Ways to ADVOCATE

How to let your voice be heard

Wear your LIVE UNITED t-shirt in Hall County.
Email or write a note to an executive director of a non-profit agency thanking them for improving lives in our community.
Educate yourself about issues and needs in Hall County.
Forward the information on this page to your co-workers and friends.
Tell your friends about your involvement with United Way and what we do.
Email or write local media (The Times and AccessNorthGa.com) about an issue affecting your community that you feel passionately about.
Invite a speaker to your workplace to share their United Way story or take your group on a tour of one of our partner agencies. This is a great opportunity for people to hear and see first hand how their dollars work in the community.
Cast your ballot. For information on voting in Hall County, click here.
Contact your Elected Officials. Legislators love to hear about issues that matter to their constituents. They deal with hundreds of proposed pieces of legislation a year, and can't be expected to know that a proposed law is important to you unless you tell them. Contact your local (City of Gainesville and Hall County), state and federal officials.

Identify yourself by name and home address.
Identify the bill you wish to talk about, by name and number if possible.
Briefly state your position and how you wish your legislator to vote.
Ask for your legislator's stance on the bill or issue. Ask for a commitment to vote for your position, but don't argue if the legislator has an opposing view or is not yet decided.
If your legislator needs additional information, call a supporting organization to get the information and get it to your legislator as soon as possible.
Recognize that legislators are often away from the office, on the floor or in committee, so you may get an aide or be asked to leave a voice mail message. That's great. Use the same basic rules. If you'd rather leave a message than talk to a live body, call in the evening.

Make clear your position and exactly what you want your legislator to do.
Personalize your communication by telling how the legislation will affect you and others you know in your own words. Write briefly, on one subject at a time, and refer to your bills by name and number.
Sign your letter with your name and home address so that your legislator knows if you are a constituent. Also include your phone number.
When a legislator votes as you asked, send a thank you note.