Advocacy Coordinator

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l As a leader:

 Attend leadership meetings, major events, and necessary trainings

 Communicate frequently with other members of the leadership team

l In a nutshell: Increase visibility of youth homelessness without increasing the vulnerability of homeless youth

l Increase StandUp For Kids' profile in the community, as well as online

 Establish and strengthen important partnerships with organizations, individuals and institutions to the benefit of the youths we serve (through increased organizational capacity, increased options/diversions for youth, and the meeting of common needs)

 Work with the director of Community Resource Development to know key contacts at, and network with, related organizations

 Attend meetings of other homeless and child advocacy groups

 Plan a homelessness summit with other organizations once per year

 Write articles for our newsletter that highlight advocacy issues

 Publish dates of local homelessness meetings/events on our online calendar

 Write guest articles in other agency's newsletters that highlight our work

 Work with the Director of Public Relations to write pieces and get coverage related to youth homelessness in Orange County

l Use powers of democracy to improve the conditions of homeless youth

 Advocate for less punitive, more compassionate laws for homeless and at-risk youth

 Advocate for changes in related systemic laws

 Establish relationships with policymakers at local and state level, inform them of upcoming legislation, meet with them, and ask them to support our issues

 Establish a "StandUp For Kids Day" in Orange County through city resolution

 Develop a Homeless Youth Bill of Rights

 Perform 'direct actions’ with or independent of other community-mobilizing organizations.

l Establish a knowledge base related to youth homelessness

 Understand the issues and who can best address them

 Conduct research and provide information on global developments, conferences, policies, issues and trends in youth homelessness

 Procure updated statistics and trends related to the number and circumstances of homeless youth in Orange County

 Find gaps or contradictions in our knowledge base and encourage remedies

 Research and compile state and local laws and ordinances related to homelessness and our work with such

 Collect, compile and distribute knowledge in unique ways (events, web portal, etc.)

l Support volunteers/advocates through advocacy-specific training

 Conduct periodic training for volunteers on issues related to youth homelessness; invite knowledgeable speakers