Advocacy in your community – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 in our series about the importance of advocacy in your community. If you have not already, check out “Advocacy in your community – Part 1” to learn about resources for understanding financial investments where you live.

While newly elected officials get settled into their roles, we can do our duty as citizens and share our side of the story about financial protection.

Learn what others have to say and speak up!

The best way to make change is to share your perspective and learn what others have to say. Here are some amazing stories that were recently shared with us:

Navigating chronic illness

Chanda: “My brother is one of nearly 133 million Americans who live with a chronic illness. Most of these ongoing illnesses are not apparent to others, nor are the repercussions of living with them. One such repercussion is the heavy economic burden chronic illness has on individuals and their loved ones. In addition to expensive medical treatment, chronic illness can affect the ability to work, involve special equipment or housing modifications, and require round-the-clock care.”

Entering the workforce for the first time

Kyle: “Now that I am out of my parents’ house and paying my own bills, the biggest lifestyle change has been keeping track of my finances. While budgeting is stressful enough, roughly 70% of college graduates took loans to go to college. The average graduate has $30,000 of student loan debt when they leave college, including… yours truly. At first, saving money for my future and retirement was hard to justify while still needing to pay off lingering debt.”

The legacy of life insurance

Olivia: “As a youngster I spent a great deal of time either living or visiting my grandparents in the small southern town of Newburg, Maryland. I have vivid memories of the “insurance man” who went door to door in our family community… I have read many stories over the years that back then, the local life insurance agent established a history of trust among Black Americans. Those early relationships, that I was a part of as a youngster, created a foundation of trust that continued in most cases throughout the lives of many black families. I have also read that life insurance was seen by many as an additional financial protection because of the limited access to other investment products to most Black Americans in the past.”

You can make a difference on Capitol Hill and in your state simply by sharing your story. Here is how:

  1. Go to: https://everyfuture.org/share-your-story/ and type up your story!
  2. Share a picture (optional) for us to add.
  3. Please provide an updated e-mail so we can let you know if your story has been chosen to publish.
  4. Follow us on social media to see your piece featured!

To learn more about policy alerts in your community, click here to read “Advocacy in your community – Part 3”

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