In the middle of this week I had sent an e-mail to The Humane League on December 8th and got a replied today (December 9th) and got really wonderful news on being volunteers to help notify the public on animal cruelty which was the issue of Aj and mine lobbying project. 

Here the emails: 

“Good Morning, My name is Leeann Nguyen and I am a student at Science Leadership Academy and I was wondering if you had any projects available for volunteers coming up? I know that this email is a little surprising because it came out of nowhere. I'll give you a little background to why I am asking, I’m a senior and I am taking an American Government class and as an assignment we have to do a lobbying project, I am lobbying about animal cruelty and I had came across The Humane League and saw that you are a project coordinator, and so I was wondering if it was possible to attend a project or a meeting? I’m really dedicated to this issues and hope that it is possible. Thank you for the time and consideration about this email and have an amazing day!

Sincerely,

Leeann Nguyen  

Responses.

Hi Leeann,

“Thanks for reaching out to us! I have sent your email along to our volunteer coordinator, Lydia. She can help you learn about the different volunteer opportunities that we have. Lydia is CCed on this response.”

Take care,

Sally Andersen

Now this is Lydia

Dear Leeann,

“I coordinate volunteers for The Humane League of Philadelphia. Thanks so much for expressing interest in The Humane League. Below, I've listed our most common ongoing activities for which we need volunteers; perhaps one or more of them would be of interest to you for your assignment. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

 (By the way, consider attending our upcoming Holiday Party this Sunday, December 12th! It would be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the Humane League and its work to help animals)”

Thanks again!

Lydia Chaudhry
Volunteer Coordinator, The Humane League of Philadelphia. 

Amazing right! The projects that she had suggested to me was getting colleges, high schools and restaurants aware of vegetarianism, promoting vegetarianism of MYSPACE and the holiday party. So, as of now I am going to discuss with my partner in going to see them and actually get hands on with this issue. :] 

My Email:

Hi. My Name is Kimberly Yarnall, and I currently attend Science Leadership Academy. In American Government class we had to choose a topic in which we wanted to lobby. For my topic I picked transparency in food labeling. The changing of names and making it sound like it's healthy just with a different name, can lead to obesity. The diabetes rate is five times the average in Philadelphia than the national average. Diabetes and obesity link together and the change of food names can have a significant impact on the civilians of Philadelphia and their health. I was wondering if you'd consider getting involved in the issue. Making people more aware of the issue of transparency in food labeling and making people aware that changing food names, doesn't make the food any healthier. If more people get lobbied into this issue, I think it will help the health of the people in Philadelphia. It would really mean a lot. Please get back to me, thanks.- Kimberly Yarnall

Reply:

Thank you for contacting me via e-mail. This is an automatic response to let you know that your message was received.Your comments and concerns are important to me. Due to the high volume of e-mail I receive, it may take some time for me to thoroughly review your comments and respond. If your message was of an urgent matter, you may contact my office via phone or fax. Thank you for taking the time to write.Sincerely,Rep. Jewell Williams

____________________________________________

I can't tell whether my strategy was effective or not since I haven't received a response from my representative. I thought that the email I sent was straight to the point, but did a good job at explaining what I was trying to get Jewell Williams involved with. I chose the email approach because I feel it gives him more time to think, instead of bombarding him with questions. I hope he answers me so I feel like I'm making some progress.

Screen Shot of Reply:

Detail your plan for communicating and report in on the steps you conducted, reflect on the process, effectiveness, etc.

I planned to communicate with my state rep and then I had to honor of meeting him through my church. State Rep Ronald Waters was highly interested in my plan and asked me to draft a doc to explain the details I wanted to focus on for my lobbying assignment. 

Attached are screen shoots of a e-mail I've sent Mr. Waters and I am a waiting a response from him momentarily. Mr. Waters expressed interest in helping a young man of my stature and hopefully including multiple other state reps and senators in my lobbing assignment to contest to my change.  

We do not have any specific elected officials that support this cause. But their is a ton of public support from people who report it and the SPCA. For every animal in danger, there is a news story on it. The people who are pretty much opposed to this are thous who could care less about a animals life. The was an act made for animals it was the AWA (Animal welfare act). We need an official who will listen but also for the SPCA to try hard in the animals defense. The biggest allies we have in this are the SPCA who have been helping animals for a while now. We can coordinate with the SPCA to help us talk to officials so we get animals better treatment. Everyone has the potential to be influenced since this is such a big topic the easiest to influence would be people who are willing to listen or people who are already trying to protect animals from such cruelty.

We need to protect animals like this dog from being abused, this is what influence us to notify the public and volunteer to help care and fight from there freedom and their love. These animals want to be love and we want them to love us.

It difficult to volunteer under the age of 18 but we are determine to find a location. There are many locations that people can choose to help like Morris Animal Refugee, SPCA, PAWS, Pet-smart, and some many others. Their are a number of points in which we could try to rally people with us. For example we could try “writing letters to the editor”. See what we mean is a person could write to a news firm and ask them to help spread the word.They might just put a post in the paper if a person bugs them to death with it they may even us this blog it self.

But a person cloud also write straight to the top at the government and they could be nice enough to give what they are writing a chance and actually state it at a meeting. “Phones and Faxes to the top” are basically just like.And are even more alike the letters because their all doing the same thing. They are asking to get to someone who has the power to help them get their point across. Same with an e-mail they have the same point making plan just go straight to the top and evade all the boring parts like the waiting. “Personal visits with the targeted decision maker.” that help because person good straight to the head, state his case, make it convincing, and see what the head person thinks.

NO ANIMAL SOULD BE HANDLE LIKE THIS!!

I figured that for this portion of my lobbying process, a direct contact would be most useful.

I went online and looked up the contact information for my representative, Chaka Fattah. 

I called his office and left a message with my contact information, hoping that I would get a reply.

I also looked up his email and sent an email introducing the issue I'm lobbying for.

"Hello,My name is Alexandra McGrorty, I am a Philadelphia high school student attending Science Leadership Academy and a constituent of Pennsylvania’s Second Congressional District. I am contacting you because in my American Government class, I am lobbying an issue that I feel is important. I am trying to garner more support and political backing for my topic, and since you are my Congressional Representative, it seemed logical to contact you.

In the media recently, there has been a lot of attention about the Corn Grower's Association petitioning to have the name "Corn Syrup" changed to "Corn Sugar". While this is seen, by many, as not being much of an issue at all, I find it incredibly wrong. I am lobbying for transparency in food labels. I believe that, as consumers, every citizen should be informed of exactly what they are ingesting, and all products should be clearly labeled. Nothing should be changed, especially not for aesthetic's sake, like in the case of corn syrup. Making products sound healthier without attempting to actually make them healthier just sounds like a lie to me. And I believe that we should be concerned with the health of this city, especially.

According to Temple University's Head Chair of Podiatric Medicine and Orthopedics Kathya Zinszer, “Philadelphia’s rate of diabetes is five times higher than the national average,yet diabetes is one of the least understood chronic diseases." This, along with the obesity rate, are reaching epidemic proportions. If consumers are more well informed as to what exactly they are ingesting, it could act as a preventative measure to stop this serious issue. It could also help reversal efforts. However, if consumers are blindsided and uninformed, it will only make issues even worse. This is why I would like to have your support with this issue.

Thank you for your consideration,

Alexandra McGrorty

Science Leadership Academy "

I'm still waiting for replies from both of these contacts, and I hope that I can get some much needed attention as far as labeling transparency and the FDA regulations, because they directly effect my life and the people in this city. 

What is the status of your issue at the legislature? Is this a "good" year? 

The "Democracy Restoration Act" best year was 2009. it was introduced around a time where not much on law and bill passing was a major concern. During 2009 it went through the process of being introduced and then it eventually moved to going through The House who altered. This year there ha not been much talk about the bill and things haven't been done with it. We see that the process begins to die down after the Health Care Reform bill came into play in March of 2010. The officials that were major players in passing the bill became more concerned with The Health Care Reform because it was such a large bill that affected everyone and not just a particular group of Americans. There is not much on public support that i have seen but that does not mean that it isn't there. I'm almost positive that ex felons are very supportive of this bill.

Who is essential to the outcome? 

People that are essential to the outcome are ex-felons who have either served their time, off parole or probation. This law is a federal/national bill or law the entire executive and legislative branch is involved with changes, passing and veto's. 

Who else is working on this?

No one else is the class is working on this topic. Therefore I cannot coordinate.

Who can you influence? 

For this bill the influence has to be in the communities. The government has to see changes in the behavior of the ex-felons because it is vital to the decision making. You can only influence the people to prove that they have learned their lesson through the process of incarnation.

What is the time frame? 

There is not set time frame for this bill. My only concern is that because there will always be felons and cons and people that are making the change over from being a felon to an ex-felon this process will be looked over as something that can be changed later. My concern is that the bill will be overseen and looked at as not relevant. The scary reality of this is that everyday people are being convicted of a crime for minor things that they may have been mistaken and because of stricter laws. Adults that have made mistakes when younger are still unable to vote when they could be completely "civilized" now. To me this is one of the most important, concerning bills of the 21st century.  

When are key dates - meetings, committee hearings, deadlines, etc.   

- Hearing on: H.R. 3335, the "Democracy Restoration Act of 2009"
Tuesday 3/16/2010 - 2:00 p.m.
2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
By Direction of the Chairman

Blog Posts Links: 

- https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1EzNV5ncFBywxH2XzMqT9nUmdbQ20kSCTeqd9uDN1-jw

- https://docs.google.com/document/d/13UkHDxX2LdxS3fwUDt9_05TXMNa2f33AMAzuLcUFqLU/edit?hl=en#

        I would say that this is a good year ad the city sweepers are coming along. They are not in all places  of the city, but I have seen them more around my house. Its not often that they come through back to back like they do in Center City, but there is a difference in my area that I live in.

           The essential stakeholders in this outcome are the hundreds of kids that live in Philadelphia that have to constantly walk over trash in the streets. This is for the elders who look at young children just disrespect the area by throwing trash on the ground, littering and it staying there forever. This out come effects pets and and their owners, having the confidence of going on a walk around the neighborhood and not having to limit their dog because  they don't know if they will eat some trash that was thrown about.

This is not just a problem of street sweepers not being prominent in urban areas, it basically just the trash that litters the street. Every one can help. If a group of kids volunteer just an hour of their time to cleaning up a park near them, or a busy street, they can make a difference.

 I can influence any one that is with ear shot.   It would be great to get a group of students to go out and clean, starting close like the school. People seem to get really motivated when things are visual. Even though this is a lobbying assignment for better city cleaning support in urban areas of Philadelphia, we can also help by at least making out school a cleaner place.

By: Teila Allmond

Vincent J. Hughes

Party: Democrat

Education: Temple University

- Holds the “third highest ranking position as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.”

- His “constituent services” page promises “help with State agencies”

Other Representatives:

Please Refer to Original Blog:

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1S5ns3GhzuXyHv1HFQPbNccabeCE-RgxgczN4EHSsTwo

• $1,250 signing bonus with a five-year contract
• 11.5 percent wage hike over five years
• 2.5 percent raise in Year 2 and a 3 percent raise in each of the following three years; no increase in the first year
• a gradual increase in employee contribution to their pension fund from 1.5 percent to 3 percent
• no change in employee contributions to the medical plan

             All About My Legislator

                          Anthony H. Williams

• Anthony Hardy Williams  joined the Pennsylvania Senate in 1998, his second stop in the state Legislature.  
• He first won office as a state representative for the 191st Legislative District.

• The 8th Senatorial District represents the majority of the Commonwealth with its economic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity, stretching across Delaware and Philadelphia counties.

• Williams parts are in small towns such as Ridley Park, suburban areas such as Yeadon, and urban communities in South, West, and Southwest Philadelphia.

• As a legislator, Williams works to provide opportunities for residents of his district and beyond, with improving the protection of his people, educational access, and economic development underlying his initiatives.

I have actually met the senator on multiple occasions because my grandmother works for him. I’m added to the staff for his neighborhood to neighborhood festival every year before school starts back up. It’s a really neat change to bond with the community and come out and see the great acts lined up.

This year’s headline artists’ were Macy Grey and Chrisette Michele, but there were open mic sessions where people from the community could get on stage and show their talent.  There were many performers, singers, rappers and dancers who entertained the crown all day.

Here are some more pictures from the festival:  Many people came out supported the festival. 

I plan to ask the senator about my topic and what are his views on the subject. I’m sure that he would agree with me and is probably working on a solution.