Our Work: Advocacy

A core value in our organization is to work for change, not charity. We believe that our community has the power to build the future they want for themselves. However, in order for community members to advocate for positive change, they must understand how our US systems work and feel confident that they can be part of the change they want to see in the world.

HAP works to ensure that the organization and its programs are led by individuals who reflect the diversity of our constituency. We strive to work alongside impacted community members, rather than on behalf of the community, on priority issues identified by the community in order to effectively address the barriers that prevent everyone from achieving their health and well-being goals.

We believe that every individual has the potential for leadership and our goal is to help develop leadership capacity by inviting community members to get involved in ways that allow people to take on leadership roles. Through leadership retreats, individuals learn how they can show up as leaders in their community and make a difference.

Political education and community organizing training help to build skills and awareness about how to impact system change. By providing opportunities for leaders to participate in local planning processes, meetings with elected officials, attending city council meetings, or even sharing their personal stories with the broader community, individuals have an opportunity for their voices to be heard.