This year our biggest event will be Chronic Care Collaborative (CCC)’s Day of Advocacy at the State Capitol on Thursday March 19th.
For those who cannot make March 19th or for those who can attend two events, we’ll also be going to a Day at the Capitol with Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) on Thursday, Feb. 20. Information on that event is at the bottom of this post.
These events are instead of a Denver #MillionsMissing rally.
We need to start making ourselves known in a big way to the Colorado state legislature and CCC provides us the perfect opportunity. I encourage everyone–PWME who are healthy enough, friends, family, caregivers, and healthy allies–to attend. For those PWME who are too sick, we’ll provide some way of being there in spirit. We’ve had some good turn outs for our MillionsMissing, and I’d like this to be even bigger so we can talk to as many state lawmakers as possible. This is the best kind of advocacy–face to face interaction with decision makers!
We will be asking our state Senators and Representatives to support a resolution of awareness in honor of ME. That’s the short term goal but the real goal is longer term–a working relationship with elected officials that will lead to more substantial ME legislation, and to develop allies who may get elected to higher offices.
No experience or special skills are needed. Before the event, we will have an online training to walk people through the process and get everyone ME materials. CCC will provide further training and materials on the 19th before we head over to the capitol. Additional information including registration will be provided soon. It will be from about 8:00 to about 1 including meals. After learning all we need to know from CCC in the morning, we’ll be grouped by district and head over to the capitol.
If it sounds scary, it isn’t–it is leading up to a short and friendly conversation with someone who was elected to serve you, and is incredibly rewarding. As a disclaimer, our elected officials are very busy so sometimes it is not possible to arrange a meeting with them.
The Feb. 20 CCHI Day at the Capitol will be very similar. Find out more about it and register at cohealth.co/HCDA2020 . If you sign up email me at john.kelty@meaction.net so we can coordinate and make sure you have training and material.
MEAction of CO has been a member of CCC since 2018. Neither MEAction nor MEAction of CO has officially endorsed CCHI or any of its policies.
Be on the look out for more info and plan now to take Feb 20 and/or March 19th off if you need to, and we’ll look forward to seeing you there!
MEAction Colorado 