Mission Statement

When looking at agencies and the communities they are in, I have realized that what constitutes a “community” is flexible and fluid. For example, UW-Eau Claire is a community of students, the city of Eau Claire is a community, and the social work profession is a community. In my current placement at the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, our organization has Girl Scouts as a community, and our specific council includes both Wisconsin and Michigan, not just Eau Claire, Chippewa, Altoona and other cities nearby. My coworkers who work in membership and engagement cover both rural towns and larger cities. Additionally, as an agency, we have partnerships with various businesses, organizations, and groups, which can act as a community, especially if they are a nonprofit like we are. 
In my experience, much of the advocacy I have seen in my organization focuses on young girls and women and developing skills and traits that set them up for success in the future. Combining life skills like leadership with fun experiences like outdoor training makes Girl Scouts unique. However, we also understand the vast disparities within our organization and membership, such as financial barriers and demographics. I feel as though the people I have encountered advocate for as many girls to benefit from these experiences as possible, and having opportunities built into the organization like financial assistance and free programming, help remove the barriers that would prevent others from missing out.
In the future, I would love to have the opportunity to see how the advocacy I take part in has an impact at the micro level. Since I am at an organization that is more mezzo and macro level based, it can feel difficult to believe I am having a positive influence on individuals. At the moment, I get a small taste with the programming I lead and assist with at local Boys and Girls Clubs, but I would love to see more. However, I also feel as though this desire is not a priority given where I am at the moment.
I have seen others take part in advocacy through the work and passion that they share. For instance, having the Field Day Fair was a great opportunity to hear how social work students in the cohort above me partake in advocacy at various places. Having multiple food pantries open, creating resources for transgender students on campus, and providing shelter for the unhoused are all examples that I remember from last October. The work that we do is important, and all of us have passion that drives us, it is just a matter of where we put our passion that can have an impact on others. Furthermore, at my agency, we try to partake in advocacy by ensuring the programming we offer here in the Eau Claire area is also provided in rural areas that are farther away. This accessibility barrier is one we are continuously working towards removing. To illustrate, I was trying to set up programming at Thorp Elementary at the beginning of the semester. The city of Thorp is 40 minutes away from Eau Claire, but even when looking at a map, you can see the difference in population, resources, and other aspects that I myself take for granted. All of this is to say that advocacy takes multiple forms, and what we understand as advocacy can change based on our experiences.