On Monday, OFA volunteers, local organizers and concerned citizens met to discuss their response to Illinois Senator Mark Kirk's "no" vote on comprehensive immigration reform. Twice last week, Sen. Kirk voted to block debate on immigration reform.

"With his vote, Sen. Kirk told us he didn't even want to have a conversation about comprehensive immigration reform," said OFA Illinois state coordinator Nellie Sires.

Volunteers went through a "power-mapping" session to identify key influencers in Illinois to reach out to directly, as well as brainstorming ideas for ways to engage their local communities. Over the next few days they'll be organizing more than a dozen events to publicize Sen. Kirk's vote, and asking local supporters to reach out to let him know that he is on the wrong side of public opinion on this issue.

"Immigration is a central part of our American story and a part of who we are as a country," Nellie said. She emphasized the importance of calling out Sen. Kirk now, before the next vote in the Senate, in order to demonstrate the public's support for comprehensive reform of our immigration system.

In Illinois and across the country, supporters are organizing in support of immigration reform. Sign up to join the fight today.

Join the fight

Back in May, I joined several other OFA volunteers and visited United States Senator Chuck Grassley's Des Moines office to invite him to meet with us and discuss climate change. He agreed to speak with us over the phone, and on Monday we had a very productive conference call with the senator.

Our goal was to open a discussion about climate change, and ask him to participate in an educational forum to begin a public dialogue on the issue. Professor David Courard-Hauri, Director of Environmental Science at Drake University here in Des Moines, presented a summary of the science supporting climate change, and Sen. Grassley seemed receptive to the information provided. I was pleased by the senator's concern about the use of fossil fuels and their impact on climate change.

Sen. Grassley agreed to participate in a future forum, either in person or by phone. We suggested a variety of bipartisan participants, including a broad spectrum of stakeholders on climate change. He asked us to move forward with an agenda and outline of our goals for a forum, which we plan on sending to him for his review.

Overall, I think we accomplished our goals and set in motion an agenda for future action. This is what Organizing for Action looks like—opening up meaningful policy discussions with our representatives in Washington.

Want to take similar action where you live? There's nothing stopping you—just sign up to become an OFA volunteer today.

Volunteer

I’m a firefighter paramedic with 23 years of service, a gun owner, and a hunter—but most importantly, I’m a father. All I can ask is for a safer world for my children and my community.

I have witnessed the devastation of guns and gun violence in both rural and urban areas firsthand. And through all of it, I can say violence has no discrimination to age, race, creed or job—we can all be innocent victims at any time, just as those 20 children and six adults were in Newtown, Connecticut.

More firearms in the hands of lawful citizens isn’t the answer, as many have claimed. It's not about confiscating firearms, either. It's about making sure firearms don't land in the hands of those who will misuse them. I personally own firearms. And, legally, I can take any gun I may possess and sell it right now online or at a gun show and no one would have to go through a background check to buy it.

I realize it’s hard to stop random gun violence. But one simple step is to ensure that those purchasing firearms at gun shows and those purchasing online will have to undergo a criminal background check. This would close the "gun show loophole" and ensure only law abiding citizens are allowed to make these purchases—without confiscating guns or infringing on any individual American's right to firearms.

A check and balance to make sure firearms are in the hands of legal, law-abiding American citizens is common sense. At the end of the day, it keeps our children, our families and our communities safer.

I support background checks. I'm calling on Congress to do the same.

To mark the six-month anniversary of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, Americans nationwide are taking action. In at least 79 events across 26 states and Washington, D.C., people stood up to honor gun violence victims, including the 26 lives taken in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and more than 6,000 lives in the months since.

"The sign says Organizing for Action, and that's exactly what supporters of gun violence prevention measures did today," said Victoria with Channel 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Here's an overview of what some of today's events looked like:

• In Utica, NY, the local OFA chapter brought together community members in remembrance of the Newtown victims. A local parent of a gun violence victim spoke.

• OFA in Tucson, AZ, joined forces with a local advocacy group, Moms Demand Action, to hold a part vigil, part press conference this evening to pay tribute to gun violence victims and thank Arizona's political leaders for their support of gun violence prevention measures.

• The Pinellas County chapter of OFA Florida will hold a candlelight "We Have Not Forgotten" vigil this evening. Attendees will honor those lost in the Newtown shooting, as well as more than 275 local gun violence victims.

• OFA volunteers in Lansing, MI are holding a gun violence prevention event outside of local Representative Mike Roger's office to encourage him to sponsor a bill expanding background checks.

• The local OFA chapter in Modesto, CA, is holding a rally at Representative Jeff Denham's office, opposing his position on gun legislation and showing they will not back down to ensure our communities, and our country is better protected.

It's not too late to get involved. Show your support for gun violence prevention and demand background checks for gun sales. Tweet to Congress using #NotBackingDown.