Policy Advocate Oscar Sandoval on the Power of Personal Stories 

One of the main duties as a professional policy advocate is to create opportunities for everyday people to share their life-experience with decision-makers. This allows them as engaged citizens to impact California’s often-murky policy-making process. ENACT Day, held annually in Sacramento, is one such example of an opportunity to bring people such as high school students, college students, and community members in to advocate on behalf of the policies that concern them. 

This year was my first ENACT Day as a representative of Center for Healthy Communities (CHC), but not my first attending the event as an advocate leader. I led a group of eight, which included everyone from teenagers pushing for constitutional guarantees for healthier environments, to health-industry professionals advocating for more comprehensive demographic data to be collected from people during hospital stays.  

ENACT Day: A Full Day of Preparation and Advocacy

Our day started with a light breakfast and then a training session where the attendees focused on last-minute preparations by practicing their talking points and getting feedback from their advocate leaders. In prepping for the day’s meetings, I stressed the importance of being concise and clear to my group. Given that there were so many of us, multiple bills to discuss, and only a limited time to meet with each office, getting to the point while stating your case is a priority. 

After our preparation was done, we made the walk over to the legislative offices. I led a group from the Bay Area which included one member that has lived in California for over 35 years with immigrant status yet had never been to Sacramento before. Wanting to make the most of this experience, I took my group to the front of the Capitol’s West Steps to snap some photos. The Capitol building’s famous white dome settled in between a small forest of lengthy trees is incredibly picturesque and a frequent stop for visitors to Sacramento.  

Once we made our way through security, our group went to the office where our first meeting of the afternoon was scheduled, and our first meeting was underway. While I knew I was in for a day of heartfelt testimony, words fail to accurately describe how it felt to hear the members of my group speak. I can only describe them as feelings of immense humility and gratitude to be surrounded by such powerful champions of their community. Each community-advocate spoke with such passion and clarity, taking to mind the guidance of combining personal passion with brevity to make the case for each bill they spoke for. In our second meeting, the group was just as eloquent in painting a clear picture of their community’s needs for equitable health policy.  

At the conclusion of our legislative visits, I asked one of the members of my group his age. He responded that he was 16 years old and a junior in high school. I was floored by his bravery to do something so impressive at his age and shared this sentiment with him. That exchange and my involvement in ENACT Day remind me that neither age nor political experience should be detractors to making your opinion heard in the policy-making process.  

Final Thoughts – The Long and Winding Road to Passing a Bill

The path to turning an idea into a bill can be long, windy, and often leave you feeling jaded, however my involvement in this year’s ENACT Day brought me immense joy. There’s incredible power that everyday advocates have, especially those who work in groups. I encourage everyone that wants to get involved in this or similar events to connect with like-minded organizations and find out how to make your voice heard on the issues you care about.  

That said, the fight to pass equitable laws does not end after one day. I encourage you to view these useful resources and learn about game-changing bills making their way through state legislature, some information on our elected officials, and our Cal Fresh Resource Hub.