Advocacy 101 Being a Voice of the Poor Mike Clark Germantown Systemic Change Initiative, Executive Director Tom Dwyer Northeast Region SVdP VOP Coordinator Jack Murphy Southeast Voice of the Poor Representative National VOP Chair

Voice of the Poor Prayer Lord of all people, During your time on earth you identified with the poor and instructed us to care for one another, for our neighbor and especially for the least of our brothers and sisters. Be with us as we advocate for the poor. Help us to persevere in joy and love on their behalf. Add your voice to ours as we speak out for those who are not heard in our communities. Guide us as we work, comfortable in the knowledge that we are doing your will for this day and time and place, and that you will take care of tomorrow. We ask this in the name of Jesus, his Blessed Mother, our patron St. Vincent and our founder Blessed Frederic. Amen Ruth Zemek, Phoenix Council

Workshop Objectives Review SVdP Advocacy Share examples of effective local advocacy Small group activity to plan local next steps. Attendees will leave the session understanding the Society's position on the topic, and have access to contacts and resources to plan local advocacy efforts.

Agenda Introduction & Review VOP Mission-Jack Advocacy at the Grassroots Level-Tom Advocacy at the Community Level-Mike Small Group Discussion-Taking this to my conference Wrap-up-Jack

Voice of the Poor Mission Statement In the spirit of Christian love and justice, the Voice of the Poor Committee upholds Catholic values by researching validating documenting advocating and promulgating issues related to the condition of the poor and disenfranchised for the purpose of helping Vincentians to live their faith by acting knowledgeably and credibly as a unified body speaking with one voice for the purpose of building up the Kingdom of God.

Roles of the Voice of the Poor

Vincentian Civil Discourse “Let us learn, first of all, to defend our belief without hating our adversaries, to appreciate those who do not think as we do, to recognize that there are Christians in every camp, and that God can be served now as always! Let us complain less of our times and more of ourselves. Let us not be discouraged, let us be better.” Blessed Frederic (Baunard, Correspondence, p.304)

How Vincentians & Catholics have been advocates Vincent & Louise lobbied to change unjust systems changed conditions for galley slaves housing of the army stop the civil war treatment of children Elizabeth Seton established schools for poor children in Maryland Catholic Hospitals-600 hospitals and 1,400 other health facilities in all 50 states Catholic Charities Vincent found himself in positions of influence not for power but as a way of influencing for the good

Empowerment Mentoring Collaboration Advocacy Cornerstones for the Society’s Systemic Change Effort

Foundations the Society’s Systemic Change Effort 10

Advocacy at the Grass Roots Level SVDP Conferences, Districts and Councils

Where Does Our Work as Vincentians Lead? Awareness of a Need “Traditional” Vincentian Charity (Direct Aid) “Not So Traditional” Social Justice (Advocacy)

How Do We Engage Our Fellow Vincentians in Advocacy? 1) Rally Around Familiar and Vivid Images...  Traditional Vincentian Response to Heed the Cry of the Poor  Pope Francis’s Model and Message  Jesus as the Ultimate Community Organizer

How Do We Engage Our Fellow Vincentians in Advocacy? 2) Emphasize Catholic Social Teaching  24 Documents from 1891 to “Present” 1891 – The Condition of Labor 1931 – Reconstruction of the Social Order 1961 – Christianity and Social Progress 1963 to 2009 – 21 More Documents  Joy of the Gospel (2014) – Pope Francis Chap. Four – The Social Dimension of Evangelization

Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility (2003) Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope (2003) A Call to Action (1971) Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (2004) Economic Justice for All (1986) Catholic Social Teaching Titles The Church in the Modern World (1965) The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition (1992)

What are the Obstacles to Advocacy Engagement?  Tradition! “Vincentians Don’t Do Politics”  Building Consensus on Advocacy Projects and Positions  Lack of Time from Vincentian Volunteers

Tradition: “Vincentians Don’t Do Politics” Education, Education, Education… Rule 7.2 of Society of St. Vincent de Paul “Where injustice, inequality, poverty or exclusion are due to unjust economic, political, or social structures or to inadequate or unjust legislation, the Society should speak out clearly against the situation, always with charity, with the aim of contributing to and demanding improvements.” US Conference of Catholic Bishops “Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” Pope Francis “Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity inasmuch as it seeks the common good.”

Building Consensus on Advocacy Projects and Positions?  Start Small with Education  Local Issues Identified by Vincentians’ Lived Experiences  SVdP Position Papers and Capwiz Action Alerts  US Conference of Catholic Bishops Public Policy Pronouncements and Resources  Newsletters from Catholic Social Justice Groups

Lack of Time from Vincentian Volunteers  Voice of the Poor Representative in Each Conference  Voice of the Poor Committees  District-based Committees are Likely Best

An Advocacy Model for the Voice of the Poor Work Advocacy and Awareness Info

Does Social Justice Advocacy Make Us Act Differently as Vincentians? YES!  At Personal Level – On Home Visits and for Other Direct Aid Look for Causes, Barriers for the Problems Being Encountered Identify Follow-up Systemic Change Opportunities  At Conference Level Devote an Agenda Section to Voice of the Poor Matters Engage in Social Justice and Advocacy Activities  At District and Central Council Levels Promote Systemic Change Thinking Seek Broad Systemic Change Opportunities

Advocacy at the Community Level Germantown Systemic Change Initiative (GSCI)

Germantown Snapshot 21,000 Living in Poverty 7,500 Unemployed Reading/Math Proficiency < 40% Highest Level of Housing Distress (CDFI Indicator)

Systemic Change Job Money Education FoodHealth

Potential for Systemic Change in Germantown

Collective Impact Model Common AgendaShared Measurement Mutually Reinforcing Activities Continuous Communication Backbone Support

Preconditions for Collective Impact

GSCI Impact Model

GSCI aims to… Improve education, health, housing, and employment outcomes for the poor of Germantown Move 2,000 people past the experience of poverty by 2020 Build meaningful collaboration across sectors (non-profit, business, government, resident)

Lessons for Advocacy Creating a pro-poor agenda Engaging politicians in collective impact “All politics is local” Proving impact is a powerful tool in advocacy

Small Group Activity 10 Min systemic investigation exercise Each home visitor should think about the last couple of people they’ve visited What did they ask us for? What was their stated need? What is the direct cause of the need? What are the underlying causes or contributors to that need? Do we think these root causes impact (or will impact) other clients? Is there anything we can do about those root causes? Are there other organizations in our area that work on these root causes?

Voice of the Poor Regional Reps Northeast Region Tom Dwyer Mideast Region Warren Wright East Region Lynne Betts Lois Jackson North Central Region Mary Ann Reinhardt Midwest Region Joseph J. Komadina South Central Region Frank Kiolbassa National Chair & Southeast Region Jack Murphy West Region Giulio Grecchi Michael Stratton, michaelstrattonsvdp. Spiritual Advisor Rev. Louis Arceneaux, C.M.

1. A Just Wage for Employees of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, April Affordable Housing for the Poor, February Health Care for the Poor, Feb Immigration, Sept Fair Wages, Sept Restorative Justice, Sept Predatory Lending, April Homelessness, Aug Hunger, Sept Education, Apr Human Trafficking, Sept Current Position Papers of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Society of St. Vincent de Paul VOICE OF THE POOR For further information on Voice of the Poor, see pages on the National SVdP website: Or hePoor.aspx hePoor.aspx For further information on Catholic participation in public life, see page on the USCCB website: citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship- document.cfm citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship- document.cfm For further information on Collective Impact, see The Collective Impact Forum: collective-impacthttp://collectiveimpactforum.org/what- collective-impact 36

Prayer for Systemic Change We praise and thank you, O God, Creator of the Universe. You have made all things good and have given us the earth to cultivate. Grant that we may always use created things gratefully, and share them generously with those in need. Give us creativity in helping the poor meet their basic human needs. Open our minds and hearts so that we might stand at their side and assist them to change whatever unjust structures keep them poor. Enable us to be brothers and sisters to them, friends who walk with them in their struggle for fundamental human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord. (from the Letter of Superior General on theme of annual Vincentian Day of Prayer 2008)