Why Advocacy Matters

You may see just a fence, but I see panic, fear, and a splash of advocacy and results. I still remember sitting at an industry conference over five states away and getting the call from my son's school. He had been found. Wait. He was missing?

Having eloped from the school playground and later found in the road, my non-verbal autistic son had been on the playground during recess and wandered off. Every parent's nightmare and especially grueling when the child can't even say their own name, or cry for help.

This is why advocacy matters.

This is how I learned the hard way to be the voice for others.

This is what permeates into how I approach affordable housing, fair housing, compliant housing. When you understand this at the core of what we are doing, it makes sense.

Yes, I was given all the excuses for why they failed my son. I was also told they couldn't put up a fence to protect kindergarteners and first graders, despite a nearby river, neighborhood dogs and a road. But guess what. Oh, they were getting the fence. And safety procedures and training. I was the mom to make sure this wasn't going to happen again.

So be the advocate. Be the mom. Be the voice.