We’ve been asked by the National Lupus Foundation and our own Pacific Northwest LFA Chapter to post reminders about this annual awareness event. Both offer important and convenient ways to help get your voice out there to policy makers, researchers and organizations instrumental in making our lives with lupus more empowered.
From the National LFA Office:
“Participate in the LFA’s Advocacy Day on Tuesday, March 16 – from the Comfort of Your Home!
As you have no doubt heard, LFA’s 12th Annual Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill is Tuesday, March 16. Hundreds of lupus advocates from around the country will come together on Capitol Hill to educate Members of Congress about lupus, and encourage them to support increased federal funding for lupus research, awareness, and health care provider education programs.
Even if you cannot physically join us on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, you can still support the LFA’s efforts on the 16th – and do it from the comfort of your home.
Here’s what you can do from home.
Send an email, call, or write your Congressman or Senator
Raise awareness by sending an ecard
Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, or through your blog
Everything you need to know about doing one – or more – of those 3 options above is now available on the LFA’s Advocacy Day landing page.
Remember, we really need you to make your voices heard on Tuesday the 16th.”
From our PNW Chapter:
“Another way to advocate:
Download “Lucy” on iTunes by March 15, 2010 to donate to lupus research
One hundred percent of the proceeds from each download of the Julian Lennon and James Scott Cook song “Lucy” on iTunes will be donated to lupus research thru March 15, 2010. The funds donated from the single are restricted to support the LFA’s National Research Program, Bringing Down the Barriers. Time is running out on the promotion, but it’s not to too late to spread the word, and encourage constituents to download the song.
You can promote “Lucy” in a variety of ways including outreach to local radio stations encouraging them to play “Lucy”, emails to your constituents, on your website, and through social media… We [are] also thrilled to share with you that Julian Lennon and the story of “Lucy” will be the cover story for the next issue of LupusNow, which should be completed by Mid-March.”
To download the song on itunes, go here
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Advocating for lupus isn’t limited to those of us who struggle with more severe forms of this illness. It is puttting your voice into the national conversation as someone who lives with lupus no matter what degree of progression. For someone you know who has this illness, who you can find if you simply ask anyone in your social circle. The sheer nature of autoimmune disease is the inability to predict what your illness will be like tomorrow, whether your daughter may develop it through genetics, whether your friend will lose their job because of the health challenges they struggle with to remain on the job or the fact that one more person has to file for disability that you, the tax payer, will now have to support.
The healthier and sustainable we can remain while living with this illness, the better off our entire communities will become. Take your part in creating a healthier community for all of us~
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UPDATE 3/16TH from LFA National Office:
Make Your Voice Heard Through March 19th!
Simply go online to the LFA’s advocacy action center and you’ll see a section called “Action Alert.” Click on the link called “Take Action.” Then, you’ll enter your zip code, which will then bring you to a window which displays a pre-populated email addressed to YOUR elected officials. If you want, you can modify the email to share your personal story. When you’ve completed your message, click “send message” at the bottom, and that’s it.
Please ask your family, friends and co-workers to take just a few moments to also speak to their Members of Congress, and tell them why additional funding for lupus research is so important!
