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Community Corner

Patch and Starbucks Ask Washington to "Come Together" to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

Jon Brod who penned this editorial is co-founder and CEO of Patch and president of AOL Ventures

(This editorial originally appeared on the Georgtown Patch and was written by Jon Brod, co-founder and CEO of Patch and president of AOL Ventures.

As an organization, Patch is built on the idea of strengthening local communities and bringing democracy to life. Our network of websites delivers not only relevant, hyper-local information, but also amplifies the voices of our users. And with difficult choices facing our elected officials in the coming days and weeks, the need for citizens to speak up and be heard has never been greater.

It is why I am proud to announce that starting this week, Patch is partnering with Starbucks – another staple of the community – on its “Come Together” initiative. Just as Patch serves great content and Starbucks serves delicious coffee, we need Democrats and Republicans to join forces and serve meaningful solutions to the pending financial obstacles our country faces.

Through December 28, Starbucks is asking its store partners (employees) in the Washington D.C. area to write “Come Together” on their customers’ cups as a small gesture to celebrate the spirit that has always bridged the differences dividing us.

Patch will be supporting “Come Together” via a unique content experience on patch.com/fixthedebt, and will also be powering this effort through blog posts, social media, online and offline ads and other editorial content across many of our local sites. You can learn more atfixthedebt.org. The goal: to bring the message of collaboration from local communities to Washington and onto the national stage.

This initiative with Starbucks is just the first step in a marathon for both of our brands in serving the people of this country beyond local news and great coffee. Stay tuned for more in the future.

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