GSTAT Statewide Trauma Campaign: How You Can Help

A grassroots campaign fueled by Internet technology and trauma awareness materials available on the Web site www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com will build a broad base of support that can be demonstrated to legislators and policymakers. The campaign is designed to generate thousands of contacts and responses that demonstrate that Georgians want a statewide trauma system. Here’s how organizations and individuals can help:

•    Visit the Web site www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com and sign the e-petition. You will be added to the campaign’s geo coded database, start receiving e-newsletter updates and be able to easily send trauma-related e-mails to your legislative candidates, legislators and key policy makers.

•    Encourage as many family members, friends, co-workers, employees and organization members as you can to visit www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com and sign the e-petition. This simple act will quickly increase the number of contacts in the database – and the campaign’s reach and power.

•    Pass along via e-mail a link to www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com or campaign e-newsletters to other Georgians – and ask the people you e-mail to forward the link or e-newsletter to at least five others –a chain letter or “viral” e-mail approach. Go here for text you can cut and paste into your e-mail.

•    Post links to www.GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com on your Web site. Go here for a logo you can use as a graphic.

•    Promote the campaign in your organization’s newsletters and other communications.

•    When prompted by the campaign, e-mail key legislators or legislators from your district and ask them to support funding and implementation of a statewide trauma system in 2009.

•    Solicit endorsements, resolutions and letters of support for a statewide trauma system from business organizations, local government and community organizations. (Go here for sample documents.)  These can be collected, tabulated and publicized to show growing support.

•    Distribute trauma brochures and response cards. You can get a tabletop display and put the materials in waiting rooms, offices or stores. Anyplace people sit or stand and wait is a prospect: doctor and dentist offices, hospitals, government buildings, barber hops, beauty parlors, or car repair shops. Contact reorder@GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com to place orders for free materials.

•    Distribute brochures, bumper stickers and other materials at community events: county fairs, summer and fall festivals, and high school sports events. Contact reorder@GeorgiaItsAboutTime.com to place orders for materials.

•    E-mail trauma background information from the Web site to local business, political and civic leaders to increase their awareness of the issues.

•     Help arrange presentations or speeches by GSTAT members at meetings of community groups.