Margie Quinn, Facing Homelessness Operations Manager

A year ago, I moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Seattle, Washington for a year of service through the United Church of Christ’s Young Adult Service Communities Program. I moved into the third floor of a church with the other interns and began working at the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance a week later.

First, you should meet “Margie-From-A-Year-Ago.” That Margie had never voted. She couldn’t name one legislator from her state. She couldn’t define “advocacy” or even what “public policy” entailed. She had never even been to her state’s capitol. She had never attended a lobby day or met with an elected official to discuss an issue she cared deeply about. She had never canvassed or phone-banked for a political candidate. That Margie had never planned a workshop for a statewide conference or planned a panel for an advocacy day. She had never seriously contemplated the issue of widespread homelessness in our country.

You get the picture. I was fresh from undergrad where I had learned to theorize and analyze the injustices in our communities. But, I had never advocated for these issues myself. The Housing Alliance showed me how to act out and speak up for issues that ignite me. Thanks to Housing Alliance staff and friends, I transformed from a critical and immobile thinker of social justice to a bona fide active housing advocate!

I registered to vote. Then I actually voted…three times this year! I’m going to vote more! I ran around Olympia with Michele, Ben, and Kate B. as they talked to legislators about why affordable housing, tenants rights, and homeless services matter. I helped facilitate sessions of the first-ever Emerging Advocates Program with Andrea and Alouise. From this, I learned how vital it is to build connections with folks affected by these issues in order to understand the depth of complexities that encompass them.

Image

Joaquin taught me how to use social media to advocate and how to connect anti-oppression work with ending homelessness. Brianna brought the fire, showing me that voter registration and voter turnout make a tangible difference. I co-planned an interfaith panel for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day. Then, I co-facilitated a storytelling workshop at the Conference on Ending Homelessness.

I could go on and on about the wonderful, dedicated staff at the Housing Alliance. I could go on and on about how much I learned from each of them and how deeply grateful I am to them for revealing to me just how much advocacy can change my life.

But, I digress. Here is the bottom line: honestly, I am afraid of the person I would have been if I hadn’t worked at the Housing Alliance this year. I have now transitioned into the role of Operations Manager at Facing Homelessness, another organization working toward ending homelessness in Washington State. As I sit at my new desk, writing this blog post, I can’t help but recall my first conversation with a Housing Alliance staffer who asked me what “advocacy” meant to me. I sputtered some nonsense about “ongoing work” and “taking action,” trying to sound more knowledgeable than I was. Now, I know what advocacy is. More importantly, I know how to do it. I know how to organize a meeting with legislators in my district and how to call folks and mobilize them around important issues.

Housing Alliance, you’ve made an advocate out of me. One down, a few more to go. I have no doubt that you will transform the next intern and many more to come.

Image Margie during the first week of her internship.

Image Margie during the Gong Action for Homelessness.