David Shilton, Arlington Unitarian Universalist Church

I was intrigued one day after services at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington to see people writing letters at tables with big UUSJ signs. Closer inspection revealed that the letters were personal statements about the importance of preventing proposed cuts to the SNAP nutrition program. Putting aside concerns over my poor penmanship, I wrote my own letter to my Senators and put it in the box for hand delivery by the UUSJ Advocacy Corps. Sure enough, I received appreciative letters from the Senators the following month expressing support for anti-hunger measures.  But did our letters really make a difference?

A few months later I decided to join the Advocacy Corps and have been active ever since. As I attended meetings with Hill staffers, I came to realize that our Representatives do take seriously personal letters, especially those from people motivated by their faith tradition and core principles. Our letters stood out from the crush of form emails, and visits from our well-informed and passionate Advocacy Corps members were a welcome respite from lobbyists representing whoever could afford to hire them.

The closure of Capitol Hill offices in March raised questions about our ability to continue. But it turns out that the shift to virtual advocacy due to the pandemic has in some ways enhanced our clout on Capitol Hill. We still arrange for personal letters from UU congregations to get delivered to House and Senate offices on important legislative proposals, and still provide fact sheets and suggested language to our Write Here Write Now partners throughout the country. The entire process can be done electronically. We have been able to set up numerous meetings, via zoom or conference line, with Capitol Hill offices. We have paired experienced Advocacy Corps members with constituents from around the country and effectively combined policy expertise with a faith-based witness. Staffers seem less guarded and more open in zooms from their homes, and many have stressed that they value hearing from faith groups and want to keep in touch.  And zoom helpfully allows us to include constituents from outside of our area in meetings.

In October, we highlighted ways that the Senate could strengthen environmental justice programs at the Environmental Protection Agency, so that communities of color, poor communities, and sovereign Indian Nations suffering from significant pollution exposures can get the resources they need to find solutions for their pressing problems.  Staffers were impressed by the genuineness of the stories that constituents brought to them regarding the toll that pollution and climate change were inflicting on disenfranchised communities.

I love the camaraderie and public spirit of our UUSJ Advocacy Corps members and am convinced that we can continue to play a vital role in bringing UU voices into the debates on Capitol Hill.