Forward Together is a multi-racial organization that works with community leaders and organizations to transform culture and policy to catalyze social change. Our mission is to ensure that women, youth and families have the power and resources they need to reach their full potential. By developing strong leaders, building networks across communities, and implementing innovative campaigns, we are making our mission a reality. Race, gender and sexuality are at the center of all our work.
Forward Together a national movement building organization with an active base in several states. We staff and lead a national network of over 175 organizations called Strong Families, including a number of Fair Shot coalition members. Forward Together has staff in Portland, OR; Oakland, CA; Los Angeles, CA and Albuquerque, NM.
Strong Families assesses policies and bills based on their potential to support families in thriving. We support policies that:
- Recognize and support families of all formations.
- Promote equitable outcomes for all families.
- Expand government programs and services that support family wellbeing and the wellbeing of individuals with families.
- Remove barriers that harm families in accessing government programs and services.
- Protect families, and the individuals that comprise them, against discrimination, profiling, and harassment.
The 2015 Fair Shot legislative agenda of raising the minimum wage, ending profiling, ensuring all Oregonians have paid sick days, establishing ways to make saving for retirement easier and creating job opportunities for people with prior convictions and arrests are policies advance race and gender equity for families in Oregon.
Over the course of the 2015 legislative session we activated our list on multiple Fair Shot issues. Here are some of the ways we supported Fair Shot:
Paid Sick Days:
- 524 phone calls to legislators
- 1036 emails to legislators
- Testimony from Forward Together Board member at joint hearing
- 6 person delegation for lobby visits with 12 legislators.
Ban the Box:
- 228 phone calls to legislators
- 79 emails to legislators
We continue to be excited about Fair Shot’s multi-issue approach and prioritization of race and gender equity and the work the coalition does to help families in Oregon thrive.
