Barack Obama Walks in the Shoes of Alameda County Homecare Worker

Senator promotes the importance of sick leave and vacation time for workers

See photos of SEIU members with aspiring presidential candidates
Plus, watch Obama and Pauline Beck, an Alameda County SEIU Homecare Worker on the Today Show

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On August 8,  Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama got an up-close-and-personal look at SEIU member Pauline Beck's life as he met with her and her family for an early morning breakfast in Alameda, then assisted her in the care of her 86-year-old homecare client’s home.

At breakfast, Obama joined Beck, 61, at her Alameda home -- where she raised three children and now cares for three foster children plus a grandnephew -- before taking him with her to the Oakland home of her client, John Thornton.

There, the Senator lent a hand as she helped Thornton from bed, dressed him, fed him and cleaned house.

"He wanted to get a feel of everything I did. ... He just got in there, doing the tasks," Beck told reporters, noting he seemed less concerned with prettying himself for the cameras than with truly doing the jobs at hand. "He didn't want to put on an apron, he wanted to be himself. ... It was lime green, so I don't blame him."

Obama took the opportunity to promote the importance of home health care workers and paid sick leave and vacation time for workers, benefits which Beck said she does not receive.

"One of the dangers of a presidential campaign is you start living in the bubble," Obama said. "You don't always have time to spend just listening. And this was important to me to just remind me why I'm doing this….This is about some sense of mission."

Obama is the fourth presidential candidate to participate in SEIU’s “Walk a Day in our Shoes’. Senator Dodd walked a day in the shoes of Head Start teacher Colleen Mehaffey on July 26th. Governor Richardson walked a day in the shoes of family services worker Mark Fitzgerald on June 7th. Senator Edwards walked a day in the shoes of nursing home worker Elaine Ellis on April 11th.

Up next, Senator Hillary Clinton is scheduled to walk in the day of a Las Vegas Nurse.

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Want Our Vote?  First you must walk in our shoes..
“Walk a Day in My Shoes” is about making sure politicians truly know what the real world is like for the rest of us. SEIU members are inviting all presidential candidates to spend time in our lives, accompanying us on the job and spending time at home with our families.  Below are other candidates who seek our support:

Sen. Dodd Walks in Shoes of Head Start Teacher

Senator Chris Dodd became the third presidential candidate to “walk a day in the shoes” of an SEIU member. He began before 7 a.m. by having breakfast with Head Start teacher Colleen Mehaffey and her family, then accompanied Mehaffey to work where he assisted her with classroom activities including reading, writing, and painting. Mehaffey, who has taught 3- and 4-year-old children in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for nearly 25 years, emphasized to Dodd the need for sufficient funding for the federally-funded Head Start program. Read more...