AM Staff Advocates in Our State Capital

By Kelsey Johnson, Rapid Re-Housing Specialist

Several members of the Associated Ministries staff and Board participated in the annual Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day in Olympia on Feb. 1; they went to urge lawmakers to pass bills that would provide families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness with better access to housing. The AM delegation included a Board member and our Executive Director, along with Coordinated Entry Specialists and a Rapid Re-Housing Specialist, all of whom passionately advocated for housing justice for all residents of the 25th, 27th, and 29th State Legislative Districts. Teona, a Coordinated Entry Specialist, said,

“I had the greatest experience at Advocacy Day in Olympia. To see so many people from different counties throughout Washington State advocating for people’s right to housing was amazing. Before going to this event, I never knew how much power we hold in getting votes for bills to pass. I know that I will be attending this event again to continue fighting for our rights to have housing for all our communities.”

For one of the 27th District meetings, the AM team met with State Representative Jake Fey, who provided understanding and empathy towards the personal stories of client’s struggles that we shared. At the end of the day, Associated Ministries believes housing is a right not a privilege and continues to advocate for vulnerable populations all year long, far beyond advocacy opportunities in our State capital.

For more information on the legislative priorities shared at this year’s Advocacy Day, visit the website of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance at http://wliha.org/advocacy/state

(Photo: L to R: Kelsey, Teona, Board member Martha Ward, Rep. Jake Fey, Andrea, and ED Mike Yoder)

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