Concerned Women for America of Washington has been busy for the past couple of months, contacting, motivating and educating CWA members around the state. During the sixty-day legislative session, we co-sponsored four citizen activist workshops in the state capitol in Olympia. We shared CWA’s mission and six core issues with an explanation of how these items set our agenda and define all of our activities. We finished each training session encouraging attendees to become more informed and more involved citizens.
Next, citizen activist “Research Mom” led attendees through the legislative process, explaining how to use the legislative website in order to find their district legislators and information on all Washington State bills. She also gave possible scenarios that might come up when visiting legislators or testifying on a bill and how to maneuver through the process. After the hour-long training, attendees attended a hearing on a bill of concern. We then met afterwards for lunch and debriefing and occasionally a legislator who we had invited would come by and speak to the group.
Our hope and prayer is that more citizens will take up their responsibility to interact with their elected officials in a well-informed manner, thus helping to keep our government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”, as stated by President Abraham Lincoln.
CWA of Washington held its first area meeting in Spokane on Saturday, February 27, at a cozy restaurant in the middle of the city. Over coffee and rolls, CWA members were able to meet one another and discuss issues of mutual concern. State Director, Maureen Richardson, gave an overview of Washington issues and concerns and invited members to actively join the organization in promoting and protecting Biblical values, whether through prayer for state legislators in the Encourage-A-Legislator Campaign or taking action on public-policy issues in the state legislature, their own communities, schools, etc.
“Research Mom” presented a citizen activist workshop during which CWA members were introduced to the legislative process and taught how to interact with and influence our representatives. Issues of concern to citizens with a Biblical worldview were discussed, and participants were encouraged to become more informed on the relationship between legislative action and our individual lives, thus standing in the gap of the crumbling cultural wall in our state and nation.
The fellowship and prayer were sweet, and we thank those who were able to attend this first area meeting!
For information on meetings in your area or to request that we bring a meeting to you, please contact the State Director: 425-869-1923; director@washington.cwfa.org; CWA of Washington P. O. Box 143 Woodinville, WA 98072.