Starting Wednesday (Sept. 18th) and Thursday (Sept. 19th) we are asking that you Support Fibromyalgia by calling, emailing and using social media to reach your senators and representatives. We can’t let funding for Fibromyalgia get cut for FY2020, in fact we are overdue for an increase and an overhaul on the way our government agencies define Fibromyalgia. Join us for the start of a new era of advocacy for Fibromyalgia!
DOWNLOAD ADVOCACY DAY CHECKLIST
Support Fibromyalgia
Advocacy Checklist
Research
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Find your representative here: http://house.gov/representatives/find/
My representative is:
- Bookmark their website
- Copy the phone numbers for both the Washington, D.C. office and state office closest to you
- Follow them on social media
- Sign up for any email lists
SENATE
Find your senators here: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
My senators are:
- Bookmark their website
- Copy the phone numbers for both the Washington, D.C. office and state office closest to you
- Follow them on social media
- Sign up for any email lists
ADVOCACY BY PHONE / EMAIL
The phone numbers of the offices of your senators and representatives are available on their websites. You can also call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senators’ and/or representative’s office.
Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress.
Your Personal Script:
Hello, My name is (First & Last), and I am from (City & State).
I am calling today to support Fibromyalgia advocates currently in Washington. We are requesting a sustained increase in funding for Fibromyalgia specific research. Please help us preserve medical research funding for Fibromyalgia which afflicts more than 4 million patients like myself [or if calling on behalf of someone].
Share your story briefly. If you have specific expertise in an issue, make sure the staffer knows that.
Fibromyalgia’s cause is still unknown and there is no cure. Patients have a lower quality of life. Please urge Representative/Senator {LAST NAME} to support Fibromyalgia patients by increasing NIH research funding for FY 2020, not decrease it.
Thank you for your consideration of my views.
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There is so much you can do to help Support Fibromyalgia! For those of you who get some social anxiety when talking on the phone, here is a helpful blog: How to call your reps when you have social anxiety
Our Social Media Accounts
Facebook: @SupportFibromylagia
Instagram: @SupportFibromylagia
Twitter: @TeamFibro
Primary Hashtags: #SupportFibromyalgia #SupportFibro
Additional Hashtags: #FundNIH #FibroDC
Sample Twitter Posts
- Dear [@CongressMember], please increase funding for Fibromyalgia specific medical research and education! I’m joining @teamfibro to rally for advocates at Capitol Hill right now. #SupportFibromyalgia
- I support @teamfibro and our Fibromyalgia advocates at Capitol Hill! Dear [@CongressMember], please increase funding for Fibromyalgia specific medical research and education! #SupportFibromyalgia
- Dear [@CongressMember], please invest in Fibromyalgia specific medical research and education! Increase our FY2020 NIH funding. I support our @teamfibro and our advocates at Capitol Hill right now. #SupportFibromyalgia
- Dear [@CongressMember], please invest in Fibromyalgia specific medical research and education! Increase our FY2020 NIH funding. #SupportFibromyalgia
- Dear [@CongressMember], as a Fibromyalgia patient, I’m requesting your support to increase NIH funding for Fibromyalgia specific research and education! #SupportFibromyalgia
Sample Facebook Posts
We encourage you to post to your own Facebook pages and post on pages from your members of Congress.
- I am someone/I have a loved one who is affected by Fibromyalgia. That’s why I’m requesting a sustained increase in funding for Fibromyalgia specific research and medical education. I’m joining @SupportFibromyalgia to rally for my fellow Fibromyalgia advocates at Capitol Hill right now! #SupportFibromyalgia
- An increase in Fibromyalgia specific medical research is important to me because [Personal Reason]. That’s why I’m joining @SupportFibromyalgia to rally for Fibromyalgia advocates at Capitol Hill right now! #SupportFibromyalgia
- Dear [@CongressMember], as a Fibromyalgia patient, I’m requesting your support to increase NIH funding for Fibromyalgia specific research and education! #SupportFibromyalgia
- Dear [@CongressMember], please invest in Fibromyalgia specific medical research and education! Increase our FY2020 NIH funding. I support our advocates at Capitol Hill right now. #SupportFibromyalgia
Related Posts
Please please listen to all our requests . We are fighting for our lives here. Please allow us to be able to get the medications we need and not be labeled a drug searching people .
This meds help our pain and help us to be normal . It’s a difference in being in bed all day in pain due to Fibro or being able to get out of bed and try and be normal .
Please help us ! We are warriors because we have to be .