Many people see advocacy as something done on a larger scale by organizations and people in powerful positions. In reality, advocacy starts in the churches and homes of everyday people who want to see everyone have access to the same resources to lead productive lives.

If you have ever donated money to a nonprofit organization, volunteered your time to help those less fortunate or dedicated yourself in any way to educating others about an issue of importance to you, you are already an advocate for social change. This also makes you an ideal person to take advocacy a step further by reaching out to your Senators and Representatives in support of legislation that can benefit the most vulnerable in our communities.

Key Advocacy Issues

Family Unity

LFS Carolinas Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services works everyday with families in need of our assistance to bring their loved ones to the United States. Currently, LFS has about 60 open cases in which families are waiting for answers – answers that are hard to come by in the current legal system, which sometimes requires spouses and minor children of lawful residents to wait seven or more years to be together. In many cases, adult siblings of U.S. citizens must wait anywhere from ten to 22 years to reunite.

The Reuniting Families Act (S.1085) was introduced as one way to drastically amend the current immigration system. If you would like to support this bill you can start by writing a letter to your senator expressing your support, LIRS has provided samples on their web site to get you started.

For more information on this issue and others associated with immigration reform, click here.