Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has…

"Don’t look away from me,” she said. And no one could. Not the throng of media surrounding her, not the millions who watched her on every news broadcast, and certainly not Senator Jeff Flake, who stood frozen, waiting in vain for the elevator to take him anywhere else.

During last year’s confirmation brawl for now-seated Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh, survivors of sexual abuse stormed Washington to protest the nomination of the prospective jurist who faced an accusation of assault from Christine Blasey Ford, whom President Trump described as a “very credible witness.” 

On September 28, as he and his aides stepped onto a Capitol Hill elevator, Senator Flake was suddenly face-to-face with Ana Maria Archila who commanded attention and demanded an answer. Her intervention was credited as forcing Flake to push for an FBI investigation, a stunning disruption of what many feared as a tone-deaf partisan march toward confirmation.

Has there ever been a more effective elevator pitch?
While the campaign against Kavanaugh’s appointment was ultimately unsuccessful, Ana Maria Archila demonstrated the undeniable power of speaking directly to those who sit at the table where decisions are made.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” said American iconoclast and cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.

At PCCY we don’t claim to be changing the entire world, but we do work hard to make our corner of it a better place to grow up in. For 37 years, PCCY has been the leading child advocacy organization in Southeastern PA, shining a light on major issues that affect children and delivering meaningful results that help.

We have many tools available and we use them all to their fullest. But, by far, the most effective instrument for change we employ is you.

Over the years, PCCY has sent fleets of buses and cars full of passionate and smart parents, educators, community and civic leaders and students to Harrisburg, particularly during budget season, to speak directly to legislators. Hundreds of trips to the state capitol with scores of advocates has meant thousands of direct conversations with lawmakers, resulting in billions of dollars of funding for schools, pre-K’s, children’s health—investments that would not have happened otherwise.

With budget season already underway, we’ve scheduled the days for what we call Capitol Caravans. And we’ve saved a seat for you. We hope you will stand up and join our caravan and make sure your legislators hear what their budget priorities should be.

For ابدأ Strong PA (our new campaign for quality infant/toddler care) and تمهيدي K لـ PA, join us March 20th, April 9th, May 7th, June 11th, June 25th. Contact PCCY Education coordinator Shirlee Howe.

For مدارس السلطة الفلسطينية تعمل (our fight for fair funding), join us March 13th, March 27th, April 30th, May 8th, June 5th, June 18th, June 27th. Contact PCCY K-12 Policy Director توميا سيبيو سميث.