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But Hope has given Trisha something even greater\u2014the platform to use her voice. Earlier this year, she joined fellow Hope participants in Sacramento for DISCO at the Capitol<\/strong><\/span>, an event organized by The Arc of California to promote self-advocacy and awareness, as well as the Keep The Promise<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0rally. The group met with legislators, visited Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s office, and spoke up about the importance of protecting Medicaid funding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was fun but serious,\u201d Trisha reflected. \u201cThe [current administration] shouldn\u2019t take money away from programs people need. If they did, I\u2019d feel bad because that money helps me with my healthcare.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Hope Services made sure participants had everything they needed for the trip\u2014transportation, meals, and support\u2014so they could focus on what mattered most: being heard. The day was filled with pride and curiosity.<\/p>\n Sara, who helped lead the trip, recalled how meaningful the experience was. \u201cIt was a hot day, but everyone stayed engaged. You could see how proud people were to be there and to speak for themselves,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n One moment stood out. Tyler, a participant from Hollister who rarely speaks up during programs, found the courage to address legislators. \u201cBy the fourth meeting, he introduced himself and shared why Medicaid is important to him,\u201d Sara said.<\/p>\n Trisha didn\u2019t take the mic this time, but she\u2019s already planning to next year. \u201cI would tell people to use their own voice,\u201d she said. \u201cHope Services helps us get organized and make sure we\u2019re heard. Even when funding is uncertain, we have to keep showing up. It doesn\u2019t end here.\u201d<\/p>\n The event was also deeply personal for others. Kim, another participant, reflected on how her mother used to bring her to advocacy events when she was younger. \u201cHer mom was so proud to see her there as an adult,\u201d Sara shared. \u201cKim has an amazing voice and even wrote a safety plan to protect her team at Hope from ICE. That\u2019s advocacy in action.\u201d<\/p>\n As the day came to an end, one message stood out\u2014a message that continues to guide the work of Hope Services and its self-advocates:<\/p>\n Advocacy is about representation and inclusion.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important that people who are affected are the ones at the table,\u201d Sara said. \u201cNot about us, without us.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n For Trisha, that message captures what Hope Services means. \u201cI see a future with more opportunities,\u201d she said. \u201cSpeaking up is how we make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Now more than ever, it\u2019s important to stay engaged, remain informed, and make sure our voices are part of the conversation shaping our service system.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lasting change happens when people with disabilities are directly involved in shaping the systems that affect their lives. As Sara, Central District Program Director and Policy Lead, shared, when decisions are being made about things that impact their lives, they need to be included. At Hope Services, that belief comes to life through self-advocates like…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":11374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[206],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[102,99,117,282,767,101,205,98,1346,1516],"class_list":["post-11339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","wpautop"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hopeservices.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/a-133-1-scaled.jpg\")
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