OFA Data Support: Janeen “JJ” Jackson with Seth Embry

Before he heads up to the Princeton area later today, Robinson will hit a local barber shop, church and restaurant to try to personally connect with as many people as he can in Philly.

Ervin Rembert calls on pedestrians to commit to vote!

Cynthia Crenshaw, Obama Campaign team leader for the Cedarbrook area, has been with the campaign since July of last year, and is encouraged by the efforts of a full house of volunteers this weekend.  She says she works for one reason: “to get President Obama reelected!”  Rallying her team, Crenshaw drives voter registration efforts and to ensure that they have a proper photo ID, should the recent Voter ID legislation remain in effect through the election.

When asked what people should do if they are running into problems trying to get registered, Crenshaw says, “the best thing for them to do is to get ahold of one of our campaign offices, get to their state representatives, or get to one of our locations, because there are a lot of us out here, and all we do is to make sure people are registered to vote, and exercise their voting rights.  [Voting] is very very important.  It’s what our foreparents fought for, and if we have nothing else, that’s our right, to cast our vote.  Our opinion counts!”

Make sure you’re registered, and make sure you go vote, Philly!

For more information, visit gottavote.com, or to pa.BarackObama.com.  You can also contact the Ogontz Avenue regional office directly, at 215-421-0339.

Joshua Pelta-Heller

Josh has been shooting and writing since he could hold a camera and a crayon. He's now the managing editor and a photographer for two.one.five magazine.

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