You can help influence the outcome of legislation and make a difference for yourself, your loved ones and for the Alpha-1 Community. Grassroots advocacy personalizes the issues that matter most to you, empowering you to inform legislators that may not be familiar with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and help to move forward our public policy agenda. We encourage you to become an active Advocate on behalf of the Alpha-1 Association and Alpha-1 Foundation.
Steps to becoming an Alpha-1 Advocate
Alpha-1 Advocates can be a powerful force when members are united in advancing public policy that is relevant to issues that affect individuals living with Alpha-1.
- Learn about the issues of concerns for the Alpha-1 Community. Review the current Legislative Agenda and Action Alerts!
- Learn about the Congressional system and how you as an advocate can interact within that system to make a difference.
- Find your state and federal legislators by clicking here.
- Join the Alpha-1 Grassroots Advocacy Network and become an Alpha-1 Advocate. You will:
- Receive special advocacy briefings by email and telecall
- Be asked to take action on issues and inform us of your activities so we can track the effectiveness of our grassroots network
- Have the opportunity to participate in other advocacy activities as they develop in your state or at the national level.
- Have the opportunity to receive advocacy training materials and attend advocacy training's.
- To join, please click here
Advocacy ToolKit
The Advocacy Toolkit is designed to help you become an effective Alpha-1 Advocate. You can find useful tools that will guide you in understanding what advocacy is and how to get involved. Our Advocacy Toolkit includes information on the following areas:
You can greatly increase public awareness and understanding of your issue by developing and implementing a media strategy. Volunteers can write letters to the editor of local newspapers in individual legislative districts. Your organization can work with the media to develop human interest stories. The more people who are aware of your issue, the easier it is to build support.
If you need additional information, please contact Jonathan Welsh at the Alpha-1 Association by email at jwelsh@alpha1.org or by calling 1-800-521-3025 ext. 12.
