sters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) members gathered Thursday at the Mother House in Leavenworth to learn effective strategies for legislative advocacy through a workshop on written testimony. Led by Ashley Hernandez of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office, the event drew 19 Sisters and four staff members eager to strengthen their voices on important social justice issues.
The workshop introduced attendees to the JPIC’s Written Testimony Toolkit, designed to empower Sisters in connecting Catholic Social Justice Teaching with legislative policy. “The Sisters’ voices and experiences are valued by the community,” Hernandez emphasized while explaining the importance of submitting written testimony. The presentation outlined the JPIC Office’s 2025 Legislative Agenda, which focuses on three key areas: Housing/Homelessness, Immigration Reform, and Healthcare Access.
Participants received practical guidance on crafting effective testimony, including researching legislation thoroughly, maintaining a calm tone, using clear structure and plain language, supporting claims with evidence, incorporating personal experiences, and highlighting key concepts. The comprehensive toolkit provides worksheets for developing testimony, letter templates, plain language guides, technical instructions for PDF conversion, and resources for continued engagement with legislators.
The session included a question-and-answer period that clarified the distinction between testimony and direct communication with representatives. Rebecca Metz noted that while both are valuable forms of advocacy, testimony becomes part of the public record on the Kansas legislative website and is distributed to all committee members. Sisters were encouraged to sign up for email alerts and to contact the JPIC Office with questions about legislation or for assistance with submitting testimony. The workshop reinforced the Sisters’ commitment to advocating for those affected by state and national policies, continuing their long tradition of social justice work.
The morning concluded with a testimony writing activity led by the JPIC staff.
