MartyandVPBiden

Advocacy doesn't vacation!

by Marty Rendon, Vice President Public Policy and Advocacy

Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and microbiologist, famously said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”  That certainly applies to opportunities to advocate for UNICEF!

During vacation, I attended the Sussex County Jamboree at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware.  An unexpected, unannounced guest showed up at this political gathering:  Vice President Joe Biden!  

A host of elected officials were at this picnic, including the Delaware Governor, both U.S. Senators, the Delaware Attorney General, and a variety of State and local legislators and community leaders.  

I had the chance to talk to these officials, including the Vice President.  I chatted with him about my work for UNICEF in Washington and thanked him for the support he has provided to UNICEF over the years.  It was an opportunity to remind him of the support for UNICEF in Delaware and across the country, and to encourage him to continue his good work.

Opportunities can arise for you, too, to talk about your support for UNICEF and the need for our elected officials to help UNICEF to save and to improve the lives of vulnerable children.  Perhaps you might encounter your legislators at fairs, picnics, town hall meetings, open office hours, political events, civic gatherings, or charitable functions. If you do, be sure to tell them about your support for UNICEF and encourage them to work with UNICEF to promote the well-being of children.  If they have great records on our issues like Vice President Biden, simply thank them and ask them to keep it up.  

Through such direct encounters with the policy-makers, we can remind them to put children first and build local support to advance UNICEF’s global work for children!  Be creative and open to the opportunities that arise, and be sure to read our blogs and advocacy alerts for information about our efforts.