
Here are some ideas to set you on your path to implementing positive change:
- Get involved with your local faith-based community to feed those who face food insecurity or call a local nonprofit to find out how you can help fulfill its mission or cause. Visit United Way of Lane County’s Volunteer website (www.volunteeruwlane.org) for dozens of local volunteer opportunities for youth, adults and seniors.
- Join the parent/teacher organization at your child’s school. While this may look a bit different this school year (i.e., video conference meetings rather than in-person meetings), there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and learn about issues facing students and schools. Bring up any concerns you may have for your student and work collaboratively with the school to address these issues. If something is affecting your student, chances are, other students may be impacted as well.
- Join other parent organizations. Join the Early Learning Alliance’s Parent/Caregiver Advisory Council to help guide decisions that impact young children and families here in Lane County. Stand for Children is an organization that advocates for quality and equitable education for students. If you are a parent with a child with special needs, connect with Families Connected, a local family network that helps advocate for positive policy and system change.
- Look for opportunities within your own neighborhood. Is there a neighborhood association you can join? Could you organize a neighborhood potluck (post COVID) to bring neighbors together? Could you organize a day of service with your neighbors to help someone in need?
- Contact your mayor or city councilors if you see a need in your city. Are cars driving too fast in your neighborhood? Write to the mayor to request the city traffic engineers install “Slow: Children at Play” signage. Subscribe to your city’s newsletter to be kept abreast of local happenings. You will learn about many opportunities to get involved, whether it is providing input on a park design or participating in a local park clean-up event.
- Write and call your legislators. Many people feel out of touch with the legislative process, but it is important to remember, your legislators work for you. Legislators need to hear from parents about issues impacting schools, neighborhoods, and the quality of life of its most vulnerable citizens. Find your legislators online. Send them an email or schedule a meeting with them to tell them about important issues to you and your family. Testify at a committee meeting. This is when your three-minute pitch will come in handy.
Effective advocacy is not about being a confident public speaker. Effective advocacy is about believing in a cause and wanting to see positive change. If your voice shakes, it is a sign of your passion and authenticity. Remember, if you do not speak up, there is little opportunity for change, improvement, or advancement.
As Dr. Seuss once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Laura Dahill is the director of marketing and communications for The Arc Lane County and author of the book, Dreams Without Limits: Changing Perceptions About People with Disabilities. Dahill helps families in their journey of raising children with special needs, and she advocates for policy and systems change to improve the lives of people who experience disabilities. Dahill’s dream is to make the world more welcoming for her son and others who experience disability; she is actively involved in her community to help make this dream a reality.