Alouise Urness, Community and Member Organizer

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of ‘emerging’ lately. A quick search shows the definition of emerging to be: "the process of becoming known, of coming forth." The sixteen participants in the Emerging Advocates Program certainly did that this fall, sharing their personal stories of challenge and growth as they gained information and skills to use in advocating on affordable housing and homelessness issues.

But as the program sessions went by, I realized the emerging was not all on the side of the participants. It was gratifying to see Housing Alliance staff, longtime advocates, and legislative priorities emerging and becoming known to people and communities impacted by the organization’s work. Participants came from all over Washington, including Omak, Centralia, Ellensburg, Everett, Tacoma, and Seattle. The affordable housing and homelessness issues unique to each of these areas have become more visible to Housing Alliance staff, and will better inform us as we move forward with our legislative priorities.

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And the emerging doesn’t stop there. These individuals also brought their newfound familiarity with the Housing Alliance to their communities. In one case, a program participant arranged for us to do an advocacy presentation for the veterans’ group at his senior center. Another participant created a handbook of the “success network” of services and support that she’d accessed in her journey out of homelessness, which she plans to share with others who might benefit from them. The Housing Alliance is listed in this handbook, emerging in a section she labeled “support.” And here’s what another participant, Rebecca Snow Landa, shared about her experience in the program:

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As a previously homeless person, I’m always saddened when I see someone suffering on the streets, but I always wondered, “What can I do?” The Emerging Advocates Program has transformed my concern into action! I learned how to sign up for action alerts, to connect with other advocates and with my legislators, and to fight for housing justice in Olympia. I felt solidarity and support networking with my fellow advocates and the staff at the Housing Alliance. I brainstormed ideas for new projects and was invited to join existing projects. I felt real kinship and fellowship with the entire group, which was healing because in other areas of my life I often feel like the only one who cares about homeless people. I’ve made new friends that I love and hope to continue learning from. Photo: Rebecca Snow Landa giving her final presentation.

In looking back on this first series of Emerging Advocates Program workshops, I find myself pondering another form of the same word: emergence. The Internet tells me emergence is "the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a series of relatively simple interactions." The example of a snowflake is given. The group of people who engaged in this program’s series of relatively simple interactions created a beautiful base pattern of, as Rebecca put it, transforming concern into action. I look forward to continuing to work with this first group of Emerging Advocates Program graduates and the advocacy community that supported their growth to advocate, build connections, and create more opportunities for transforming concern into action.

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