We are grateful to the amazing advocates who made the trek to Olympia yesterday for Interfaith Advocacy Day – a joyful return to in-person advocacy. We are also grateful to those who viewed online and took action remotely. With the sun shining, there was a palpable spirit of connection and passion for justice. From Bellingham to Vancouver, Port Angeles to East Wenatchee and Yakima, and all along the I-5 corridor, 207 people from 36 districts attended over 87 meetings with their legislators. They brought their experiences, knowledge, and passion for justice to decision-makers.
We started the morning at United Churches of Olympia, welcomed by staff person Jane Appling and Interfaith Works’ colleague Rev. Corey Passons. Lutheran Bishops Shelley Bryan Wee and Rick Jaech shared reflections on how we are called by our faith traditions to learn and to act for justice. Faith Action Network (FAN) staff provided overviews of the day and our legislative agenda. We were delighted to be visited by 41st District Rep. My-Linh Thai, whose passionate message resonated with ours: that love guides her policymaking decisions as she calls on her colleagues to do what is right. Workshops on each category of our legislative agenda were expertly presented by our coalition partners and FAN leaders. Advocates caucused with others from their legislative district and planned their afternoon meetings.
We are grateful to the WA Poor Peoples’ Campaign for bringing members to advocate with FAN, as we echoed their chant: “Forward Together! Not One Step Back!” Let’s keep the momentum going through the rest of session and throughout the year.
Read more and get involved at FanWa.org