On February 5th, we launched a bus from our South Lake Union Café all the way to Olympia for Recovery Advocacy Day! Our bus was full of excitement with Members who were excited to tell their stories and advocate for themselves and our community. Having the bus launch from Recovery Café encouraged our Members to join us and provided them with the comfort of our community as they experienced this new journey in advocacy. More than 400 individuals from all walks of life attended to help make Recovery a priority in Washington state! Everyone who participates is sorted into small groups by district who then get to meet with the three elected officials from their district. Recovery Café Member Shirelle’s district team included several other Members, volunteers, and a Recovery Café staff member. The Washington Recovery Alliance did a fantastic job of organizing the event and training people on how best to tell their stories and fight for what mattered to them. It’s hard to overstate how powerful this was. Representatives might get briefed on the details of bills and budget initiatives, but it means a lot to put a face to an issue and hear someone’s story. Click here for updates on the No Wrong Door Act, the Clean Slate Act, and Ending the Opiate Distributor’s Tax Break.

Here are some photos of the event: