Organizing for America - Oak Park Chapter

On January 17th, President Obama announced the formation of Organizing for America (OFA 2.0).  OFA 2.0 offers volunteers thecontinued opportunity to work for change in their communities.  Organizing for America is comprised of roughly 13 million citizens interested in improving their communities and two million active volunteers.

With the support of Sen. Don Harmon and the Democratic Party of Oak Park (DPOP), Oak Park has formed its own Organizing for America chapter.  We have formed four Action Groups, each dealing with an issue of major concern for the country and with the goal of developing specific actions that we in Oak Park can take to help our community and support the administration's agenda.

To get involved with one (or more) of the Oak Park Organizing for America Action Groups, please attend one of their upcoming meetings even if you have not attended one before, contact Mary Howorth at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   or (708) 386-0090 or email Jerry Delaney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Energy and Environment Group - Amie Casson, facilitator
Education Group - Joe Koenig, facilitator
Economy Group - Thomas Gary, facilitator
Poverty Group - Peggy Johnson, facilitator

Organizing for America Victory Garden Project

Volunteers from the Oak Park chapter of Organzing for America (OFA) will be involved in an Earth Day project to spotlight the benefits of Victory Gardens/Urban Gardening and to make people aware of the grassroots work of OFA in their own community. Aready, our OFA volunteers have passed out 2,000 packets of lettuce seeds attached to information about Victory Gardens. For more information e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   or call (708) 386-0090.  Start dreaming about YOUR Victory garden!!!

MORE ON VICTORY GARDENS

What is a Victory Garden?
During World War I and World War II, the United States government asked its citizens to plant gardens in order to support the war effort. Millions of people planted gardens.  Emphasis was placed on making gardening a family or community effort.

Why plant a victory garden?
Today our food travels an average of 1500 miles from farm to table. The process of planting, fertilizing, processing, packaging, and transporting our food uses a great deal of energy and contributes to the cause of global warming.

Planting a Victory Garden to fight global warming would reduce the amount of pollution your food contibutes to global warming. Instead of traveling many miles from farm to table, your food would travel from your own garden to your table.

How can my actions make a difference? I'm  only one person?
Each one of us may only be one person. However, we each have an impact on the
environment and can make changes to reduce our impact.

I have no backyard, what can I do?
You can combine vegetable plants with flowers in your frontyard. You can plant in containers on your porch, patio, or balcony and can grow sprouts indoors. You can also choose to purchase foods which are grown close to home by visiting your local farmer's market. If local foods are not available to you, choose foods which use fewer chemical pesticides - such as organics, are in season, or have minimal packaging.

Do I need to use a lot of pesticides to increase yield?
Organic soil building with compost pays for itself with increased plant productivity.

What do I do with the food that I grow?
Eat what you can and then share or preserve the rest.

Community
Growing food with family, friends, and neighbors can be a community building experience. Trade produce and share tools with neighbors. Visiting the farmer's market can bring you into direct contact with the people who are growing food.

• Next >