Grassroots Advocate Summer 2024 Story: Tia Simmons, West Virginia
Before joining RESULTS in September, Tia Simmons had never heard of us. She looked into RESULTS more. She was accepted as a Fellow and became an Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator. Through meeting other advocates, she instantly realized, “This is where I fit. This is my groove.” Now, not even a year after joining RESULTS, Tia is working to start her own RESULTS chapter in West Virginia.
Tia was eager to do outreach because she knew she had strengths there and would be good at it. “I’ve done door knocking, phone banking, and have lots of experience recruiting. I knew I was good at it and could incorporate it into advocacy. I’m building friendships and connections while doing what I love.”
As soon as RESULTS sent Tia outreach materials, she started talking to as many people as possible. She’d walk around downtown with her kids. They’d tack up flyers at local businesses and talk to people along the way. People saw the flyers around town and started calling her. While talking to people, she kept hearing the same messages: It doesn’t matter if I weigh in. We can’t make change happen. “So many people are glass half empty and negative,” Tia shared. “If they saw how much fun people have, they could have fun too. They’d feel the joy of taking action and see it makes a difference. It’s serious, but it’s also okay to let loose and have fun together.”
“It’s so important that we do outreach and connect with as many people as we can. Some people think that their voices are never going to be heard. We can give them hope, inspiration, joy, and relief that there is someone out there who still cares. Even if they don’t get involved themselves or take action, we’ve accomplished something. We’ve shown them there are people who care and are working to make change.”
People often see ignored problems or hear about a useless Congress. Tia recalled the recent ups and downs of the Child Tax Credit votes. “It was obviously disappointing. But look how far we’ve come! There was a time when we didn’t even think it would make it this far. It’s advocates that made that happen. For many people who think we can’t make change, they don’t even know you can contact your members of Congress. By showing up in our communities, we can prove through action that people can make a difference. We have tangible opportunities for people to act on their values. Some people don’t know where to start, but we can show them we can make a difference. It just might be in small steps.”
Tia has realized through her outreach that many people share the same values. They are looking for a place to fit in. “In West Virginia, we’re told that people are close-minded in a lot of ways. But that’s not what I found when talking to people. People want to hear how to make things better. What surprises me most is the number of people who want to help but don’t know how.”
Tia is eager to start a RESULTS group through her outreach now. She wants to bring the power of connecting as advocates closer to her community. For Tia, being in person has benefits. “It feels good to share passions and goals with others. You feel like you belong, like you matter, and you’re part of a community. Those things are left out over the digital realm. You can’t hug people, laugh together, and talk about things that are completely unrelated. That eye contact and connection with someone is so huge.”
Tia advises those hesitant about outreach: “It’s not comfortable at first. But you get used to it as you reach out more. That’s how you grow. Making those connections will help. It will get easier.”
Read more about Tia and her advocacy written in her own words in this July 2024 op-ed.