[homeles_ot-l] "Ask Me" Campaign Launch: Strengthening the Homelessness Advocacy Community

[Lynne Browne]

Dear ATEH listserv members,

 

Here in Ottawa, there are an astonishing 9,500 staff, volunteers, and people with lived experience working to end homelessness. That's a lot of people with real sway in the city. The number is high and yet it doesn't include the thousands of supporters and donors who also make a difference. As a community, we've been looking for a way to strengthen our messages, mobilize supporters, and broaden our reach.

 

To bring the homelessness community together, we've created the ASK ME campaign! 

 

On Tuesday November 22nd, the Alliance to End Homelessness will officially launch the ASK ME campaign at the 2011 Community Forum on Homelessness. The campaign is designed to bring staff, volunteers, and homeless people-that's all of us-together to share stories, talk about our experiences, and help tell the rest of the city why ending homelessness is important. 

 

Our collective work has materialized into important progress in the last municipal, provincial, and federal elections and, together, we need to make sure that we come closer to our goal. 

 

The Ask Me campaign is about sparking a conversation in a coffee shop, around the dinner table, in the lunchroom at work. How can you contribute?

 

*	Learn about the campaign at www.askmeottawa.ca <http://www.askmeottawa.ca/>  
*	Wear the Ask Me button proudly: it identifies you as someone in-the-know about homelessness.... and could start a conversation. You can find out how to get a button by emailing lbrowne at ysb.on.ca <mailto:lbrowne at ysb.on.ca> .
*	Share your experiences: you have a unique perspective on homelessness. Share your stories and tell your friends, colleagues, and family why it's important to take action.
*	Encourage people to find out more: ending homelessness is achievable... and understanding is the first step. Encourage people to visit askmeottawa.ca <http://www.askmeottawa.ca/>  or endhomelessnessottawa.ca <http://askmeottawa.ca/endhomelessnessottawa.ca>  to learn more.
*	Expand your reach: post your stories on the Ask Me Facebook page or the askmeottawa.ca <http://askmeottawa.ca/>  website.
*	Like the campaign on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ask-Me-Ottawa/163319963745144?ref=ts <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ask-Me-Ottawa/163319963745144?ref=ts> 
*	Follow the campaign on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AskMeOttawa <https://twitter.com/#!/AskMeOttawa> 

 Lets keep the momentum going. Please help us spread the word. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Lynne Browne, Executive Director and 

Linda O'Neil, Chair of the Public Affairs Working Group

of the Alliance to End Homelessness