Grassroots Advocate Summer 2024 Story: Ruth Thurmond Scott and Lillian Mindich, North Carolina

Ruth Thurmond Scott and Lillian Mindich both joined RESULTS around 2020. Ruth was on the board of Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, a non-profit increasing access to health care in Malawi. She was also an advocate for affordable housing. Lillian, a social worker, had seen disparities in the community through her work. Both had a desire to widen their reach and make a bigger difference through advocacy. They support each other as co-leaders for RESULTS Triangle in North Carolina.  

They already had a group meeting on the schedule when they heard the call to expand the RESULTS community of change this summer. They thought, why not turn our action meeting into an outreach moment? “We don’t want to be secretive about RESULTS, who we are, and the opportunity to connect,” Lillian shared. “We want people to see our name and know we’re a community they can be part of.” They set their meeting for a fun, public venue and invited new advocates on their outreach list to join them. They were both thrilled when brand-new advocates showed up to take action. 

At their outreach meeting, their group wrote postcards on both U.S. and global poverty issues. They wrote about lifesaving immunizations that U.S. can support through funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In their postcards, they described the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Child Tax Credit. They didn’t just take these actions alone, though. Instead, they took them together. They had personal conversations about the issues and why people cared. One new advocate had questions about their letter. Lillian was able to help her and taught her about a format for making the case to lawmakers (called the EPIC format).  

“It was energizing to both advocates and new people to be in the room together,” both agreed. “There’s something about interpersonal relationship building that makes every community stronger,” Ruth added. “There’s more accountability. Yes, virtual is convenient. But being in person let us continue the conversation after the meeting ended. We got to know each other as people, not just through formal introductions. We talked and shared even in the parking lot. There was instant camaraderie and a sense of belonging.”  

Their advice to those hesitant about outreach: “Use RESULTS staff to help you,” Ruth shared. “They have issue and action items to help us plan. There are a lot of materials and you can come off looking very professional.” 

“And it doesn’t have to be a big thing,” Lillian added. “Even a group of 3 to 5 will still be meaningful to get together in person. You’ll strengthen your sense of commitment to your values, the issues, and each other.”  

For RESULTS Triangle North Carolina, being together was powerful. It opened the door for support and action. It also created a sense of belonging and commitment to each other. Lillian stressed that this is important in advocacy. “Having a good group of people is one of the reasons it is easy for me to stay committed.”