Hundreds of Bread for the World Covenant churches around the nation are holding the Offering of Letters with their congregations. Maybe the best way I can explain it is by posting my opening remarks I've written for my own congregation this Sunday.... -ccyl
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Welcome to “Offering of Letters” Sunday!
This is my favorite Sunday at First Church. Easter’s coming up and it’s very impressive, but today is when we collectively take on one of the biggest tasks Christianity calls us to do… you and I will take action together in an effort to do no less than end poverty.
Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Every year at Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters, we sit down after worship in the Great Hall to write letters to Congress on behalf of people in poverty. We each write 3 letters (to 2 Senators and one Representative) to join over a hundred thousand more letters from other churches pushing for policies reflecting our moral obligation to aid the poorest people in our world.
This year, we have a simple request about a complicated system of Foreign Aid. All the money the U.S. sends to fight global poverty is regulated by a 48 yr old Foreign Assistance Act. It’s outdated and now has aid going through across 12 departments, 25 agencies and nearly 60 government offices – all with different and sometimes conflicting priorities.
Foreign aid works for people like Nubia Bacca of Nicaragua. Two years after nearly losing her dairy cattle when her husband died, she is now running a self-sufficient farm employing 9 others in her community using farming and husbandry techniques she learned from a US development assistance program. So, our aid works, but we need it to work better and for more people.
We’re not even asking for more money this year. We just want better use of our tax dollars in a time when we have none to waste.
Here’s our message today: Reform foreign aid. Make it efficient, accountable and effective for children, women and men living and dying on less than $1.25 a day. A poverty-focused foreign assistance system would provide help faster and more effectively when the world needs it most.
Please join us in the Great Hall after worship today. Your letters are a fit offering to God.
Showing posts with label Offering of Letters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Offering of Letters. Show all posts
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 10, 2008
2008 Offering of Letters result: 130 letters!
I'm happy to report that the Offering of Letters at my church had a nice turnout and was quite a success. Despite a rocky start when the organizer (me) didn't set the clock ahead for daylight savings time, everything went smoothly. Bread got baked, our pastor delivered a beautiful sermon (seamlessly linking the Offering of Letters, the lesson about dry bones, his own mission trip to Senegal and a even an environmental message...he's quite a genius!), people were gathered, letters were written. We collected 130 letters to Congress! This was my first time organizing the event and I attribute the much of this year's success to my predecessors who have trained our congregation well. And by "trained", of course, I mean "educated and informed" :) I found I didn't have to convince or cajole anyone to write. People came in and sat down right away, putting pen to paper. I loved seeing youth and seniors writing at the side by side!
Thanks to all the volunteers who pulled this off and especially thanks to all the letter writers!
Thanks to all the volunteers who pulled this off and especially thanks to all the letter writers!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Offering of Letters in Evanston, IL this Sunday, 3/9
The Bread for the World 2008 Offering of Letters will be held next Sunday, March 9 at First United Methodist Church in Evanston. Immediately following worship, please join us in the Great Hall to write members of congress in support of more and better poverty-focused development assistance to eradicate extreme poverty. All, visitors and youth included, are welcome to write 3 letters: one to your representative and one to each of your senators. It only takes 90 seconds to write a letter. It might take you longer to eat the delicious homemade bread we will offer to you!
If you would like to participate, but are unable to attend, please visit this website http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/sample-letter.html
It has a sample letter that to help you know the issues we are pushing for. You must include your home address on the outside envelope and on the letter itself in order to be counted! You can mail it yourself and let me know how many you send, so we can include them in our church's total.
If you have questions, feel free to comment. Or, you can visit the Bread for the World website at www.bread.org
If you would like to participate, but are unable to attend, please visit this website http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/sample-letter.html
It has a sample letter that to help you know the issues we are pushing for. You must include your home address on the outside envelope and on the letter itself in order to be counted! You can mail it yourself and let me know how many you send, so we can include them in our church's total.
If you have questions, feel free to comment. Or, you can visit the Bread for the World website at www.bread.org
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
2008 Bread for the World Offering of Letters
First United Methodist Church in Evanston, IL is getting ready for the 2008 Offering of Letters on Sunday, March 9. It will involve the entire congregation in anti-poverty advocacy! If you're in town, come join us as we get inspired, learn how we can fight global poverty and take action right then and there. We will attend a worship service with messages and music focused on hunger and poverty. Then, immediately afterward, the whole congregation will move to the Great Hall where fresh, homemade bread awaits side-by-side with writing materials for each person to use to urge members of Congress to support specific poverty-fighting legislation.
This is part of Bread for the World's 2008 Offering of Letters which is getting underway across the nation from now until May. It is an advocacy event that combines the letters of hundreds of churches across the US to member of Congress. BFW members educate their congregations about a specific piece of legislation that can affect the lives of poor and hungry people. Then, people gather to write their own personal, handwritten letters to Congress. The effect of so many unique letters hitting Congress at the same time can be extraordinary.
This year, we are pushing for more and better poverty-focused development assistance—funding for programs in the U.S. budget that give people in poor countries the skills and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty permanently. These include long-term investments in things like education, agriculture, nutrition, health and clean water. The "more" part is a 5 billion dollar increase in the 2009 fiscal year. The "better" part is the passage of the Global Poverty Act which will hold the President accountable for coming up with a strategy to support the Millennium Development Goals and better coordinate our existing federal institutions affecting poverty.
For more info about the aims of this year's event or how to hold one of your own, please visit
http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/achieve-in-2008.html
This is part of Bread for the World's 2008 Offering of Letters which is getting underway across the nation from now until May. It is an advocacy event that combines the letters of hundreds of churches across the US to member of Congress. BFW members educate their congregations about a specific piece of legislation that can affect the lives of poor and hungry people. Then, people gather to write their own personal, handwritten letters to Congress. The effect of so many unique letters hitting Congress at the same time can be extraordinary.
This year, we are pushing for more and better poverty-focused development assistance—funding for programs in the U.S. budget that give people in poor countries the skills and opportunities to break the cycle of poverty permanently. These include long-term investments in things like education, agriculture, nutrition, health and clean water. The "more" part is a 5 billion dollar increase in the 2009 fiscal year. The "better" part is the passage of the Global Poverty Act which will hold the President accountable for coming up with a strategy to support the Millennium Development Goals and better coordinate our existing federal institutions affecting poverty.
For more info about the aims of this year's event or how to hold one of your own, please visit
http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/achieve-in-2008.html
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Time is right for a Letter to the Editor
From Shawnda Hines, Bread for the World Media Associate:
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Friends, during the next seven days, newspapers across the country will publish their opinion of the president’s last State of the Union address. More importantly, editors will want to hear what their readers think. This is a prime opportunity to get a letter to the editor published: a prime opportunity to call attention to our nation’s privilege and moral obligation to the world’s poorest people. And if your letter gets printed, not only will your neighbors read it—so will your members of Congress.
In his speech, President Bush devoted time to America’s efforts to fight global poverty, hunger and disease (see excerpt from his speech below). His remarks are right on target. As Bread for the World President David Beckmann said in his response statement to the speech, “One of the great legacies of this Administration will be its commitment to the continent of Africa particularly in the field of health. Reducing poverty and disease around the world has been one issue on which Republicans and Democrats have worked together.”
But words don’t change lives. To make the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals, America must put our money where our mouth is. We need more, and we need better poverty-focused development assistance—the very focus of Bread for the World’s 2008 Offering of Letters.
On February 4, President Bush will send Congress his budget request for fiscal year 2009. In the weeks that follow, members of Congress will begin the process of passing the 2009 federal budget. (On that day, we will also issue a statement and analysis of this year’s budget.)
I invite you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper this week about the need for more and better poverty-focused development assistance. Of course, it is of utmost importance that your letter be written in your own words. No one likes a form letter—including opinion editors. But here are a few points to help you formulate your own opinion and call for action by your elected leaders:
- In his State of the Union speech, President Bush spoke about our nation’s leadership in the fight against global poverty. Yet a billion people in the world live on less than $1 per day. [Check Bread’s Web site for more facts on global hunger and poverty]
- America is generous, but we can and must do more. Only half of one percent of our federal budget is dedicated to poverty-focused development assistance—long-term investments in things like education, agriculture, nutrition, clean water and the prevention of AIDS and malaria.
- An additional $5 billion will help the United States keep our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals: cutting hunger and extreme poverty in half, reducing child mortality by two-thirds and meeting other specific goals that will help millions of poor families build a better future.
- The Senate should approve S. 2433, the Global Poverty Act, which will better coordinate U.S. policies and programs for the most effective effort to fight poverty and hunger around the world.
- If you know that your Senator or Representative sits on a Budget or Appropriations Committee, or if they have a particularly critical role to play in the budget debate, be sure mention that in your letter.
Detailed tips for writing and submitting letters to the editor can be found on Bread’s Web site. (www.bread.org)
-----------------------------------------------
Friends, during the next seven days, newspapers across the country will publish their opinion of the president’s last State of the Union address. More importantly, editors will want to hear what their readers think. This is a prime opportunity to get a letter to the editor published: a prime opportunity to call attention to our nation’s privilege and moral obligation to the world’s poorest people. And if your letter gets printed, not only will your neighbors read it—so will your members of Congress.
In his speech, President Bush devoted time to America’s efforts to fight global poverty, hunger and disease (see excerpt from his speech below). His remarks are right on target. As Bread for the World President David Beckmann said in his response statement to the speech, “One of the great legacies of this Administration will be its commitment to the continent of Africa particularly in the field of health. Reducing poverty and disease around the world has been one issue on which Republicans and Democrats have worked together.”
But words don’t change lives. To make the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals, America must put our money where our mouth is. We need more, and we need better poverty-focused development assistance—the very focus of Bread for the World’s 2008 Offering of Letters.
On February 4, President Bush will send Congress his budget request for fiscal year 2009. In the weeks that follow, members of Congress will begin the process of passing the 2009 federal budget. (On that day, we will also issue a statement and analysis of this year’s budget.)
I invite you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper this week about the need for more and better poverty-focused development assistance. Of course, it is of utmost importance that your letter be written in your own words. No one likes a form letter—including opinion editors. But here are a few points to help you formulate your own opinion and call for action by your elected leaders:
- In his State of the Union speech, President Bush spoke about our nation’s leadership in the fight against global poverty. Yet a billion people in the world live on less than $1 per day. [Check Bread’s Web site for more facts on global hunger and poverty]
- America is generous, but we can and must do more. Only half of one percent of our federal budget is dedicated to poverty-focused development assistance—long-term investments in things like education, agriculture, nutrition, clean water and the prevention of AIDS and malaria.
- An additional $5 billion will help the United States keep our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals: cutting hunger and extreme poverty in half, reducing child mortality by two-thirds and meeting other specific goals that will help millions of poor families build a better future.
- The Senate should approve S. 2433, the Global Poverty Act, which will better coordinate U.S. policies and programs for the most effective effort to fight poverty and hunger around the world.
- If you know that your Senator or Representative sits on a Budget or Appropriations Committee, or if they have a particularly critical role to play in the budget debate, be sure mention that in your letter.
Detailed tips for writing and submitting letters to the editor can be found on Bread’s Web site. (www.bread.org)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Voting record for Dorgan-Grassely Amendment to the Farm Bill
Here's the nitty gritty on how the senators each voted on the Dorgan-Grassley amendment.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00424
Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Dodd were all present and voted for it. McCain did not vote.
As an interesting and disappointing note, there were four senators that had voted for this amendment both in 2002 and in 2005 that voted "nay" today. Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and George Voinovich (R-OH) all switched their votes this year. If these four senators had stayed consistent with their voting record, it would have passed. Boo.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00424
Obama, Clinton, Biden, and Dodd were all present and voted for it. McCain did not vote.
As an interesting and disappointing note, there were four senators that had voted for this amendment both in 2002 and in 2005 that voted "nay" today. Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and George Voinovich (R-OH) all switched their votes this year. If these four senators had stayed consistent with their voting record, it would have passed. Boo.
Dorgan-Grassely fails in Senate
From the Center for Rural Affairs:
"The Dorgan-Grassley amendment lost and will not be part of the 2007 Farm Bill. 56 yes, 43 no. 60 votes were needed to win. We'll post the individual votes in an hour or two when they are put on the Senate website."
"The Dorgan-Grassley amendment lost and will not be part of the 2007 Farm Bill. 56 yes, 43 no. 60 votes were needed to win. We'll post the individual votes in an hour or two when they are put on the Senate website."
Monday, December 10, 2007
BREAKING NEWS: Farm Bill vote TOMORROW!!!! Call in!
BREAKING NEWS: the Senate will be debating and voting on the Farm Bill TOMORROW DEC 11th!!!!
I've seen 2 very optimistic updates on the farm bill in the last 24 hrs. I'm not going to be disappointed in the length of the process if it turns out that we get some real reform in the end! The worst thing that could've happened is for the bill to be rushed through with a completely status quo result and no real debate. So, that does not appear to be happening!
The stalling was happening in the part of the process where the Senate decides on what amendments are even going to be considered. A deal has been achieved where both Reps and Dems will offer 20 amendments to the farm bill. Which should, as I understand it, be able to encompass the biggies that Bread for the World has been pushing for (Grassely-Dorgan, Lugar-Lautenberg, etc).
So call those senators if you haven't already:
1-800-826-3688 ask them to support:
• The FRESH Amendment;
• The Dorgan-Grassley Amendment
• The Brown-Sununu Amendment; and
• Any other amendments that help make our commodity payments fairer for all farmers and provide additional funding for the Food Stamp Program.
If you want to see a video on how to talk to your senators, here is a demonstation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmKEAsfgok&eurl=http://www.breadblog.org/
It's actually a beautiful little piece that I can't believe we haven't seen before! good luck!
I've seen 2 very optimistic updates on the farm bill in the last 24 hrs. I'm not going to be disappointed in the length of the process if it turns out that we get some real reform in the end! The worst thing that could've happened is for the bill to be rushed through with a completely status quo result and no real debate. So, that does not appear to be happening!
The stalling was happening in the part of the process where the Senate decides on what amendments are even going to be considered. A deal has been achieved where both Reps and Dems will offer 20 amendments to the farm bill. Which should, as I understand it, be able to encompass the biggies that Bread for the World has been pushing for (Grassely-Dorgan, Lugar-Lautenberg, etc).
So call those senators if you haven't already:
1-800-826-3688 ask them to support:
• The FRESH Amendment;
• The Dorgan-Grassley Amendment
• The Brown-Sununu Amendment; and
• Any other amendments that help make our commodity payments fairer for all farmers and provide additional funding for the Food Stamp Program.
If you want to see a video on how to talk to your senators, here is a demonstation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgmKEAsfgok&eurl=http://www.breadblog.org/
It's actually a beautiful little piece that I can't believe we haven't seen before! good luck!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Farm Bill vote next week
It appears as though the Senate may move on the Farm Bill again next week. It seems like we just had a call-in, but things are not looking up with all this stalling in the Senate. Consider this quote from the New York Times today: "As it has pressed to keep its subsidies, about $26 billion in the current bill, agribusiness has contributed $415 million to federal political campaigns since 1990, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The hungry don’t have much of a lobby." WE are the lobby for the hungry. We don't have millions of dollars at our disposal, but Bread for the World and its partners strive to influence change using tools we have abundantly: faith and voice. Please exercise your faith and voice now.
And if you spend 10 minutes making your 2 calls to your senators and want to do more, visit http://www.bread.org/take-action/take-action-farm-bill.html and write a letter to the editor. Right now, the best way to get more senators to vote for reform amendments is by writing letters to the editor in local papers. Because they are read by thousands of voters, letters to the editor get the attention of decision-makers in a forceful way. If you are in my area, know that the Pioneer Press is likely to print almost everything they get (as long as it's logical and fairly concise). If you're extra ambitious, write a letter to the NY Times in response to the article I cited:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/opinion/07fri2.html?ex=1197694800&en=2325a0f29bb98501&ei=5070
Here's the Bread for the World info for calling in...
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The Senate votes on the farm bill this week, one of the most vital pieces of legislation for struggling farmers and hungry people in our country and around the world. By asking our senators for farm bill reform, we can help improve people’s lives and, in so doing, prepare a path for justice.
Call the Capitol using Bread for the World’s toll-free number
1-800-826-3688
Call your senators on Mon., Dec. 10, and ask them to support:
• The FRESH Amendment; (aka the Lugar-Lautenberg Ammendment)
• The Dorgan-Grassley Amendment
• The Brown-Sununu Amendment
The Menendez Ammendment; and
• Any other amendments that help make our commodity payments fairer for all farmers and provide additional funding for the Food Stamp Program.
And if you spend 10 minutes making your 2 calls to your senators and want to do more, visit http://www.bread.org/take-action/take-action-farm-bill.html and write a letter to the editor. Right now, the best way to get more senators to vote for reform amendments is by writing letters to the editor in local papers. Because they are read by thousands of voters, letters to the editor get the attention of decision-makers in a forceful way. If you are in my area, know that the Pioneer Press is likely to print almost everything they get (as long as it's logical and fairly concise). If you're extra ambitious, write a letter to the NY Times in response to the article I cited:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/opinion/07fri2.html?ex=1197694800&en=2325a0f29bb98501&ei=5070
Here's the Bread for the World info for calling in...
---------------------------------------
The Senate votes on the farm bill this week, one of the most vital pieces of legislation for struggling farmers and hungry people in our country and around the world. By asking our senators for farm bill reform, we can help improve people’s lives and, in so doing, prepare a path for justice.
Call the Capitol using Bread for the World’s toll-free number
1-800-826-3688
Call your senators on Mon., Dec. 10, and ask them to support:
• The FRESH Amendment; (aka the Lugar-Lautenberg Ammendment)
• The Dorgan-Grassley Amendment
• The Brown-Sununu Amendment
The Menendez Ammendment; and
• Any other amendments that help make our commodity payments fairer for all farmers and provide additional funding for the Food Stamp Program.
Schakowsky's response to my MDG letter
At last month's "Social Justice for Social Mom's" meeting, we focused on writing to our members of congress to support the Millennium Development Goals by increasing the amount of development assistance next year. (FYI, this will be the main thrust of next year's Offering of Letters) This was Rep Jan Schakowsky's response:
"Thank you for contacting me to urge my support for increased funding for poverty-focused development assistance in the Fiscal Year 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. I appreciate hearing from you, and I agree with you.
I have contacted my colleagues on the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to express my support for a $2 billion increase in the Development Assistance Account and the Millennium Challenge Account. As the richest country in the world, I believe the US has a special obligation to fight poverty and global pandemics abroad. The US spends less than one half of 1% of its budget on foreign aid. We can do a lot more. I cosponsored H.R. 1302, the Global Poverty Act of 2007, which passed the House on September 26, 2007. The Global Poverty Act mandates that the President and the Secretary of State develop and implement a plan to further the United States' commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to cut international poverty in half by 2015. I will continue to push initiatives to end poverty throughout my time in Congress.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in the future.
Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky"
"Thank you for contacting me to urge my support for increased funding for poverty-focused development assistance in the Fiscal Year 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. I appreciate hearing from you, and I agree with you.
I have contacted my colleagues on the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to express my support for a $2 billion increase in the Development Assistance Account and the Millennium Challenge Account. As the richest country in the world, I believe the US has a special obligation to fight poverty and global pandemics abroad. The US spends less than one half of 1% of its budget on foreign aid. We can do a lot more. I cosponsored H.R. 1302, the Global Poverty Act of 2007, which passed the House on September 26, 2007. The Global Poverty Act mandates that the President and the Secretary of State develop and implement a plan to further the United States' commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to cut international poverty in half by 2015. I will continue to push initiatives to end poverty throughout my time in Congress.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in the future.
Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky"
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Farm Bill update and Sample letter to Senate
Just an update on the Farm Bill. Very little press about it lately because Congress is still on recess. When the Senate comes back, it will begin its deliberations. Sen Durbin (D-IL) and Sen Lugar (R-IN) will be the two to watch to push for reform. Letters written to our senators now should reach them before this debate reaches the floor. Here are some example points to push for:
"The farm bill that came out of the House of Representatives did not address the inequities of the commodity payment system. Please make sure the Senate version of the farm bill:
1) reforms farm commodity payments to provide more fairness to struggling family farmers in the U.S. & in developing countries
2) includes significant improvements to nutrition, rural development and conservation."
Of course, you'd want to rewrite that in your own words. That one came from the Bread for the World. Good luck!
"The farm bill that came out of the House of Representatives did not address the inequities of the commodity payment system. Please make sure the Senate version of the farm bill:
1) reforms farm commodity payments to provide more fairness to struggling family farmers in the U.S. & in developing countries
2) includes significant improvements to nutrition, rural development and conservation."
Of course, you'd want to rewrite that in your own words. That one came from the Bread for the World. Good luck!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Bread for the World Update: Support Rural Communities
A message from Bread for the World...
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It’s been said that the US farm bill should actually be named the “rural development bill” because it provides much of the federal support for rural areas. As the 2007 farm bill takes shape in Congress, Bread for the World is calling for broad reform. A key component of our Offering of Letters campaign is to strengthen rural communities.
The farm bill originated during the Great Depression to help people in rural areas. Today, the goal remains the same, but the rural landscape has changed dramatically. In the 1930’s, nearly 25% of the US population worked in agriculture. Now, less than 2% of all Americans work on farms, and most rural jobs are in service industries. So commodity payment programs- a major component to the farm bill- cannot be a substitute for wider rural development efforts. To remain true to its original intent, the farm bill needs to expand its programs to support rural America in its reality today.
Hunger and poverty are more common in rural areas, and many rural counties have lost population as people move away for better jobs and services. Mines, factories and big box stores open and close contributing to “boom and bust” cycles. To break this cycle, it’s essential to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen infrastructure. In the past, funds authorized for rural water quality, firefighters and other vital services have been meager and sometimes non-existent.
There’s no quick solution for rural challenges. But many strategies show promise- from increasing entrepreneurship and attracting a diverse business base to improving access to technology. Previously, rural development programs have generally been small and low priority. Bread for the World is urging Congress to give rural development greater visibility and more resources. Only then, will more rural communities be able to find solutions that work.
-----------------
It’s been said that the US farm bill should actually be named the “rural development bill” because it provides much of the federal support for rural areas. As the 2007 farm bill takes shape in Congress, Bread for the World is calling for broad reform. A key component of our Offering of Letters campaign is to strengthen rural communities.
The farm bill originated during the Great Depression to help people in rural areas. Today, the goal remains the same, but the rural landscape has changed dramatically. In the 1930’s, nearly 25% of the US population worked in agriculture. Now, less than 2% of all Americans work on farms, and most rural jobs are in service industries. So commodity payment programs- a major component to the farm bill- cannot be a substitute for wider rural development efforts. To remain true to its original intent, the farm bill needs to expand its programs to support rural America in its reality today.
Hunger and poverty are more common in rural areas, and many rural counties have lost population as people move away for better jobs and services. Mines, factories and big box stores open and close contributing to “boom and bust” cycles. To break this cycle, it’s essential to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen infrastructure. In the past, funds authorized for rural water quality, firefighters and other vital services have been meager and sometimes non-existent.
There’s no quick solution for rural challenges. But many strategies show promise- from increasing entrepreneurship and attracting a diverse business base to improving access to technology. Previously, rural development programs have generally been small and low priority. Bread for the World is urging Congress to give rural development greater visibility and more resources. Only then, will more rural communities be able to find solutions that work.
Friday, July 13, 2007
A letter from Barak (to Bread for the World)
This isn't breaking news, but I just stumbled across this on the Bread for the World web site. I didn't get a personal letter from Barak, but this dude did!
----------------------------
June 25, 2007
Since this beginning of this year, Bread members have written over a thousand letters to IL Senator Barack Obama. On June 5, the Congressman replied to Bread member Robert Reardon. Here is what he said:
Dear Robert:
Thank you for sending me the letters that your students hand wrote outlining their support for Farm Bill reform. Please tell your students that I read every one of their letters. It is very meaningful to me that each of your students took the time to write down and send me their opinion.
I understand that your students have studied information provided by Bread for the World. I have great respect for Bread for the World and am working with their representatives on the Farm Bill and other hunger-related initiatives.
Bread for the World advocates that the Farm Bill be used as a vehicle to reduce hunger and poverty in the United States and around the World. It has also called for adjustments in the commodity payment programs that would provide more support for farm and rural families of modest means and also help to reduce hunger in our country and internationally. I support both of these goals.
Your students might also be interested to know that, at the suggestion of Bread for the World, I was proud to join as an original cosponsor of The Hunger Free Communities Act, which sets aggressive targets for reducing hunger in America. The bill also provides grants to emergency feeding centers and other food pantries and nonprofits, and requires a new USDA research initiative focused on tracking American hunger and developing approaches to eliminate it.
Again, please convey my appreciation to your student for writing me. You may assure them that I will do all that I can to ensure that the Farm Bill helps family farmers, strengthens rural communities and reduces hunger in America and abroad.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
----------------------------
June 25, 2007
Since this beginning of this year, Bread members have written over a thousand letters to IL Senator Barack Obama. On June 5, the Congressman replied to Bread member Robert Reardon. Here is what he said:
Dear Robert:
Thank you for sending me the letters that your students hand wrote outlining their support for Farm Bill reform. Please tell your students that I read every one of their letters. It is very meaningful to me that each of your students took the time to write down and send me their opinion.
I understand that your students have studied information provided by Bread for the World. I have great respect for Bread for the World and am working with their representatives on the Farm Bill and other hunger-related initiatives.
Bread for the World advocates that the Farm Bill be used as a vehicle to reduce hunger and poverty in the United States and around the World. It has also called for adjustments in the commodity payment programs that would provide more support for farm and rural families of modest means and also help to reduce hunger in our country and internationally. I support both of these goals.
Your students might also be interested to know that, at the suggestion of Bread for the World, I was proud to join as an original cosponsor of The Hunger Free Communities Act, which sets aggressive targets for reducing hunger in America. The bill also provides grants to emergency feeding centers and other food pantries and nonprofits, and requires a new USDA research initiative focused on tracking American hunger and developing approaches to eliminate it.
Again, please convey my appreciation to your student for writing me. You may assure them that I will do all that I can to ensure that the Farm Bill helps family farmers, strengthens rural communities and reduces hunger in America and abroad.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
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