Today’s Response to a 40-Year-Old Call for Advocacy
Author: by Irma Rodriguez, Queens Community House
Featured in Alliance for Children and Families Magazine

Today, nonprofit human service organizations struggle to better the lives of children and families in an economic and political environment that often questions the value of our services, the appropriate role of government in funding these programs, and even our clients’ abilities to ultimately overcome challenges that seem insurmountable.

Some, myself included, believe the nature and effectiveness of our democracy, which was established on the principle that political power is vested in the people, also is at stake.

At the time this article was written, Americans felt empowered. They had reason to believe that if they spoke with one authentic, collective voice, they would be heard. It’s dramatically different today. Community residents increasingly distrust our political system and continue to distance themselves from traditional institutions.

Community-based organizations are in a unique position to help mend this breakdown. We can support residents who want to address issues of concern in their neighborhoods.

Yet, many organizations will have to make some evolutionary changes in order to be both relevant and impactful. We’ll have to address the central question from “Is Yours a Band-Aid Agency?” We’ll have to re-examine our missions and our methods for achieving our goals, all the while asking ourselves, “What are we doing to advocate for a better future, not just a better present?”

Can we use our programs and services, as well as the trust our clients and communities have in our organizations, to do more than place a Band-Aid? I think we can. We can engage our communities on a continuum of involvement, from creating space for community conversation to engaging in community organizing around issues of concern.

We can bring people together, encourage the civic engagement of residents, train community leaders, host candidate forums, raise social concerns, educate political leaders about issues, and mobilize residents who are hungry for change. We can sign on to coalitions, and we can form them as well. We can hire staff with experience in community organizing, and we can train staff to view their work through the community organizing lens.

We won’t all do everything, but I encourage organizations to consider what they currently do and ask themselves if they can do more.

My own organization is a settlement house. We are the product of a rich history and tradition of social justice activity. Yet, we struggle every day to get the balance of services and community action right. It isn’t easy. It takes staff and board commitment, creativity, and some conscious internal community building. It also takes a willingness to challenge authority and the status quo.

This isn’t safe activity; engaging in it always makes enemies. On the other hand, it also makes friends and supporters. As one of our Queens Community House staff members once said at a meeting, “You never know who you anger or push away by doing nothing.”

Irma Rodriguez is a member of the Alliance Civic Engagement Steering Committee. She is executive director at Queens Community House, Forest Hills, N.Y., which is a member of the United Neighborhood Centers of America. Before transitioning into the role of executive director in 2007, she served as associate director. A lifelong resident of New York, she has dedicated more than 35 years to community organizing in various capacities throughout the city.