Advocate
As a nonprofit organization, grassroots advocacy is an important part of Opportunity Partners’ mission in order to influence outcomes that directly affect the lives of the people we serve. Grassroots advocacy increases our capacity to build influence and create change in Minnesota’s public policy.
These efforts bring together many people who share the same cause and who work for that cause from the ground up, creating a groundswell of voices.
Grassroots advocacy happens at the Capitol with our legislators, in the community with our friends and neighbors, and in the workplace as we advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. Grassroots advocacy, by its very nature, is something that is continuous.
You Can Help
- Attend an advocacy event at the Capitol or in the community. Here are some upcoming events:
- Tuesday, February 7 – Precinct caucuses
- Tuesday, February 21 - MN-CCD “Tuesdays at the Capitol.” Opportunity Partners is teaming up with the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities to host a “Tuesday at the Capitol” event. Advocates will meet in the basement cafeteria of the State Office Building at 10 a.m. where MN-CCD members will assist attendees in writing letters to legislators which tell their personal stories. Meetings with legislators can also be scheduled.
- Thursday, March 1 – ARRM/MHC Day at the Capitol. The Association of Residential Resources in MN and the Minnesota Habilitation Coalition are partnering for this event. Attendees will meet in rooms 500N and 500S of the State Office Building, starting at 8 a.m. Rally in Capitol Rotunda at 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, April 4 - BIA/Arc/ACT/MN-CCD Day at the Capitol. The Brain Injury Association of MN, the Arc of Minnesota, Advocating Change Together, and the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities are hosting this event. Registration at 10 a.m. in State Capitol Great Hall, and legislative briefings at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. Rally in the Rotunda at noon, followed by meetings with legislators.
- Share your story with a legislator. Follow this link to access tools and information to help you craft your message.
- Meet your legislators in the community. Check the legislative websites for events to attend.
- Attend Town Hall meetings in your community. Learn where legislators stand on the issues that are important to you.