Cindy Levin is no stranger to volunteering. She’s worked at soup kitchens and has been an advocate for anti-poverty in the past, but it wasn’t until she had her first child eight-years-ago when she saw the world through a different lens.
“I began to think really seriously about other moms in the world who didn’t have what I consider now to be the luxuries that I have,” said the Morton Grove resident of 11 years. “Being able to get her a doctor, being able to have her vaccinated, being able to provide food and warmth and all of the things she needs that I have here in abundance.”
After doing some research during an unforgivingly cold Chicago winter, Levin became attracted to advocacy, as she could work from home while raising a baby. Eight-years later that path led her to the United Nation’s Foundation program Shot@Life.
The initiative seeks to connect and empower Americans to raise awareness about the importance of vaccinating children worldwide that live in developing nations.
Shot@Life focuses on protecting children against four types of disabling diseases including polio, measles, diarrhea and pneumonia. One in five children around the world don’t have access to these life-saving vaccines, which cost a mere 13 to 23 cents a dose.
“The premise of Shot@Life is that every child deserves a shot at life no matter where they live,” Levin said. “And by expanding access to these vaccines and specifically these four vaccines, which are for the major killers of children worldwide, we can save a child’s life every 20 seconds.”
She was called up to be a volunteer for the program after her involvement with RESULTS, an anti-poverty advocacy organization. Now Levin is one of 40 champions located across the country with the Shot@Life movement.
In terms of bringing this global issue to the local level here in Morton Grove, she’s not only educating her friends and neighbors, but also reaching out to local politicians.
“We definitely have built up our action network,” she said. “Now that we have a little base going we’ll be meeting with Rep. (Jan) Schakowsky and Sen. (Dick) Durbin to go in and talk about Shot@Life.”
Levin said she plans to meet with Rep. Schakowsky within the next month. In the meantime, she’ll be collecting letters from residents supporting the program to give to the congresswoman.
Through the use of social media and face-to-face interactions with local politicians, people like Levin have helped to nearly eradicate diseases such as polio and measles across the globe.
“They can make a difference,” said Shot@Life Executive Director Peg Willingham. “Fairly small individual actions can help add up to a lot of impact.”
Willingham said thanks to advocates, government officials are paying more attention and addressing the issue head-on.
“I know it sounds corny, but it’s democracy in action,” Willingham said. “People can make a difference, especially now where we have this online world where it’s just must more common and I think people are empowered by it.”
And people of all ages are taking part. In fact, Levin has taken her two daughters to lobby in the past. She also led a class of students in making a paper chain with messages to politicians on it, which eventually found its way to Washington D.C.
“It all really stems from the love that I have for my kids and wanting to be able to help other parents protect and care for their children, too.”