Kat's DNC Bernie Delegate Fund
Donation protected
It's official! I'm going to the DNC as a delegate for Bernie Sanders. But I (and thousands of delegates coming from across the country) need your help to get there.
As most of you know, I live in South Philadelphia and work as a freelance writer. I also teach cultural anthropology at a community college in NJ and serve as Artistic Director of Philadelphia's premier all-female professional dance company, The Lady Hoofers. I got hitched last month and my husband and I just adopted our first rescue dog. His name is Henry and he is already a (H)UGE fan of Bernie Sanders.
I've been involved in a variety of progressive causes since high school and worked with CodePink and ANSWER in college but like so many of my generation, I became pretty disillusioned with the political process. First came Bush-- an embarassment to our country-- then came Obama-- who inherited too many problems and too polarized a Congress to get much done. When I first heard about Bernie Sanders though, something changed for me, just as it did for millions of us across the country.
Becoming a delegate was one of the hardest things I have ever done (who knew you had to collect so many darn signatures to just get on the ballot???) but it was also one of the most exciting. I was still on my honeymoon when I received the news that I'd made the cut and spent the next 48 hours tracking every wi-fi signal I could find to get all of my paperwork in order.
So here's the deal: even though the DNC will be held just a few blocks from my house, security will be tight (it's gonna be the Popepocalypse all over again...) so everyone is supposed to stay in the designated PA Delegate's hotel downtown. This is where meetings will be held, strategies discussed, and credentials to the DNC distributed each morning. As such, we're all working together to help raise funds for our lodging, meals and transportation.
Most of us will be bunking 4 to a room to cut costs (as hotels are going for $3500 during the DNC!) but we have a number of students and retirees in our delegation who are on a fixed income so every bit helps. Any additional funds received over the cost of attending the DNC will be used to help other Bernie delegates make the trip and/or donated to the Sanders campaign.
Why is this campaign so important to me? Well, it really starts with my students. I see how hard they're working to try to get ahead; many of them are single moms, veterans, immigrants, the first in their family to go to college. They're juggling kids, multiple jobs, language barriers, and student loan debt, not to mention the bigger issues of poverty, systemtic racism, xenophobia, their own media-fueled prejudices and our country's dire need for reform it's criminal justice system.
I once had a student with an ankle tracker who explained to me after our very first class that he would be late every week because he wasn't allowed to leave his home early enough to account for traffic during his commute to campus. Many others can't afford textbooks and come from neighborhoods and school systems that leave then completely illequiped for college-level coursework. It isn't fair, and Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who consisently advocates for people like my students. They deserve a $15 minimum wage. They deserve debt-free tuition. They deserve healthcare. They deserve their fair shot at the "American dream."
The other reason I started campaigning for Bernie Sanders is because again, he is the only candidate to consistently talk about the importance of addressing climate change (not to mention campaign finance reform and ending Citizen's United, but don't get me started...). My husband and I want to have children so yeah, we'd kind of like the planet to be around (and fully functioning) for them and if you have kids, or want to have kids, it seems like a no-brainer to vote for one the candidate who brings this up at every debate, every town hall, and every interview. Bernie isn't afraid to look to other countries for ideas and I know from having lived in Europe for several years that there are some great ideas to be had.
I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Sanders during a town hall in New Hampshire when I spent a weekend helping out the campaign during the primaries (well, okay, I stood behind him, caught his jacket when he took it off a few minutes into his speech, and got to shake his hand; you can read my blog post about it here) but I can honestly say, without reservation, that he is the real deal.
Regardless of who wins the nomination, he has completely shifted the conversation and those of us who will be respresenting Bernie at the DNC are committed to advancing the progressive platform which he has set forth.
On behalf of all the Bernie delegate from Philadelphia and beyond, thank you for your support.
-Kat
District 1 Delegate for Bernie Sanders
PS: I really like to make Bernie hats and fascinators and even though our dog Henry isn't a huge fan of them, most humans think they're pretty fabulous. If you donate a lot, I will make one for you :)
As most of you know, I live in South Philadelphia and work as a freelance writer. I also teach cultural anthropology at a community college in NJ and serve as Artistic Director of Philadelphia's premier all-female professional dance company, The Lady Hoofers. I got hitched last month and my husband and I just adopted our first rescue dog. His name is Henry and he is already a (H)UGE fan of Bernie Sanders.
I've been involved in a variety of progressive causes since high school and worked with CodePink and ANSWER in college but like so many of my generation, I became pretty disillusioned with the political process. First came Bush-- an embarassment to our country-- then came Obama-- who inherited too many problems and too polarized a Congress to get much done. When I first heard about Bernie Sanders though, something changed for me, just as it did for millions of us across the country.
Becoming a delegate was one of the hardest things I have ever done (who knew you had to collect so many darn signatures to just get on the ballot???) but it was also one of the most exciting. I was still on my honeymoon when I received the news that I'd made the cut and spent the next 48 hours tracking every wi-fi signal I could find to get all of my paperwork in order.
So here's the deal: even though the DNC will be held just a few blocks from my house, security will be tight (it's gonna be the Popepocalypse all over again...) so everyone is supposed to stay in the designated PA Delegate's hotel downtown. This is where meetings will be held, strategies discussed, and credentials to the DNC distributed each morning. As such, we're all working together to help raise funds for our lodging, meals and transportation.
Most of us will be bunking 4 to a room to cut costs (as hotels are going for $3500 during the DNC!) but we have a number of students and retirees in our delegation who are on a fixed income so every bit helps. Any additional funds received over the cost of attending the DNC will be used to help other Bernie delegates make the trip and/or donated to the Sanders campaign.
Why is this campaign so important to me? Well, it really starts with my students. I see how hard they're working to try to get ahead; many of them are single moms, veterans, immigrants, the first in their family to go to college. They're juggling kids, multiple jobs, language barriers, and student loan debt, not to mention the bigger issues of poverty, systemtic racism, xenophobia, their own media-fueled prejudices and our country's dire need for reform it's criminal justice system.
I once had a student with an ankle tracker who explained to me after our very first class that he would be late every week because he wasn't allowed to leave his home early enough to account for traffic during his commute to campus. Many others can't afford textbooks and come from neighborhoods and school systems that leave then completely illequiped for college-level coursework. It isn't fair, and Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who consisently advocates for people like my students. They deserve a $15 minimum wage. They deserve debt-free tuition. They deserve healthcare. They deserve their fair shot at the "American dream."
The other reason I started campaigning for Bernie Sanders is because again, he is the only candidate to consistently talk about the importance of addressing climate change (not to mention campaign finance reform and ending Citizen's United, but don't get me started...). My husband and I want to have children so yeah, we'd kind of like the planet to be around (and fully functioning) for them and if you have kids, or want to have kids, it seems like a no-brainer to vote for one the candidate who brings this up at every debate, every town hall, and every interview. Bernie isn't afraid to look to other countries for ideas and I know from having lived in Europe for several years that there are some great ideas to be had.
I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Sanders during a town hall in New Hampshire when I spent a weekend helping out the campaign during the primaries (well, okay, I stood behind him, caught his jacket when he took it off a few minutes into his speech, and got to shake his hand; you can read my blog post about it here) but I can honestly say, without reservation, that he is the real deal.
Regardless of who wins the nomination, he has completely shifted the conversation and those of us who will be respresenting Bernie at the DNC are committed to advancing the progressive platform which he has set forth.
On behalf of all the Bernie delegate from Philadelphia and beyond, thank you for your support.
-Kat
District 1 Delegate for Bernie Sanders
PS: I really like to make Bernie hats and fascinators and even though our dog Henry isn't a huge fan of them, most humans think they're pretty fabulous. If you donate a lot, I will make one for you :)
Organizer
Kat Richter
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
Inspired to help? Start a fundraiser for someone you know
