How to Get Involved

Take part in this historic day by making an appointment with your legislators to deliver your message about how important CHAMP is to you. If you are unable to make to Salem on April 30th, you can also write a letter to your legislators to voice your support for CHAMP.

legislators really do wish to hear from you. Most citizens never convey an opinion or request their representatives take a particular action. One legislators told us that, except for a few “hot-button” issues like gun control, hearing from a dozen constituents on any issue represents a “landslide of public opinion.” Legislators do listen and respond.

HOW TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS FOR APRIL 30th:

STEP ONE: Who Are My Legislators??

Each citizen has one State Representative and one State Senator. Click on this link and enter your residential street address to find out who represents you:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

STEP TWO: Make an Appointment

Call your legislator’s office, let them know you are a constituent and would like to set up a time to stop by and voice your support for CHAMP on April 30th.

STEP THREE: The Message

Your time with your legislator will be short (usually 5 to 10 minutes), so it is important to have talking points before you go in. Here are several key subjects to discuss with your legislator:

• Ask the legislator to support the Governor’s full “Cultural Reinvestment (CHAMP) Package.”
• Let your legislator know how one or several of the CHAMP organizations has been helpful to you or someone you know.
• Ask for the legislator’s support of Senate Bill 5508, which contains the appropriations for the CHAMP programs at the Governor’s original levels.

Be sure and fill in your contact information on the blue “Contact us” bar at the left side of this page so that we can keep you updated on important news about CHAMP Day events.

IF YOU AREN’T ABLE TO ATTEND ON APRIL 30th, please write your legislators to express your support for CHAMP:

To write a letter:

STEP ONE: Who Are My Legislators??

Each citizen has one State Representative and one State Senator. Click on this link and enter your residential street address to find out who represents you:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

Address mail to your legislator at 900 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301. No room number is required.

Or, if you are in a hurry, use the link below to compose an email message that will be sent automatically to your personal representative and senator. The computer uses your street address to determine the appropriate recipients. But — a letter is better.

http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/

STEP TWO: How to Communicate Effectively

A short, signed, personal note — whether handwritten, typed, or printed from the computer — signals that you care enough about an issue to take the time to write about it.

Here are a few pointers that will help get your message across:

• Write in your own words and style. Don’t copy language directly from handouts or others’ messages. Don’t enclose handouts. Saturation campaigns involving signed petitions, form letters, or identical email messages are usually ineffective because they are impersonal. In fact, most legislators find the “quantity” approach to communication unhelpful. “Quality” notes, on the other hand, are very effective.
• Get to the point in the first sentence or two, and mention Senate Bill 5508, which contains the CHAMP appropriations. Don’t bury your request for the legislator’s support in the second or third paragraph. Try to keep the letter to one page if possible.
• Make certain you tell the legislator that he or she represents you. If you have met the legislator or been a political supporter in the past, mention it in passing.
• If you can cite a particular instance in which a CHAMP organization has been helpful to you and others, by all means mention it.
• Remain polite and considerate, even if you feel strongly about the issue. In most offices, the “how-dare-you” letters get short shrift.
• Always end by asking the legislator for a response to let you know where he or she stands on the issue. (And don’t forget to include your residential return address on the letter, which also confirms that you are a constituent!)
• If the legislator has helped you in the past or done something recently that you approve of, add a compliment about it, perhaps as a handwritten postscript.
• If the legislator responds with a message of strong support for your request, say thank-you in a short note of reply. If the legislator says no, it’s sometimes helpful to respond by saying you are disappointed and that you hope that he or she will reconsider later or find other ways to help.

STEP THREE: The Message

• Ask the legislator to support the Governor’s full “Cultural Reinvestment (CHAMP) Package.”
• Let your legislator know how one or several of the CHAMP organizations has been helpful to you or someone you know.
• Ask for the legislator’s support of Senate Bill 5508, which contains the appropriations for the CHAMP programs at the Governor’s original levels.