Respond to my classmates’ postings by commenting on and questioning the evidence that they would provide to their congressperson, senator, community representative if lobbying or advocating on behalf of an important issue.
Discussion 1 (Rhonda)
Advocacy is any activity that an individual or organization takes on to influence policies; activism for an issue (Almog-Bar & Schmid, 2014). Advocacy is important as it allows for individuals to be heard, it can influence decisions about laws and policies, it requires people to work together therefore promoting participation and problem solving, and advocacy illuminates and educates the public on issues that they would otherwise be ignorant of. Lobbying, on the other hand, is actions that may influence those in power and deals with specific changes in legislative such as a change to a particular law (Berry, 2020).
The nonprofit organizations in my area are all rather poor. They make do with old buildings that may or may not have air conditioning, the flooring is usually bare plywood or concrete, the c
onditions in which the volunteers work are inadequate and can sometimes be very hot. This is what I would advocate for, the working conditions that the nonprofit volunteers work in.
Evidence that I would provide to the person of power that I am advocating to would include pictures of the buildings, interior and exterior, statements from the volunteers, and data of weather for a specific period in the area where most of the nonprofit buildings stand (downtown).
Human service providers that advocate for those in need must mobilize and gather resources, educate the public in a way that will make a difference, and work with any other agencies that may be involved with the party in question. Other agencies may include the media, to whom they could write letters, share evidence, to educate the public about the issue. Advocacy requires a lot of organizational skills, and it is important that the human service provider keeps up with all the evidence that they gather. The human service provider must focus on the human needs and commit the time required.