If you would like to become an advocate in your community, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s easier than you might think. An advocate by definition is someone who publicly supports a cause or a policy. That might conjure up images of going to meetings, public demonstrations, and otherwise putting in a lot of work to support something that is important to you. That sounds intimidating to some people, but you don’t need to go that far at first. You certainly can, but you can also start smaller.
Advocating For Yourself
If you’re serious about becoming an advocate in your community, the best place to begin is with yourself. Do plenty of research about your cause and learn more about how it affects you. That will give you an idea of how it can affect others. For example, if you are an advocate for those living with HIV, you can get yourself tested for the virus and ask your doctor about how you can protect yourself from it. As small as that may be, it will slow down the spread of HIV and protect others. You can use the knowledge you’ve attained by taking care of yourself to educate others.
Spreading the Word
Speaking of educating others, that doesn’t take a lot of work either. If you’ve ever posted about a cause on social media, you are being an advocate. If you’ve ever had a private discussion with someone about something important to you, you’re an advocate. An advocate is anyone who champions a cause, whether that involves regular informative Facebook posts or working at a charity event.
Meeting With the Community
Of course, the best way to really work as an advocate is to get involved with the community. There are others near you who can and will champion your cause, and they would love to have you. Find out where they are and how you can get involved with them. They might have a Meetup group where they discuss advocacy programs, and some of them might already work for charities that would welcome volunteers. If you take the time to educate yourself and spread the word about what you’ve learned, you will almost certainly find these groups. Get their contact information and reach out to them to find out how you can help their cause.