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Parkinson's Advocacy at Home _ 
Take Action!_ (http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/FNBIGJJLWD/907690711)   
Attend town halls or meetings with your legislator in  October     
Parkinsonâs Advocacy at Home

During the month of October,  your senators and representatives are home in 
the districts  campaigning and while PAN does not endorse candidates or 
participate  in election activities, this is still a valuable time to get to 
know  
your Members of Congress and Congressional candidatesâ stance on PAN  issues 
and 
educate them about issues important to you and the  Parkinsonâs community. 

PANâs current requests for members  are to cosponsor the _Udall Act 
Amendments_ (http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/CKLQGJJLWE/907690711)  and 
to 
support the _Parkinsonâs Disease Research Education and Clinical  Centers 
(PADRECCs)_ (http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/JFAHGJJLWF/907690711)  
through the 
Department of Veteransâ  Affairs.

What can you do?

Many members will be using  October to hold town hall meetings. Town hall 
meetings are a venue  where the senator or representative holds a public 
meeting 
with a  question and answer period. To find out if your senator or  
representative has any town hall meetings scheduled, check his/her  website or 
the local 
events section of your local newspaper for the  announcement. Be sure to ask 
a question at the meeting and leave  your contact information. 

Secondly, personal visits are the  most effective contact you can have with a 
member of Congress or  staff. Face time is a great way of educating public 
officials your  personal concerns and issues. Following are some easy tips to 
help  you plan a meeting with your elected officials. 

1) Identify  your Members of Congress. To identify your Members of Congress 
and  find their contact information, go to 
_http://capwiz.com/pan/dbq/officials/_ 
(http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/LHYCGJJLWG/907690711) . You can 
find  telephone and fax numbers for district offices at these sites.  

2) Identify yourself as a constituent. When calling, donât  forget to mention 
you live in the Memberâs district/state and that  you are aware the Member 
will be working in the district during  October. Some offices may ask for your 
street address or zip  code.

3) Do your homework. Once you have the Memberâs  commitment to help, you must 
make it as easy as possible for him/her  to take action. This means you 
should know the important issues and  bill numbers. You can find this info on 
the 
PAN website on the _legislative impact page_ 
(http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/MGXXGJJLWH/907690711) . Before your 
meeting find  out how your Member of 
Congress has voted on _stem cell legislation_ 
(http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/BBQDGJJLWI/907690711)  and if he or she 
supported  _Department of 
Defense Parkinsonâs research funding  (NETRP)_ 
(http://capwiz.com/pan/utr/1/CWSQGJJLTS/OMDQGJJLWJ/907690711) . Also, visit the 
PAN website to print out leave 
behind  materials on our issues so that staff can follow-up on your meeting  
and take action on your behalf. 

4) Ask a friend or family  member to attend the meeting with you. A 
caregiver, co-worker, or  loved one can offer a unique perspective on how 
Parkinsonâs 
affects  everyone, not just patients.

When you meet with your Member  of Congress, PAN recommends the following 
discussion points:
    *   What is Parkinsonâs disease and what is your connection to  it?

    *   Tell your personal story. Remember, there is nothing more  compelling 
than telling your legislator how Parkinsonâs affects  your daily life.


This is a great time to connect with your elected officials and  make sure he 
or she is aware of the issues that face the Parkinsonâs  community. 

Remember: You can always encourage your Member of  Congress to contact PAN 
directly for additional information at  800-850-4726. 
If you  no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click _here_ 
(http://capwiz.com/pan/lmx/u/?jobid=75567172&queueid=907690711) .




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