What is a Stride Advocate?

A Stride Advocate is someone who takes the time and has the compassion to support people in the community through creating and holding space for dialogue and sharing without judgment or fear. 

Stride Advocates are flexible and able to adapt to different situations. They come into work with soft hearts, generosity, kindness, and humility. They engage with the community in a constructive and kind way that is productive and builds bridges. Stride Advocates come to their work without expectation of reward or outcome.

Our goal as Advocates is to ensure that community members have space where they feel heard, are believed, and are not alone.  We seek to be client-directed and create opportunities for new paths. We work to create a safety net for the community and act as a space for people who are struggling to be heard and to identify their desired outcomes in their current situations.  

Advocates work for the people and seek not to be the voice of the community but to amplify others’ voices and walk alongside them. We come to this work with sincerity and seek to build and maintain connections and relationships with the community.

Through this work, Stride Advocates work to build bridges and break down barriers and stereotypes, particularly within government, legal, and social systems. Advocates walk the grey areas of these systems and work to see the broader perspectives and root causes of the issues that impact people in their daily lives.