Volunteer In Your State

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You can make a big impact in your state by doing the following things:

Consider being a state contact person for the Family Caregiving Platform Project

Learn how things work in your state and community

Before you start talking with your local officials, you need to find out what’s going on in your community.
What supports exist now for family caregivers in your community? For states where we have local efforts already going, you can read our state overview pages to help you get connected with local allies.
Are there programs that could be supported, and is there a need to expand them or create new ones?

As advocates for strong families and communities, it is our duty to get caregiving issues embedded in party platforms wherever they fit best. Since issues and attitudes vary across the United States, one size doesn’t fit all.
Use our proposed platform language to create awareness among policy and political professionals of what family caregivers do. Help them understand why supporting caregivers is so valuable to communities and families all across the country.
Find out if there is a local political club in your community that holds regular meetings. Local political clubs are usually the best way to meet other people from your party who live in your community. At political club meetings you can find out what the issues are and participate in discussions about what positions the club will take. This gives the local political club some influence on which delegates are chosen for state party conventions.
State party platforms are usually adopted at state party conventions. Find out how the platform committee works for your state, and find out how to attend their working meetings.

Start writing and speaking about caregiver issues. Blog, tweet, write emails to friends and colleagues! Tell your own caregiving story at public events and platform committee meetings.
Take other caregivers with you to meetings and ask if they can tell their story as well.
Connect with other caregivers and advocates in your community, your state, and across the nation.