Hundreds Attend Opening of Obama Campaign's Dearborn Office

Supporting the reelection of Barack Obama in 2012 is a very personal issue for Dearborn Heights resident Matt Kerry.

Kerry, a graduate currently finishing his college degree at the , is paralyzed from an unfortunate dive into a shallow lake. He's been through hospitalizations, physical therapy, home care–but the hardship he didn't anticipate was being kicked off of his parents' insurance.

Health care reform spearheaded by President Obama, he said, made it possible for him to stay on the insurance, and ensured that when he needs insurance of his own, he won't be denied because of his preexisting condition.

"The Affordable Care Act is where it's personal for me," said Kerry, who now serves as a field organizer out of the Obama campaign's Dearborn office. "We didn't know what the future looked like, but with the passage of the act, we can breathe."

Kerry was just one of hundreds of supporters who made their way to the grand opening of the Dearborn headquarters on Wednesday evening. It's the ninth such office in Michigan, with others located in such cities as Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint and Detroit.

The purpose of such offices, explained Michigan Press Secretary for the campaign Matt McGrath, is to "bring people in the community together and help people working on the campaign."

The office will serve as a meeting place for neighborhood team leaders, plus an accessible location for Obama supporters looking to get involved in the campaign, whether they want to lead the charge, or just grab a lawn sign.

Dearborn businesswoman and resident Rose Khalifa is one such leader, who just kicked off the group Arab American Women for Obama.

"We want to afford women the opportunity to speak to our concerns and issues," she explained. "We want to be heard from us, by us."

And the goal, McGrath added, is for the campaign office to be the spot where such groups can meet and organize.

"The key for us is having this resource available where we have active, engaged supporters," he said. "If they walk in off the street and want to get involved, they can do that here."

Kerry, whose primary job is organizing such volunteers, implored supporters to come in and do what they can to help.

"Volunteers are the heart, soul and power of this movement," he said. "They keep us going."

The Dearborn Campaign for Change Office is located at 13742 Michigan Ave. Stop by to volunteer, or sign up online.