Listening Sessions

Each of us is the expert in our own lives, stories, and experiences.

At Poverty Action, we believe that low-income communities and communities of color inherently have the expertise and experience needed to identify and lead solutions to the problems impacting them. Our work both starts and is carried out in partnership with Washingtonians living on low incomes, and it all starts with our semi-annual Listening Sessions.

How our Listening Sessions work

Poverty Action staff and board members travel to towns and communities across the state to hear directly from low-income Washingtonians about the issues most impacting them. We structure our sessions to allow space for every participant to share their experiences and perspective. We facilitate conversations around accessing financial assistance and basic needs programs, the criminal justice system, healthcare and consumer debt, and more.

Listening Sessions guide our policy agenda

As the name suggests, Listening Sessions are an opportunity for Poverty Action staff and board to listen and learn from community members. The issues we work on are directly influenced by the conversations, feedback, and experiences that we hear from people with low incomes and communities of color throughout Washington. We develop and advocate for policy solutions in the upcoming Legislative Session based on what we hear.