Members of the NF coalition (including Bev Oberlander from the NF Inc. California governing board) travel to Washington DC in February. While there, they represented NF Inc at numerous meetings and interacted with our California Representatives and Senators.
“Dear Colleague” letters will be circulated sometime this month in Congress in support of NF research. Inspiring our Representatives and Senators to sign these letters is in our hands. It is up to us to motivate our leaders to add their names to the list of others who support NF research.
Our requests for their support will be better received if we have already established a relationship with their offices. Be sure to thank your Representative for his or her service whenever possible and inform them about Neurofibromatosis throughout the year. Take a moment this month to share your story with your political leaders. Teach them about NF so that they will be familiar with it when we ask for their support. And, find others willing to support your efforts. Faxes and emails from ten people are more noticeable than a message from one. Just think if everyone in Caifornia with NF ask their family, friends, co-workers to help us in reaching our Representatives, NF awareness would climb to a new level.
The deadline for signing the House "Dear Colleague" letter is sometime between the end of March to the beginning of April. So, we have just a few weeks to gather our Congresspersons’ signatures. Be watching your inbox for sample letters and essential contact information. We need to be prepared to act. Of our 55 Washington DC leaders, only four signed the letter sent in the fall. We can do better this year!
Out of state friends and family are encouraged to contact their leaders too. This is a national effort!
It is our job to let our Representatives know how essential this research is and that we expect them to sign in support of it.
~Together, we CAN make a difference~