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Nonprofit organizations have traditionally used outreach campaigns to inform and engage policy makers. Yet outreach can come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, the most effective way to mobilize lawmakers and the public is to capture their imagination with an innovative outreach approach. Through a ground-breaking “exchange” program, Walk a Mile is an organization that has succeeded in turning outreach on poverty issues into a life-changing exercise for lawmakers and welfare recipients alike.

Natasha Grossman is the Director of Walk A Mile, an innovative program that informs and engages both policy makers and welfare recipients by challenging them to “walk a mile in each other’s shoes.” The program pairs policy makers up with a welfare recipient in their area, and over the course of a month they participate in an activity in each other’s lives, from visiting a welfare office together to attending a legislative session. This experience is further bolstered by weekly phone calls and a food budget exercise, wherein policymakers are asked to feed their families on the amount of money they would receive for their family size.

This concept of “learning by living” is a simple and powerful educational tool that equips law makers with unique insight into the challenges of living in poverty. At the same time, low-income participants often gain a greater sense of connection to their community and local representatives. From voting for the first time to participating in Welfare Reform Roundtables, the program empowers many of these participants to address their concerns through the legislative process.

Grossman was inspired to use this outreach technique by a challenge she encountered as a social work student lobbying legislators in Washington state: a conspicuous disconnect between law makers and their low-income constituents. Over the course of her lobbying work, rarely did she come across a lawmaker who had actually met a welfare recipient. She felt that the best way to bridge this divide was to provide a personal, working understanding of the realities of public welfare, and with the support of several community groups, the 1994 pilot program matched 21 state legislators with welfare recipients.

Since that time, the reach and mission of the program have expanded substantially. Through press releases and media outreach, Walk a Mile has attracted considerable media attention, sparking widespread interest in replicating the program. Since it's inception, Walk a Mile has supported projects in 30 states. While the program originally involved only one activity in the life of a welfare-recipient, Grossman felt it was important for both participants to experience each other's situations and the program was changed to include two activities. The program has also expanded to incorporate local leaders, matching mayors and city council members with their constituents.

This year, the program took on yet another feature. For the first time, organizers included participants who have aged out of child foster care, and participating policymakers were asked to live on a minimum wage budget, after arranging living costs, rather than welfare assistance. Through this change, Walk a Mile hopes to bring attention to the limitations of the foster care system and the challenges faced by a growing amount of people that have aged out of the program.

Walk a Mile’s Role Today

The Walk a Mile website offers first-hand accounts from past participants, application materials, and other information for community groups and legislators interested in instituting either local or state-wide Walk a Mile programs. Every year, the organization hosts a two day seminar in Seattle, Washington, where they provide materials, including a participant handbook, and training for participating organizations throughout the country. Throughout the month of the program, Walk a Mile assists participants with logistics and technical support. They also plan kick-off events and closing receptions, where participants are advised to share their experiences.

Yet Grossman emphasizes the importance of their minimal influence. Although Walk a Mile provides groups with a foundation of support and direction, it is very important for participants to advocate for themselves and grow from this experience.

The results speak for themselves. The program equips participants with an enduring perspective that affects the choices they make as lawmakers. In fact, many policymakers have introduced legislation directly related to their experience in the Walk a Mile program. One example is the Murray-Wellstone Amendment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (H.R. 3734), a federal welfare law, allowing time-limit exemptions for domestic violence victims. Senator Murray pushed to include the exemption after her experience with Walk a Mile when she was partnered with a victim of domestic abuse.