Texas Democratic Party shifts organizing efforts to provide information on coronavirus
AUSTIN — The Texas Democratic Party on Monday will shift its political organizing program into an online resource for Texans looking for information about the novel coronavirus outbreak in the state.
The party will launch an online public program called “Connect Texas” that will create forums for Texans in the state’s 254 counties to get information about the coronavirus in their area and others; start online and phone webinars and town halls with candidates, elected officials and public health officials; and use the online community to give Texans information on food banks, nonprofits and other resources they can access during the public health crisis.
“We’re shifting our organizing program into a service organization for the near future,” said Olivia Stitilis, the party’s organizing director. “We believe it’s important to live our values and be part of the solution. ... We will win in November, but right now lives are at stake and we need to be there for everyone.”
“Information is really slow, and there’s a lot of not knowing what the laws are right now,” he said. “This is what we need right now in Texas. If we’re not getting it from our governor or our elected officials, we’re going to step up and do it ourselves.”
The party’s goal is to provide a united response to the virus. Many of the program’s efforts will be done through already accessible platforms, such as Facebook community groups and the Slack group messaging service. On the Slack messaging service, for example, the program would break topics down by sections for users. Some sections would be designated by topic and others by location to help people get the best information possible.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2020/03/23/texas-democratic-party-shifts-organizing-efforts-to-provide-information-on-coronavirus/
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