Advocate Snapshot: Jessica Carter

When Jessica Carter sent a letter to the editor of her local newspaper in Asheville, North Carolina, she didn’t think it would be published. After all, she had only gotten involved with RESULTS about a month earlier and expected it would take a while before she saw any fruits to her anti-poverty advocacy work.

Instead, it only took a few days.

“The day my letter came out, I didn’t know the paper had published it. RESULTS emailed me about it. I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ But I went to get the paper and had a smile on my face for the rest of day,” she said.

Jessica, 27, is studying social work at a local university. One day, a RESULTS organizer came to her macroeconomic policy class to give a workshop on how ordinary people can influence their members of Congress on poverty issues. Jessica already knew a bit about advocacy, and she had gone to Capitol Hill before, but the workshop taught her there was a lot she could do from home in North Carolina.

“I was so engaged. I had been having a bad day, but when I left class I felt so good,” Jessica said.

It was then she decided to attend her first RESULTS meeting, which happened to be a webinar. She liked that she got to see advocates from all over the country pop up on the screen. Shortly after that, she convinced a local radio show to have her and another RESULTS advocate on as special guests.

“It was very scary, but really cool,” she said.

Now that she’s seen what she can do in such a short amount of time, she’s ready for more.

“Being part of a group can help push you forward,” Jessica said. “The support and guidance I’ve gotten so far means everything.”

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