Below is a copy of the email I received this morning from the CFIDS Organization. Tomorrow is the advocacy day on Capital Hill and even if you cannot attend, you can still help. Please read below:
“On Tuesday, May 9, the CFIDS Association will host its 14th Lobby Day. Nearly 90 CFIDS advocates will spend the day meeting with their members of Congress and members of key Senate and House committees. They will share information and personal stories to impress upon lawmakers the serious impact CFIDS has on the individual, the family and the nation. They will speak for the thousands who might wish they could participate in these lobbying activities, but are unable to — due to the physical, cognitive and/or financial effects of CFIDS. “
“As we’ve done for the past two years, we will match our physical presence on the Hill with a Virtual Lobby Day, conducted by advocates using the Association’s Grassroots Action Center on the Internet. We urge you to take part and strengthen our call for a more vigorous response to CFIDS by the federal government.
Our Virtual Lobby Day has four components. You choose whether to do all of them, or just one or two. You can even spread out the tasks — do one each day between today and Thursday.
Send a letter to Secretary for Health Mike Leavitt, asking him to renew the charter for the federal Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) and respond immediately to the recommendations it has already submitted.
Send letters to five (or more) media outlets in your community, asking them to help raise awareness about the devastating impact of CFIDS.
Please take part in Lobby Day, whether you’re in Washington or in cyberspace! If you opt for the virtual version, it won’t be quite the same as walking with fellow advocates down the long, marble corridors of Congress, but your efforts will make an important difference.”
The CFIDS Association of America
We’ve made it easy for you to participate. You don’t have to know who represents you in Congress or track down addresses for the local newspaper and TV stations. Go to http://www.cfids.org/ and click on the Capitol Building icon to get to pre-written letter templates for each task. Add as much or little detail as you’d like to make our letters your own. You can even ask friends and family to join the effort using our “Tell a Friend” feature.
Send letters to each of your members of Congress (two senators and one member of the House of Representatives), asking them to support increased funding and greater action for CFS. (Note: If you spread the tasks over the week, do this one first. Let the officials elected by your community know why you can’t participate in the “live” Lobby Day event on Tuesday, May 9.)
Kim McCleary
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