By: Lindsy Ray
I hadn't been to Washington, D.C. in almost 10 years, so I didn't really remember what to anticipate... but it was just a short bus ride down to DC and before I knew it I was being taken away by the beautiful lights and fresh air that I felt as my cab cruised through the streets of the city towards my hotel.
Soon after that I was checking into my hotel room and meeting my new roommate and Oxfam trainee partner for the next 4 days, Taryn, who is a co-leader of the NYC Oxfam Action Corps. Cheryl could not attend the training unfortunately due to work obligations, but I am so thankful she is by my side this year all the same!
Oxfam America took all of it's new 2012 volunteer Action Corps Leaders to DC to properly train us all, introduce Oxfam (or give a re-fresher course to those in need), and create an amazing bond between us all that will connect us for the next year and help us get through the events and challenges we all are going to be facing until we decide to pass the torch to someone else.
The details of this training are probably very extensive, especially for those reading who are new to the organization, so I don't feel that I need to share every little detail and overwhelm anyone, but I will say that the first word I was asked to give describing what I wanted to get out of my week training in DC was POWER. Which on the last day there, lobbying day, I truly can say I achieved it. Here's why...
Getting to know all of the co-leaders for Oxfam America was such a great opportunity to have the chance to meet people from different areas of the country and learn about what brought them to the same place as me.
We all shared past experiences and worked together to train our 5-minute canvassing hook for grabbing attention to the people around us. We met all of the staff from the Boston office, listened to guest speakers explain their experiences with Oxfam, ate delicious and healthy foods, and also had some people share a few lovely harmonic songs with us.
The faculty from Boston gave us many tasks and exercises to broaden our perspectives and help us develop proper skills we needed to be leaders in our own cities. For example, a last minute impromptu dinner that we all had to organize in just about 2 hours.... food, location, guests, agenda, etc! It was a great way to see how we acted with others and were quick on our feet to plan an event. I don't think many of us knew the secret lesson at first, but once it all came together we felt so much achievement and pride in our successful night.
I think what influenced me the most though, was the final day in DC where all of my new Action Corps Leader friends and Oxfam staff spent a full day lobbying Congress to detail innovative and cost-effective ways for fixing how we distribute Food Aid in the Farm Bill. I never imagined that I would be talking with representatives from the state in their DC offices, it was such a stressful and exhilarating experience all at once!
It was such a scary rush, I definitely felt overwhelmed, which may have been because I had 0 of my 3 lobby visits booked when I arrived in DC... but by the last day I had booked 2 meetings and finalized the 3rd meeting in the cab ride to the city... I finally grasped that access to power. And it suddenly became a reality.
I was given the power to influence a change in my future. In your future. In the world's future. And what's amazing is that people do what I did that one day, everyday! It really opened my eyes to the differences I could make and how much impact
"We the people," actually can have.
Handing in the petiton signatures Oxfam has collected just in Philly alone, was truthfully the most powerful feeling I have ever felt yet. Knowing that so many supporters of Oxfam (48,000+ in Philly) are behind me on this journey I have chosen to explore throughout the next year is indescribable. I hope I can take my training and share it with those who are ready to show their support and love for people and the world around us as well.
I've learned I can't change and save the world in its entirety, but nothing says influence and inspiration is worthless. Especially when you have a country full of such inspiring leaders helping you along the way, Oxfam America's Action Corps! --
"The important thing is to influence. Influence for the better. Change how people think. Use your talent to flood the eyes of the world with inspiration. Trying to control the world is impossible, but inspiration is infinite." - Lindsy Ray, 2012
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Before their show at the Tin Angel, Oxfam joined Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers as well as Calling all Crows and local volunteers for a pre-show service project in Philly! 
Calling All Crows partners with musicians, fans, and other organizations like Oxfam, to create change through hands-on service and activism. Founded in 2008 by musician Chad Stokes (Dispatch, State Radio) and tour manager Sybil Gallagher, Calling All Crows has raised over $250,000 to empower women in Sudan and Afghanistan and invested more than 17,000 hours of service in local communities across North America and Europe.
By: Lindsy Ray
Oxfam America took all of it's new 2012 volunteer Action Corps Leaders to DC to properly train us all, introduce Oxfam (or give a re-fresher course to those in need), and create an amazing bond between us all that will connect us for the next year and help us get through the events and challenges we all are going to be facing until we decide to pass the torch to someone else.
