An artist, gamer, and movie lover, Curtis McLaughlin (above) has been part of the Health Care for the Homeless Art Group for more than five years.
Art is one of my coping skills. I can be anywhere and create art wherever I go.
A Lobby Day Success in 2018!
03.05.18
On March 1, more than 200 staff members, clients and community partners loaded buses to Annapolis for a day packed with rallies, legislative visits and hearings. Here are the highlights from Lobby Day 2018…
‘WE ARE HERE’: Our rallying cry
Our community is passionate, and when we care about something, we get loud. Our Lobby day 2018 kicked off with a rally full of speakers, chants and even a little dancing. Here’s who spoke about what...
- Housing is Health Care! Client advocate Dorsheena Hagler
- Certify Community Health Workers! Delegate Clarence Lam (bill sponsor) and Community Health Worker Briauna Wills
- Dental Saves Lives! Dental Director Parita Patel and client advocate Elizabeth Skates
- Raise the wage! President and CEO Kevin Lindamood and client advocate Bill Price
- Increase TDAP! Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith (bill sponsor) and client advocate Joe Funn
- End Youth Homelessness! Delegate Mary Washington
Pushing our priorities, face-to-face
Decked out in big shiny buttons, teams broke off and met with more than 60 lawmakers and their staff members on our priority issues. Lawmakers heard from clients with first-hand experience of homelessness, frontline health care providers and some of their very own constituents. And to great effect: a number of lawmakers expressed support for our work and have committed to moving our bills forward.
Letters of gratitude
Back at the Stanton Community Center, clients, staff and community partners created and delivered paper house-shaped thank-you cards to lawmakers who sponsored our priority bills.
Medicaid Matters
In the afternoon, West Baltimore Medical Director Tyler Gray and client advocate and Board of Directors member Grady Butler testified at the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee hearing in support of Medicaid.
Fight for $15
We ended the day by joining the Fight for $15 rally at Lawyers' Mall. Health Care for the Homeless Chief Financial Officer Tom Welliver spoke at the rally, arguing that an increase in the minimum wage is good for business. And he would know—he manages the books at Health Care for the Homeless, where we introduced a wage floor above the statewide minimum wage years ago!
A special thank you to everyone who made the day so successful—and meaningful. See more pictures from the day here.
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