Sarah's Fundraiser for Young Advocates!

Hello, friends!

As some of you may know, I joined The Mockingbird Society in July 2023 as Events Manager in the Development and Communications Department. Especially as my first career position after my graduation, I could not have asked for a more rewarding, fulfilling, live-giving opportunity than to do good work alongside the Mockingbird community.

The Mockingbird Society is an advocacy organization dedicated to transforming the foster care system and ending youth homelessness. Mockingbird partners with youth and young adults with lived experience in foster care and homelessness to elevate their voices and advocate for change within the systems impacting them most. The Mockingbird Society does its work specifically through an anti-racist lens, with an intentional focus on outreach to communities disproportionately affected by these systems, like BIPOC and LGBTQI+ young people.

Our young advocates are some of the most brilliant and creative people I've ever known and worked with. Their steadfast dedication to advocacy work never ceases to inspire me. It would mean so much to me if you would consider financially supporting Mockingbird's work in empowering these young leaders as they create equitable solutions to the issues facing our community's most vulnerable populations. 

This photo is from Mockingbird's 2024 Youth Advocacy Day!

Mockingbird's History and Impact:

Over the years, Mockingbird has won 70+ major policy reforms in Washington state, changing the outcomes for over 200,000 children, youth, and families and prompting more than $252 million in state investment in services and support. During the 2024 legislative session, Mockingbird's young advocates successfully passed critical legislation removing the barriers of access to Extended Foster Care for young people aging out of care-- immediately impacting hundreds of young people struggling to receive necessary support and services.

Mockingbird focuses on positive youth development in support of advocacy—being visible and vocal—which has been identified as a “protective factor” for at-risk youth and young adults. Our community-building activities support our young advocates by bolstering their confidence in their abilities, values, and voice. The skill of self-advocacy is powerful in building youth's leadership and awareness that they can have a role in not only improving their individual circumstances, but also enacting societal change. Click here to learn more about Mockingbird's work.

For Mockingbird's GiveBIG 2024 campaign, I have set a goal to raise $1,000 to support Mockingbird's work. Support the advocacy efforts of young people by making a gift today!