In this time of political division, it’s important to remember that this is our government and “we the people” always have access to it. I spent most of last week in Washington, DC. I went there to talk to congressional representatives about $O$ and to learn about the initiatives they are leading in their districts and local communities.
As I learned this week, you can literally just walk into the congressional offices and introduce yourself. However, for many people, access to the government isn’t so easy. Our own “constituents” can’t just fly to Washington and talk to their representatives, so instead we brought their stories to Congress on their behalf.
It was a quiet day on Capitol Hill. Everyone was tired after a marathon session the night before. Many offices were setting up for their holiday parties, but everyone was very kind and welcoming. All total, we met with over twenty representatives on both sides of the aisle. We told them about our mission and described the stories of the people who have contacted us from their districts.
We want to make large scale, long term changes to the system that creates and supports poverty and homeless, but that won’t happen in a day, or a week, or even a year. We wanted to go to Congress because it is important to learn what we are up against and to start making allies early. Politics is a long game, and it starts with having access to our government and representatives.
