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Advocacy groups use United Churches building

Latino group sets up an altar at United Churches of Olympia. Photo courtesy of United Churches

The 2025 Legislative session, like much of the country, started out with trepidation and fear for the future, said Jessica Babcock, building coordinator for United Churches of Olympia who handles arrangements for the different groups using the building during the session.

With construction on the Capitol Campus limiting public spaces, United Churches became a prime location to host advocacy days, so they had several new groups.

“We hosted 38 nonprofit groups in more than three months. The building saw more than 4,000 people working on issues of hunger, nutrition, civil liberties, voting rights, healthcare, workers’ rights, education, immigrant justice, housing, climate, environment, abortion access, mental health and gun violence,” said Jessica.

The church nearly doubled its revenue from 2024, receiving more than $21,000 for building use.

The Faith Action Network of Washington (FAN) is one of the groups that uses space each year at the United Churches of Olympia. Blake Alford, operations coordinator for FAN, said that \ 200 showed up there on Feb. 20 for the Interfaith Advocacy Day.

“Our primary message was advocating for progressive revenue,” he said. “In a difficult budget year, we were advocating for our policy work to be maintained and expanded and, like on the national scene, to maintain vital programs and funding to support vulnerable and marginalized communities.”

FAN arranged policy briefings on criminal justice, police reform, environmental justice, housing and immigrant rights in the morning session and had guest legislators, Rep. Osman Salahuddin and Sen. Rebecca Saldana also spoke.

Before the event, there were pre-caucus meetings allowing people from different districts to strategize. Then there were two legislative preview sessions and an advocacy 101 training.

The Latino Civic Alliance had nearly three times as many adults for the Latino Legislative Advocacy Day.

“An altar was constructed for the Farmworker Tribunal with Community to Community, and the Firelands Workers United reminded us that service to others is a participation in the sacred and should be chanted loudly,” she reported.

For information on the United Churches call 360-943-4822 or visit theunitedchurches.org. For information on FAN, call 206-625-9790 or visit fanwa.org.

 

Pacific Northwest Conference United Church News Copyright © April 2025

 

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