Outside the State House
Outside the State House
Together with this network of nearly 100 Mainers, we raise the voices of people affected by poverty and build power in Maine communities to fight for meaningful change at the state level.
The formation of the Equal Justice Partners’ Circle (EJPC) comes from our belief that people impacted by poverty should be at the forefront of the fight to end it. We can work together to pass laws and policies that increase economic security and address discrimination and disparities in the system. People who have experienced poverty must have a leadership role in this work.
Equal Justice Partners come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances to work together to guarantee economic security for every Mainer. The EJPC includes Head Start parents; immigrant leaders; people who access services at DHHS; and parents seeking higher education through Parents as Scholars. They are people raising children and single adults; seniors and young people; people who were born and raised in Maine and newcomers from near and far.
Equal Justice Partners work alongside Maine Equal Justice staff to advocate for laws and policies that improve the lives of people in poverty and win equitable outcomes for all in Maine. The EJPC strives to hold policymakers accountable so that every Mainer has food in the fridge, a place to call home, and quality, affordable health care.
Our first Partners’ Circle began in May 2016, when twenty-three community leaders came together for a common purpose: ending poverty and ensuring all people in Maine have the opportunity to live with dignity. Maine Equal Justice convened a second EJPC cohort in 2018, welcoming 47 new partners. The 2019 EJPC has 25 new low-income advocates from across the state.
During trainings, Equal Justice Partners discuss obstacles they have faced and successful strategies to address community problems. They learn and practice communication, advocacy, and leadership skills to be powerful, strategic and effective voices for equal justice at the state house and all over Maine. Equal Justice Partners learn how to tell stories that educate policymakers and change the public conversation from one that blames and shames poor people to one about community empowerment. EJPC members work with the Maine Equal Justice Policy and Organizing teams during training sessions to collectively envision our future, the goals and priorities in the next year, and our legislative agenda going forward.
The EJPC has been instrumental in working with Maine Equal Justice to protect and improve General Assistance, pass and implement Medicaid expansion, and improve income supports, childcare, and higher education for low-income families. We have also worked together to defend against significant attacks to our public safety net programs.
When Maine Equal Justice advocates and low-income leaders join forces, we create powerful strategies for systemic change!
We know how effective we can be when we come together across our differences to make a difference. Working together, we create a strong and unified voice for economic and racial justice.
The Equal Justice Partners Circle (EJPC) is a group of community members from across the state who care about and/or are impacted by economic justice issues facing Maine people. This diverse group, brought together by Maine Equal Justice, advocates for laws and policies that ensure all Maine families can obtain economic security, safe and affordable housing, healthcare, access to education, dental care, and more. We believe that the best way to achieve change is to have those impacted by these issues at the forefront of the fight. The EJPC invites community members to join us in our work to end the inequities that keep our communities from thriving.
Equal Justice Partners work alongside Maine Equal Justice staff to advocate for laws and policies that improve the lives of people in poverty and win equitable outcomes for all in Maine. The EJPC strives to hold policymakers accountable so that every Mainer has food in the fridge, a place to call home, and quality, affordable health care. Join us!
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273.
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126 Sewall Street, Augusta ME 04330 (Map) • Toll-free: 1-866-626-7059 • FAX: 207-621-8148
