Join Us in Assisting Sue Cocking's Car Repair

Hello, my name is Ryan Van Domelen and I hope you will join me in helping our amazing volunteer Sue Cocking get back on the road.

Sue is one of those volunteers every organization hopes will walk through their door. She has been a longtime and dedicated volunteer for the Washington County Democratic Party since 2016. Sue is most known for her work as the Outreach Chair of our party. She makes sure that we show up to many community events from the Hillsboro Fourth of July Parade, the Washington County Fair, El Grito, Hillsboro Pride, and many others. She also spends significant time as an office volunteer and is our expert recruiter for the famous dessert dash.

What you might not know is she is the reason I am involved in the party. During the pandemic, I organized some grocery workers to show up to a constituency meeting to advocate for hazard pay for essential workers. I had largely avoided the local Democratic Party because I didn’t feel like I could approach the organization. She got me involved when I received a phone call from her while I was waiting in the parking lot of the constituent meeting.

At the time, I was shocked that anyone would care to give me a call from the Democratic Party. After all, in my mind, this was an enormous institution and I was just a grocery worker. From that phone call onward, I worked with Sue on different outreach events. She demonstrated to me that the grassroots of the party was well and alive. She also changed my perspective that our local county party is not an unwelcoming large institution; rather, it is an organization run by regular people trying to make a difference in their community. The bottom line is my involvement would have never occurred without Sue’s involvement.

Recently, Sue has faced the hardship of her car not working. After getting the car diagnosed, it appears that it will require some major engine work. This has been a particular hardship as we all know the dramatic increase in the cost of living makes car repairs and purchasing a significant cost.

Sue shouldn't have to decide on what meal she needs to cut out of her day so she can save money for car repairs. Sue shouldn’t have to worry about how she is going to get to her next doctor's appointment, grocery trip, or the next party event she is volunteering at. I hope you will join me in giving Sue the peace of mind that she will not be forced to make tough decisions and she will be put back on the road.