ADVOCATE
What Does it Mean to Advocate?
It’s standing up for what you believe in, championing a cause, speaking out, taking a stand. To LIVE UNITED means to find your voice on the issues that are important to you.
Whether you’re speaking out to improve education, income and health, telling your representative what you think, or using social media to spread the word about an issue you care about, you can help inspire hope and create opportunities for a better tomorrow.
Improving education, income, and health sometimes requires changes in public policy. LIVE UNITED is not about politics, it’s about understanding the complex issues that face our communities, our state, and our nation, and coming together to solve them.
Call your Senators and ask them to pass the housing elements of the HEROES Act to protect low-income renters and prevent a tsunami of evictions. Congress needs to hear from you about the increase in evictions in your communities, the threat of many more to come, and the need for people to have homes in order to “stay at home” during this health crisis. We must not allow massive numbers of households to be driven into homelessness during the pandemic. Immediate action is a moral imperative and a public health necessity.
Call:
Senator Braun - (202) 224-4814
Senator Young - (202) 224-5623
When you reach their office, ask them to support these housing priorities for the next coronavirus relief package:
- $100 billion in emergency rental assistance
- National, uniform moratorium on evictions
- $11.5 billion in emergency resources for people experiencing homelessness
- At least $13 billion to ensure housing stability
Over 1,600 child care facilities in Indiana have closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, and the remaining ones are struggling to operate at 20-40% capacity.
As Indiana continues to reopen, child care matters more than ever. We need to care for Hoosier families and especially their children now and in the future. Joining United Way Worldwide, we are advocating for $50 billion in relief for child care here in Indiana and across the United States. Send a message to your legislator to ask them to include at least $50 billion in funding for child care in the next congressional COVID-19 relief package.
You can email, call, or tweet your legislators to let them know you support funding for child care in Indiana. Simply click on the links below and fill out the form to get the information for you local legislators, as well as editable messages and sample tweets you can use.
The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.
Think of your morning commute: Census results influence highway planning and construction, as well as grants for buses, subways, and other public transit systems.
Or think of your local schools: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education.
The list goes on, including programs to support rural areas, to restore wildlife, to prevent child abuse, to prepare for wildfires, and to provide housing assistance for older adults.
There is still time to fill out your census form. You can respond online HERE, by phone at 844-330-2020, or by mail. To help you respond, the Census Bureau also offers webpages and guides in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as guides in Braille and large print. Visit Language Support to learn more.
From your local school board to the Senate, it’s important to vote in every election. Thanks for taking the first step. Take just a few minutes and complete the form below to get started and to make sure your voice is heard!
Click Here to register!
Click Here to learn more about one (or more) of your legislators and the issues they support, then use the provided information to call or send a message. You can thank them for their support in your community during the pandemic, engage on an issue they currently support, or ask for their consideration of an issue that is important to you. Advocacy involves relationship building and starting conversations. Your legislators want to hear from you about what matters in your community. Start the conversation today!