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Building relationships with your members of Congress
The 110th Congress will convene in Washington, DC on Thursday, January 4, 2007. Between now and then is a great time to introduce your federal elected officials to addiction recovery and the work that you are doing in your community.
When Members of Congress are home, they are meeting with constituents, engaging the local press, and have a chance to take the pulse of their communities. It’s also a time to build relationships with them and their staff. Your recovery advocacy will be more effective in the future if you can use this opportunity to expand their knowledge, get to know them and have them get to know you and the work that you and others are doing. Here’s a listing of the new members of the 110th Congress. Early next year we’ll be able to give you all of their contact information after they’ve settled into their offices in your community and in Washington, DC. For now, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask for your member of Congress. If she or he was just elected, you will be forwarded to a voice mailbox.
Here are some ideas about what you can do to introduce your elected officials to long-term recovery and recovery advocacy:
1. Lead a recovery tour! You can put a face and a voice on recovery by inviting your members of Congress and their staffs to meet people in recovery and their family members at recovery community centers, recovery housing and other recovery-oriented places in your community.
2. Invite Members of Congress to attend events. If you are having an annual meeting, opening a new recovery community center, or holding a concert, invite your Member of Congress and his or her staff to attend and participate. And don’t forget to include them in your planning for this September’s Rally for Recovery! on September 15th.
3. Involve the Press. Work with your Member’s office to include local reporters on tours and other events. It gives him or her a chance to show his support for recovery. (Please make sure to check with individuals who are participating from your organization to let them know that there will be press.)
4. Ask your member of Congress to join the Congressional Addiction, Treatment & Recovery Caucus.
Call the Faces & Voices office at 202.737.0690 if you’d like some help strategizing about connecting with your federal elected officials.