For the first time since 2020, dozens of people living in poverty across Washington state traveled to Olympia earlier this month to make their voices heard at the annual MLK Lobby Day: A Seat at the Table – organized by Solid Ground’s advocacy partner, Statewide Poverty Action Network.
Every year, this day represents an opportunity for the people in our state who best understand poverty to talk directly to their lawmakers about what changes they need in state government to help them survive and thrive.
After meeting virtually for the last three years during the pandemic, these advocates were finally able to meet in person this year to plan their calls for critical policy changes, like increasing cash assistance programs and Medicaid coverage.
It was also a time to share stories and empower each other along the way. After a morning of training and preparation, people traveled in groups to meet their representatives at the state Capitol, many coming back with a sense of hope that their stories have inspired change.
Learn more about Poverty Action’s 2024 Policy Agenda and Listening Session learnings in our blog post, Here’s what we can do to make Washington state policy better serve those it often harms.
Molly Gallagher, Poverty Action Advocacy Communications Coordinator, sums up the day.
2024 MLK Lobby Day (photos by Clarissa Magdich)
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- Marcy Bowers, Poverty Action Executive Director, preps advocates to meet with their lawmakers.
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- Poverty Action and Solid Ground Advocacy staff (l to r): Shaun Scott, Phoenica Zhang, and Lianna Kressin
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- Advocates prepare to talk with lawmakers about their personal experiences with poverty.
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- Shalimar Gonzales, Solid Ground CEO, at her first in-person MLK Lobby Day event.
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- Advocates eat, chat, and plan before meeting with their lawmakers.
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- Phoenica and Lianna coordinate lawmaker meetings.
Photo at top: 2024 MLK Lobby Day advocates pose together (photo by Clarissa Magdich).
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