Funding drive: IV needs your support for Advocacy events in DC

[pappu]

Dear Members,

As we enter the final 15 days of our advocacy days preparation (http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/sh...post&t=1437978 (IV announcement: Advocacy Days in Washington DC: 7th & 8th June)) we would like to thank our members that have indicated that they would be coming to DC on June 7 and 8. We also want to thank all State chapters, volunteers and action item leaders that have been helping out with the effort behind the scenes. The massive planning, coordination and implementation cannot happen without the support of each and every member. Help has ranged from phone call campaigns, media campaigns, lawmaker meetings, document preparation, state chapter activities, accommodation initiatives, reaching out to various employers and like minded organizations etc.

We still have a long way to go in our coordination and implementation. IV membership is working hard to make this event a success. The advocacy day work is being implemented at this time and lawmaker office appointments are being sought. Everyone that has indicated their presence for this event will be contacted personally. We are planning an impressive congressional reception event on June 8, in DC and expect several lawmakers, staffers and leaders of other like minded organizations attending the reception. It will be a great opportunity for IV members to meet these important representatives. There is also going to be a notable Press event on June 8 that we are planning. There are several initiatives being taken that we will be announcing in the days leading up to these events. The event is in itself a huge task that requires planning from getting space for various parts of this event, space for gathering of all IV members (situation room) to transporting all advocacy day material, providing training sessions for members, getting appointments from lawmaker offices, inviting reporters, press release to details like photocopying documents for each meeting, folders and digital advocacy media with IV branding and soft copy of all IV documents as a leave behind in every lawmaker office.

We recently invested thousands of dollars per year subscription in providing an easy advocacy and media contact interface for our members, Refer to http://immigrationvoice.org/forum/sh...post&t=1519451 (Action Alert: Crank it Up a notch!)
These emails, letters and communications will help us with more effective and targeted advocacy to help get much needed attention for our issues. All this will need investment from IV and we can do it only if our members support us in this huge task by contributing funds as well as time. We already invest a lot in the advocacy effort we do on regular basis.

IV effort needs 50 thousand dollars in the next 15 days to make sure we can meet our immediate needs and also make a big impact via this advocacy day events. We can plan more ideas like full page ads in national newspapers if we can have sufficient resources. This event will most certainly bring our issues to the national center stage and help us get much needed immigration relief in the months ahead.

We are a small grassroots organization with a strong resolve and when we all pool in our energies, intelligence and resources; we can all collectively create wonders. We do not want our limited funds to stop us from going all out. Despite our fulltime jobs, IV core is committed to work harder and we are happy to have the asset of a large IV community to support us in this mammoth task.

This post is to urge everyone to come forward and help yourself in this short term funding drive. If you have not contributed till now, please consider contributing. If you cannot make it to DC due to personal or professional reasons then do show your admiration for our effort. If you have recently received your green cards, then please consider contributing as a way of celebrating and endorsing our effort. Times are tough for any immigration relief and in tough times we have to work harder to get anything done. Your contribution, words of support and enthusiasm helps everybody to maintain higher level of motivation which is so important for this kind of community effort. It is up to each member if you feel from your heart to contribute towards this cause. If you decide to contribute, you can either easily contribute via our website page
http://immigrationvoice.org/index.ph...d=26&Itemid=44. or you could send us a check. We suggest individual contributions of $50/$100 to cover the cost of this event.

We request each and every member reading this post to please contribute. We will continue to post updates that will make us all feel proud and part of this organization. Thank you for your support. Please keep it up.

Thanks
Team Immigration Voice

[pappu]

Dear Members,

We have worked hard in the last 4 years and have made some progress along the way Immigration Voice Achievements But Most of us are still in the limbo of green card process and waiting in different stages. Some of us may have advanced to the I-485 stage and have a little more career flexibility but the hanging sword of uncertainty still looms over our heads.

Our angst, our insecurity:

Even with EAD and other options, lack of green card is lack of security and lack of certainty. You know it and you feel it every day. In order to find a permanent fix for the uncertainty, angst and insecurity and in order to snap out of the probationary lifestyle and career, we have to finish what we started over 4 years ago -- get the U.S. Congress to act on this problem and solve it once and for all.

Early effort wins:

The first agenda of next Congress will be immigration and we expect an immigration bill to be debated sometime in early 2011. However, it would be a big mistake to wait until that time to do something about that bill. Successful advocacy efforts are the ones that start early and introduce concepts and ideas into the debate before the legislators write their first draft. Once the committee hearings and debates begin, it is harder to get changes or fixes into a bill because it requires an amendment to the bill in a politically charged and heated atmosphere. Groups and organizations that wait until the last minute to influence members of congress often fail to achieve results. In order to succeed in next year's immigration bill, we have to begin talking to members of congress now. Remember, the advocacy efforts we did with lobby day and rally in Sept 2007 influenced congress to include our provisions in bipartisan bills introduced in Aug 2008. Legislative things take time.

How you can help:

You and help in two different ways:

(IV announcement: Advocacy Days in Washington DC: 7th & 8th June)Join the advocacy effort in DC on June 7th and 8th. If you have never done this before, we encourage you to help us with this and join us. Immigration voice will arrange the logistics of setting up meetings and arranging the material for you to take to your Congressmen and Senators. We are expecting about 150 immigration voice members to gather in DC and participate in over 200 meetings with Congressmen and Senators.

Contributing Funds to help finance the effort (Funding drive: IV needs your support for Advocacy events in DC). You are most welcome to come to DC and join us but if your job demands are such that you cannot take two days off on June 7th and 8th, then you can still contribute to this effort by contributing financially to Immigration Voice. Many expenses tied to the travel of grassroots members from distant states is being expensed by Immigration Voice. So kindly contribute funds to this effort by clicking on this link. You have an obligation to yourself and your family to plant your career in this country once and for all. EAD and AP, if you have them, are not going to cut it. We are not there yet. And we have to finish together what we started together.

Thank you.

Immigration Voice. (www.immigrationvoice.org).

[axp817]

Thank you. Right after I'm done typing this, I am clicking on the contribution button to contribute towards this initiative.

This will be in addition to the $200 I just pledged to help (airfare, hotel) members travelling to DC, and the recurring contribution that I'm signed up for since 2006.

I am not wealthy, I don't have a ton of disposable cash lying around. I just want my green card, and I want it now. Actually no, I wanted it yesterday.

If a few thousand dollars in advocacy contributions help me get my green card faster, and helps other qualified, deserving candidates in the years to come, I'll gladly invest in that karma.

Everyone, please do this, and help your own selves.

[av2004]

Pappu,

I have helped in some other initiatives, but not donated money primarily because I was disgusted with some folks calling non-donors as free loaders. Anyway, since it is needed for our cause and our voice at this moment, I have donated $50. First time ever! Do keep up the good work that you guys always excelled at!

[pappu]

Originally Posted by av2004

Pappu,

I have helped in some other initiatives, but not donated money primarily because I was disgusted with some folks calling non-donors as free loaders. Anyway, since it is needed for our cause and our voice at this moment, I have donated $50. First time ever! Do keep up the good work that you guys always excelled at!

Thank you very much av2004 and axp817

[Abhinaym]

Wish you guys the best. I'll try to be there.

[99mutd08]

Thanks for all the efforts in advance.Contributed 100 dollars.Would not be able to make it to DC. Go IV

[vadicherla]

I just contributed $100 apart from monthly contribution


Unique Transaction ID #0E1384565N275081J)

[rajchadha]

Thank you so much guys for your hardwork . I wont be able to make it But just sent a cheque of 250 to local members who are coming to D.C . Thanks again guys

[patchsk]

I just contributed $100 apart from my monthly contributions.
Thanks for your efforts to the immigration community.

Payment Sent (Unique Transaction ID #60E03582J4413725S)
Business Name: Immigration Voice
Email:donations@immigrationvoice.org

[newuser]

Donated $100 for the event.

Transaction ID: 5ER01165N9379171P
Merchant Contact Information
Immigration Voice
donations@immigrationvoice.org
850-391-4966

[homers]

Just made a $100 contribution. Would also spend lots of time in the Advocacy Days prep activities.

[Winner]

Sent $50 my banks bill pay.

Thank you very much for your efforts.

[kate123]

Transaction ID: 84N21462WP6981944
Donated 50$ towards the event.

Thanks a lot for all your help.
Kiran.

[gcandgc]

Dear Pappu
The initiative and effort you and other administrators doing at Immigration voice is commendable. As I have taken up new job only recently i am not able to make it for the advocacy day at Washington. But I had contributed for the advocacy day seperate and the confirmation number is Transaction ID: 8PU10373M6541872R.
Thanks again for all your time and effort.
GCANDGC