Your voice matters!
Register now for Capitol Hill Day 2007
From November/December 2006 Psoriasis Advance
Every day, our elected officials in
Washington make decisions that affect
our lives. They decide how much money
goes to medical research, which diseases
are recognized, and whether or not to take action
to improve people's access to health care. Unless
they hear from the psoriasis community, they won't
know about our concerns, and they will respond
instead to advocates who bring their voices forward
for other causes.
On Feb. 25-26, 2007, you can add your voice to
the growing numbers advocating for increased
funding for psoriasis research to bring us closer to a
cure. How? Join us on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.—in person, or by phone.
The National Psoriasis Foundation and volunteers
from across the country—people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, their friends and family —
will visit members of Congress and their staff to
advocate for our community.
It's easy and exciting! The Psoriasis Foundation schedules all appointments with congressional staff, and provides training and materials. Volunteers visit congressional offices in teams; Capitol Hill Day "alumni" are paired with newcomers. No experience is necessary. All you need is an interest in helping to find a cure for psoriasis and improving access to care. Scholarships are available to qualified individuals who need financial assistance to get to Capitol Hill Day.
Can't make it to Washington? You can still add your voice for a cure by calling your members of Congress during Capitol Call-In on Feb. 26. We will provide you with the message to deliver, the names of your members of Congress and their phone numbers. As the date nears, we will make sure you have all the information you need.
For more information on Capitol Hill Day and Capitol Call-In, call 800.723.9166, e-mail
advocacy@psoriasis.org or go to www.psoriasis.org/advocacy for details and a registration form.
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I was scared to death last year when I attended Capitol Hill Day. I didn't know anybody, and I certainly didn't know how I was going to get through any of the meetings. Within hours of my arrival in D.C., I connected with the most fantastic people. It is difficult for me to express how much those days in Washington impacted my life. I encourage everyone to consider attending this event.
Carol Duncan
Palm Coast, Fla. |
| Capitol Hill Day was phenomenal—and life changing, because now I feel I actually have a purpose in my life. It was so cool to see everybody so focused, marching across the campus of buildings with folders in hand. We are making headway. Eventually, we'll get what we ask for.
Cristy Boisvert
San Diego, Calif. |
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Why should you attend Capitol Hill Day?
Because it gets results! Consider these recent success stories:
- One hundred voices were heard in Washington, D.C., during Capitol Hill Day
2006, and dozens of members of Congress, most of whom were previously unfamiliar
with psoriasis, took action on behalf of the psoriasis community.
- A psoriasis advocate from Pennsylvania attended Capitol Hill Day and then spoke
out on behalf of psoriasis in her state. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa.-6th, later introduced a
resolution calling for increased funding for psoriasis research and improved treatments.
- In Oregon, the voices of the psoriasis advocates who had attended Capitol Hill
Day were heard, and Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., introduced a resolution urging more
psoriasis research and better access to care.
- In New Jersey, the voices of a family who had attended Capitol Hill Day resonated with Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and he joined Sen. Smith in spearheading efforts for
the psoriasis community.
- Across the country, thousands of voices were added through e-mail messages to
Congress, and as a result, the Senate enacted a resolution that has brought much-needed
attention to psoriasis and will advance the nation's support of psoriasis research.
Elected officials and the federal government are finally paying attention to psoriasis—and it's because of people like you.
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Psoriasis Foundation president and CEO Gail M. Zimmerman, left,
and staff members Alyssa Brown and Christy Langan, met in
October with Congressman David Wu, D-Ore., to thank him for his
ongoing support for the psoriasis community and to discuss his
health care priorities for 2007. |
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