Working in politics every day, it can be easy to get a bit jaded and lose sight that what we do has a real impact. In many ways, it is a blessing to understand and be able to navigate our complex political system at all levels of government and across numerous states with ease. We know the politicians who pass the laws, the agencies that create the rules, the members of media who tell the story, and the influencers who sway decisionmakers.
But public affairs is about more than just politics – it is about connecting real people impacted by policies to the issues that matter. When you take a step back and see the opportunities that meaningful advocacy can open for coalition partners and grassroot individuals who join our work, it can be incredibly touching and exciting.
For example, for the past several years, K2 has worked on building a health care coalition in Minnesota that is focused on elevating patient voices. These are true grassroot voices, or in other words – real people, who have been impacted by cancer, rare diseases, and other health conditions. These people have lost loved ones, faced debilitating health setbacks, and have struggled to navigate complex healthcare systems in search of answers. These stories are personal, and they are advocating to make care more affordable, accessible, and to find the next generation of cures.
Through this work, for the past two years, we have not only connected our advocates to our congressional delegation, but even sent some of our top voices to Washington, D.C. There, they learn more about how their stories impact advocacy work and share their stories directly with their elected officials in Congress.
One amazing advocate, who I met years ago at a local community meeting, has attended this D.C. advocate meeting for the last two years. She is a schoolteacher, and after attending this year’s advocate summit, taught her class more about her advocacy work and why she is championing change in Washington during one of her classes. It’s one of those moments where not only are you connecting real people with lawmakers, but they are able to then share that positive experience with more people who may not understand the system or how their voice can make a difference.
As public affairs pros, we understand that grassroots advocacy is a powerful tool that can sway lawmakers’ decisions, but it’s also important to remember that our work gives a voice to people who may have never been involved in policy discussions and politics before.
It’s amazing what can happen when we build those bridges and foster connections for real people to tell their stories.
-Chelsea Thompson, Senior Account Director