UNICEF USA Empowers Young Activists with Congressional Meetings
Throughout the month of August, UNICEF UNITE Teams, with support from Community Engagement Associates and the Advocacy and Engagement team at UNICEF USA, schedule and attend meetings with Members of Congress and their staff while they were on "Recess" in their home districts.
The purpose of these meetings is to empower young people to advocate for issues that impact children around the world. The UNICEF UNITE program offers such grassroot civic engagement opportunities to all young activists. Specifically, the program aims to strengthen the advocacy skills and experience of our most engaged UNITERs and empower UNITERs to build and strengthen relationships with their congressional office.
Some of the specific advocacy work focused on garnering support for UNICEF USA's policy priorities and in some cases raising awareness on UNICEF's work to address the needs of children migrating through the Northern Triangle and on the U.S.-Mexico border. Secondarily the following pieces of legislation were addressed:
- Keeping Girls in School Act (H.R. 2153/S. 1071)
- Reach Every Mother and Child Act (S. 1766)
- Congressional Resolution to End Violence Against Children (H.Res.230/S.Res.112)
- Congressional Resolution to Accelerate Progress Against Maternal and Child Malnutrition (H.Res.189/S.Res.260)
A total 54 meetings were held nationally, Senate: 11 meetings and House: 43 meetings. An astounding 8 were completed by the UNICEF UNITE Houston team:
- Rep. Michael McCaul
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher
- Rep. Al Green
- Rep. Kevin Brady
- Rep. Sylvia Garcia
- Rep. Pete Olson
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
- Rep. Dan Crenshaw
UNICEF UNITE Houston has always been active and speak up! If you are willing to learn more about the UNICEF USA Houston UNITE or to join the team, please contact the Olivera Jankovska. Community Engagement Associate for the Southwest Region at ojankovska@unicefusa.org or the Regional Office at houston@unicefunite.org
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
