We are back from the conference in Canaan Valley. Say some old friends and learned some new stuff. Everything went really good.  The teens did a great job with their workshops and had a blast at the dance.  Everything ran so smoothly that I even had a chance to take a dip in the hot tub on Saturday night.  If you want to check out all the great phots click here.

Well, today I am sick…. and without health insurance……will just have to tough it out.   Anyway, I wanted to spread the word about something going on.  Here is a blurb from a friend that gives all the details.

Help Patriots For Peace and Citizen Action Group

The web-based straw poll we are launching (VoteWV.net) will give West Virginia voters a chance to express their choice for a presidential nominee prior to February 5th, when the primary races may be effectively over.  In the process we are hoping to underscore the importance of the Iraq War, and its disastrous effects on the economy, as issues in this election.

By launching the website at the voter registration office, we want to stress the importance of West Virginians casting a real ballot on Election Day and participating in the political process at all levels.  The Voter Registration office will be closed on Sunday, but we intend our brief gathering there to call attention to the fact that many West Virginians feel closed out of the primary process because West Virginia is one of the last five states to hold their primary election.

Vote WV January 27 through February 5

So go visit the website and vote.  Let your voice be heard!!

Oh and by the way, even though I am really sick…….tomorrow I get to spend the morning at DHHR sifting through papers as part of our FOIA request regarding the “new Medicaid plan”.  Hopefully someone, somewhere has real numbers we can look at.

Well the students left on Friday. Saturday I slept and Sunday I cleaned my house. Even though the students were only here a week it seems enough time to form a bond.  I will miss them.  Now I have to play catch up and settle back into the everyday craziness of running DAWG and trying to change the world.  Not to mention ……the state legislative session began while the students were here and I haven’t even had time to finish reading Gov. Machin’s State of the State let alone started following any of the bills yet.

This was the first time we have ever hosted such a large group for this length of time.  It was a great learning experience for the entire organization.  We have some lessons learned like don’t always rely on Internet directions and just because a speaker was good once doesn’t mean they will be someone you want to ever hear again.  Such as a certain Pastor, that will remain nameless, who referred to all children without fathers in the home as orphans and tried to justify it by calling it a Bible reference.  That was a lesson for me in “good ol’ keep your mouth shut”.  That was one argument I knew I could never win because he is staunch in his views and I really didn’t see wasting my time trying.  There are more important battles to be won.  Needless to say, I don’t think we will explore further collaboration. 

Being with the Appalachian Immersion Trip participants really gave me a chance to recharge my batteries.  Sometimes it is hard to continue to fight the good fight and just when I was really having some doubts about myself and DAWG, these wonderful people show up and let me know how great we are and what an amazing thing we are doing here in West Virginia.  It has made me take a look at what we really are doing and what we want to continue to move forward with in the organization.  I am pumped and ready to hit the ground and do some organizing. I am really excited about the great connection we made with the WV Head Start Association and the video we are working on.  It is really encouraging for me to find people who get what we are doing and who want to get more involved.  I look forward to the work we - DAWG and the Media Mobilizing Project - are going to be doing with the WV Head Start Association. 

View pictures of the Immersion Trip

Today is the first full day of our new endeavor.  We are hosting a week long Appalachian Immersion trip for the Poverty Initiative of Union Theological Seminary.  We have about 35 people - students, community organizers, pastors, etc. from various parts of the east coast mainly the New York area.  This morning Rev Dennis Sparks and Rick Wilson spoke to the group about justice issues and organizing.  Prior to arriving in Charleston they were in Wheeling and Philippi. 

If the Wheeling DAWG had her Internet service she could blog about what happened with the group in Wheeling.  But as we all know paying the rent and keeping the heat on comes before paying the Internet bill. 

I know that in Wheeling they met with a group of Head Start parents and also were given a tour of the city by one of our board members and lifelong Wheeling native.  Tonight they are going to hear all about our work and Teen DAWG and then in the morning we are off the Matewan and Big Ugly.

The new Medicaid, Mountain Health Choices, is rolling out in about 15 more counties.  It is very important that you make sure that families know they need to watch for the packet of information to come and that they need to choose Enhanced in order to get all their benefits.   

DAWG is working hard on this issue and needs your help. 

The new Medicaid has already rolled out in Clay, Lincoln, and Upshur.  I have already sent out flyers and surveys to Clay, Lincoln, and Upshur counties.  In the next couple of weeks I will be getting them ready to go out to the other counties that just rolled out.  In the mean time I could use your help. 

 Ways YOU can help right now 

• If you get anything from Mountain Health Choices or about Mountain Health Choices, I need to see it.  If you could make me a copy of everything including the envelopes the stuff comes in that would be really great.  Of course you can mark out your name, address, case number, and any other identifying information.  You can mail it to me at the address below.  If you need a large envelope and stamps to mail it send me an email by clicking here Evelyn with your mailing address and I will send you out the envelope and stamps to mail it.  If you don’t have access to a copy machine, you can send me the originals and I will make a copy and send it back to you.

 DAWG

PO Box 20079

Charleston, WV 25362

• Keep watching your email and this blog for more important information from DAWG about this issue. If you are not on the DAWG email list you can join by sending an email to The DAWG List
• Make sure and get the word out to your friends and neighbors that Mountain Health Choices is the new Medicaid program.  Not to throw away any large white envelope from Mountain Health Choices thinking it is junk mail.
• Let me know about any problems or issues that are coming up, like no help from DHHR or Mountain Health Choices in filling out the application, no one to answer questions, problems with doctors not signing the contract and truning it in on time, not being able to understand the packet that was sent to you or anything else.  I want to hear any and all problems/issues related to this new Medicaid. No matter how small the problem is I want to know about it.
• Volunteer with DAWG to get out the information in you community, distribute flyers, take surveys, etc.
• Send me an email and let me know how you can help out. Evelyn

Well I am back from New York and my quarterly meeting with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice but as most of us still call it…..Welfare Law Center.  I was going to make a hyper link to the Center but I couldn’t figure it out and don’t really have the patience tonight to try.  As you can tell I am new to this whole blogging thing.  But, everyone said DAWG needed a blog so here it is.  As you can see we have several contributors, including me.  So you might want to check back often to see what’s up.  You will know when I have figured out this whole blogging thing becaseu then I will have one of those sites that does all kinds of stuff………………like hyper link 

This is a blog for Direct Action Welfare Group Inc better known as DAWG.  Here you will find posts from the staff and members of DAWG.  The views of the authors of this blog are not necessarily the views of the organization.  To find out more about DAWG visit our website at www.wvdawg.org