You may think research is very important, and you may wish you could help advocate for more arthritis research dollars. Do you know how or where to start?

You can start as part of grassroots advocacy, where you commit to positively influencing your own life and your community, and to influencing government officials to make right decisions.

First, you must believe that you can make a difference.

Do advocacy work through your Arthritis Foundation or Arthritis Society. You will have more clout as part of an advocacy campaign than as an individual. You may have to make telephone calls or write e-mails or letters. You may choose to visit your elected officials in person to plead for their help. You will organize, and your efforts will go toward creating awareness about arthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation has a section devoted to advocacy (www.arthritis.org/advocacy/priorities/priorities_contact.asp), which helps guide you to your elected officials, offers advocacy tips, and even offers a writing sample to simplify your tasks. Your voice is needed.

Many people with arthritis see the wisdom in advocacy, yet they feel their single voice doesn't matter. On the contrary, everyone's voice matters, and more voices speaking in unison about a certain arthritis campaign can definitely be heard.