Change is made by the people who speak up.
That’s the most important principle of advocacy. People can believe very strongly in a principle or an idea, but unless they express it, those with the power to make that idea a reality will never know just how much support that idea has.
We at United Spinal know how important it is that every elected official – everywhere – hears from our community about our priorities, our challenges, and our perspectives on policies that affect us. That’s why we re-launched our Grassroots Advocacy Network this summer with the goal of having a critical mass of committed advocates in every congressional district in the United States.
This initiative is based on two basic principles. First, our community needs to stay engaged with our elected officials throughout the year. In order for all the good work that goes into our annual Roll on Capitol Hill to be most effective, it needs to be paired with emails and phone calls from our Grassroots Advocates to their members of Congress on issues of importance throughout the year.
Second, we know from experience that members of Congress place great value on hearing from their constituents. That is why we’re looking for individuals who are interested in sharing their stories and perspectives with staffers for their Representative and Senators as an ambassador for our community. Congressional staff will sometimes look to reach out to particular constituents to include them at official events, use their stories in speeches or at committee hearings, or ask for their perspective on how a policy they are considering would affect them. Building those kinds of relationships with Congressional offices deepens their bond with our community.
You can have just as much of an impact by sending messages through United Spinal’s Action Center and making phone calls throughout the year to your members of Congress as you could by meeting with their staff in Washington, DC. Both are incredibly important. Together, these forms of advocacy combine to provide a comprehensive outreach approach that allows United Spinal to best advocate for policies that benefit our community.
So, please consider joining the Grassroots Advocacy Network. We will send you action alerts on important issues throughout the year that we need our advocates to contact their Representatives and Senators about. The messages will be written for you – all you need to do is input your name, address, and email address and click send. We may also reach out to you if we are planning a virtual meeting with your Representative or one of your Senators. If you have any questions about this program, you can email United Spinal’s Advocacy and Policy team at advocacy@unitedspinal.org.