My name is Mandee Seeley and I am a member of Residents Organizing for Change, or ROC. On behalf of other ROC members we’d like to invite you to “ROC Your Heart Out” with us the week of Valentine’s Day (that’s February 14th thru the 18th) to talk to your legislators about the housing policies that matter most to you and your communities.
Last year we had nine teams talk to 19 Oregon legislatures about ROC priorities, which marked the first time the network was able to put forth the issues we saw as important to our mission, and 7 of the 10 bills we advocated for passed! Nothing creates change like telling the story of how a policy has or will make a change in your life, or the lives of people you serve. And now that we’ve gone virtual, access to elected officials has become more accessible than ever, and they want to hear from us, their constituents!
I am the most active Central Oregon member and it is important to me to have others join me to advocate for better housing outcomes in my community. As a team of one I was nervous talking to my legislators last year, and since it was also my first time participating in this event,. I struggle with anxiety, and talking to people in positions of power can be intimidating, but I had support, and we will extend that to you to help you get your message across. This is why we want more people to join ROC.
My representative assumed that because affordable home ownership worked for him, that was the way out for everyone, which we all know isn’t the case. My senator hadn’t even read the bill I was talking to him about. Just my example alone is why this work is so important. Without the perspective of folks like us, they are looking at the housing crisis from a narrow lens, but we can help them expand it.
We’re at a monumental time in history when housing has become a top priority, people are starting to agree that it’s a basic human need, and there is funding available to make significant changes. We want to keep that momentum going!
My name is Mandee Seeley and I am a member of Residents Organizing for Change, or ROC. On behalf of other ROC members we’d like to invite you to “ROC Your Heart Out” with us the week of Valentine’s Day (that’s February 14th thru the 18th) to talk to your legislators about the housing policies that matter most to you and your communities.
Last year we had nine teams talk to 19 Oregon legislatures about ROC priorities, which marked the first time the network was able to put forth the issues we saw as important to our mission, and 7 of the 10 bills we advocated for passed! Nothing creates change like telling the story of how a policy has or will make a change in your life, or the lives of people you serve. And now that we’ve gone virtual, access to elected officials has become more accessible than ever, and they want to hear from us, their constituents!
I am the most active Central Oregon member and it is important to me to have others join me to advocate for better housing outcomes in my community. As a team of one I was nervous talking to my legislators last year, and since it was also my first time participating in this event,. I struggle with anxiety, and talking to people in positions of power can be intimidating, but I had support, and we will extend that to you to help you get your message across. This is why we want more people to join ROC.
My representative assumed that because affordable home ownership worked for him, that was the way out for everyone, which we all know isn’t the case. My senator hadn’t even read the bill I was talking to him about. Just my example alone is why this work is so important. Without the perspective of folks like us, they are looking at the housing crisis from a narrow lens, but we can help them expand it.
We’re at a monumental time in history when housing has become a top priority, people are starting to agree that it’s a basic human need, and there is funding available to make significant changes. We want to keep that momentum going!
We will host a training on the 8th and 9th of February to prepare you for this adventure, so come ready to ask questions and learn with us. You can email Reyna Gillet if you have questions or to sign up, visit our website to learn more about this and other year round advocacy and opportunities to have your voice heard, and we hope you’ll join us to continue this housing justice movement!