PROUD TO BE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER! :)

You may remember my post from 10 days ago asking you to sign and share a petition for FEMA Reservists (the on-call, first responders for FEMA) to get health benefits: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021669323

Well, 10 days later, interviews with The Washington Post and other outlets, 107,000+ signatures, IT'S BASICALLY A DONE DEAL!!!!!



I'm especially proud of Wishadoo! being described as "a grassroots community organizing website."

This community organizer is now working on a community project to SUPPORT good businesses...businesses of integrity, unlike the others we're seeing and seething about in the last few weeks...and will post a bit later this morning, asking for your help.

Bless our FEMA Reservists and other first responders (including Occupy Sandy!!!), bless those in harm's way from Sandy and other disasters. I've never been more proud to be called a community organizer!!! Lots more work to be done, but thanks to everyone who signed and shared for contributing to this victory!

FORWARD!!!

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Part-time emergency employees deployed to assist in Superstorm Sandy relief efforts have won federal health benefits, the Office of Personnel Management announced Friday.

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing an interim final rule, obtained by Government Executive, to expand the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to part-time workers with FEMA, known as reservists. The rule takes effect immediately.

The announcement comes after an online petition requesting the benefits received nearly 100,000 signatures in the 10 days since it was launched.

A May Government Accountability Office report found that reservists, who make up 57 percent of FEMA’s workforce, do not receive any federal health benefits. When many of these reservists -- also known as disaster assistance employees -- were deployed in support of Sandy relief, Dena Patrick decided to take action.

The disaster assistance employees serve two-year appointments and are paid only when deployed.

Patrick -- founder of Wishadoo!, a grass-roots community organizing website -- thought FEMA employees who have been on the front lines in areas devastated by Sandy -- knocking on doors, delivering mobile homes and supervising the disbursement of more than $250 million in grants to those affected by the storm -- had earned their benefits and launched a campaign on their behalf.

http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/11/part-time-fema-workers-now-eligible-health-care-benefits/59421/?oref=dropdown