“We built more than a plan, we built a community”: RESULTS Great Lakes advocates convene for action
On September 13, 2025, 15 RESULTS advocates from many midwest states came together for the Great Lakes Regional Conference. Folks gathered in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and came from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, all with one shared focus. They aimed to activate more advocates to reach members of Congress more often. At least seven additional advocates joined via Zoom. They braved distance and technical glitches to support the movement for equity and economic justice.
Many helped plan this event. RESULTS group leaders, regional coordinators, as well as staff worked together. For several months, they were stuck in a vicious planning circle. There was the circular issue that “we don’t know who’ll come until we know the date” but also “we don’t know the date until we know who is available.” If you are part of a RESULTS planning group, this may sound familiar. Finally, they just decided – pick a date and move on!
Reflecting on the topics discussed at the conference, regional coordinator Allison Gallaher noted, “Many of us had the same recurring obstacle top of mind. It feels like some members of Congress meet with us, appear to agree, and then vote against the interests of their constituents. That’s why we focused on activating more voices in our communities to speak up and speak out. We also committed to strengthening relationships among participants. Many of us had never met in person before.”
There were sessions on motivational interviewing and relational organizing. Both of these are advocacy tactics that prioritize curiosity and relationship building. These paired with presentations on our global and US poverty priorities and successes. The day ended with a planning session. During planning, each participant considered individuals or categories of people they could reach out to for partnership.
By the end of the day, they had built more than a plan—they had built a community. It will sustain them through the challenges ahead. It will fire them up when they’re feeling helpless, and bring joy as they celebrate victories together. Each participant left with the confidence that they have the power to make a difference. But we don’t have to tell you, we’ll let some of the other participants speak for themselves:
“I truly enjoyed the conference and being with everyone.” said one advocate from the RESULTS Detroit group.
“I enjoyed every part of the event. I really enjoyed how well planned and structured the day was,” said another participant.
And, “I really got a better grasp of motivational interviews,” shared a longer-standing volunteer.
Finally Keith Task of RESULTS Ohio summarized well the importance of coming together in person. He said, “While I have interacted with RESULTS colleagues in the region virtually, I have not met most of them in person up until the regional conference. It was really great to see everyone in person, and be in the same room with so many who share similar values.”