A couple weeks ago, I was camping in the “mountains” of western Maryland (sorry, for this guy who grew up in the Intermountain West, it is hard for me to call these mountains) and I got to talking to another guy who was camping. We were introducing ourselves. He is a former Congressional staffer who works in the Administration now. I told him I worked at the National Fragile X Foundation and, instinctively, started explaining what Fragile X is. He said, “Oh, I know about Fragile X. You can’t work on the Hill and not hear about Fragile X.”
This – this is why we do what we do. Because of the hard work of NFXF advocates over the past 20 years, decision-makers in Congress know what Fragile X is. Being present, persistent, and problem-solving is what gets things done in Congress.
Which brings me to another important action as an NFXF Advocate – voting! Many of you have probably already voted. For those who haven’t and need help navigating the web of state rules and procedures, https://howto.vote/ can help you. Check it out.
Remember – while the national election is top-of-mind, your local elections from the state office to the school board likely have a bigger impact on your day-to-day life.
Take care, and if the upcoming election is stressing you out, take a night and go camping or glamping – your choice.
author
Dan Whiting
Dan is the NFXF director of community impact and has been a member of the NFXF team since 2017. He is passionate about helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live better lives. He has over 23 years of experience in public policy and communications, including 11 years as a staff member for a U.S. Senator, in the Bush Administration as Chief of Staff at an agency, and as a senior strategist for communication initiatives across the DOD. He loves spending time with his family and friends and dreams of either being an artisan woodworker or comedy writer – or both at the same time.