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This month's national grassroots conference call and webinar
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National Grassroots Conference Call
and WebinarFebruary 18th, 2014
A collective Christian voice urging our nation's leaders to end hunger at home and abroad.
#breadweb
Questions: [email protected] or @bread4theworld on Twitter #breadweb
LaVida DavisDirector of Organizing
LaVida Davis
Director, Organizing & Grassroots Capacity
National Grassroots Conference Call and Webinar: Opening Welcome
Questions: [email protected] or @bread4theworld on Twitter #breadweb
LaVida DavisDirector of Organizing
Matt Newell-Ching
Deputy Director of Organizing, Western Region
National Grassroots Conference Call and Webinar: Opening Welcome
What is Bread for the World?
Bread for the World is acollective Christian voice urgingour nation’s decision makers toend hunger at home and abroad.
• Bipartisan• Advocacy at national level• No direct service—advocacy only• Offering of Letters as one tool
Why advocacy?
From the Bible
• God cares abouthungry people.
• Prophets heldleadersaccountable.
Charity is important,but not enough.Government needsto do its part.
What is an Offering of Letters?
• One key advocacy tool• Joining our voices with
others• Letters to Congress—
handwritten are best• Can happen anytime,
anywhere, with anyone
Why our letters matter
• Members of Congress want to hear from constituents.• In a democracy, we can advocate and hold leaders
accountable.• Personalized letters
are rated highly (morethan pre-writtenform letters/emails/petitions).
• If we get discouraged,what voices willCongress hear?
Our advocacy makes a difference
Each year, our lettershelp win victories onCapitol Hill.
Bread for the World’s2014 Offering of Letters
Tell Congress:
Reform U.S. food aid.
• People fed in the wilderness (manna, quails) and on hillsides (loaves, fish)
• Our neighborsare nearby andfar away.
• What other Biblepassages orstories come toyour mind?
The Bible, hunger, and food aid
What is U.S. food aid?
• Part of foreign aid, funded by taxpayer dollars• Meets urgent
humanitarian needs(drought, famine,war, disasters likePhilippines typhoon)
• Longer-termdevelopment tool,with other aid
• Story examples…
Who gets U.S. food aid?
In fiscal year 2012:• top recipients of emergency food aid: Ethiopia, Sudan,
South Sudan, Somalia, and Chad.• top recipients of development food aid: Ethiopia,
Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and South Sudan.
• In Latin America (and the Caribbean), the top food-aid recipients were: Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras.
How does food aid work now?
• Most food is grown in U.S. • At least 50% transported on American ships.• It’s costly and slow
to arrive where it’sneeded.
What smart changes are needed?1. An updated and more flexible system. That means:
More food purchasednear people in need.Why? It arrivesfaster, is lessexpensive, helpslocal farmersand economies.
What smart changes are needed?2. Improve nutrition:
1,000 days key windowfor very nutritious foods
What smart changes are needed?3. Maintain funding
in the face offederal budgetcuts
The key “ask” for your letter
To Congress: I urgeyou to protect andreform U.S. food aidin ways that increaseefficiency, increasenutritional quality,and maintain fundinglevels.
Tips
• Keep your letter brief and tothe point.
• Make the letter your own.Tell your story. (Includesomething from real life.)
• Explain why you care abouthunger.
• Make the “ask.”
• Include your name and home address.
Congressional addresses
For Senate members:
Sen. (Name)
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
For House member:
Rep. (Name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
/ Email Congress
/http://www.bread.org/ol/2014/act-now/
Questions: [email protected] or @bread4theworld on Twitter #breadweb
Next Steps
• Next Call: Tuesday, March 18th
• Keep a look out for your 2014 Offering of Letters Kit!
