VIDEO: How To Call Your Member of Congress (It's Easy!)

Are you feeling nervous about calling your member of Congress? We understand. It requires a little bit of gumption to call the capitol switchboard and leave a message for your senator or representative. But Zachary Schmidt, a field organizer for Bread for the World in Chicago, shows us how easy it is to leave a brief message for your member of Congress on the importance of protecting funding for lifesaving poverty-focused foreign assistance.

Watch the video above!

Also, as an aid to you, here are the exact words Zachary said in his call. Feel free to copy his words, verbatim. (Sunglasses are optional, of course.)

Zachary Schmidt's Call:

Operator: U.S. Capitol, how may I help you?

Zachary Schmidt: Yes, I'm calling for Senator Durbin [enter your members' name here], please?

Operator: Senator Durbin's office, how may I help you?

ZS: Yes. Hi, my name is Zach Schmidt. I'm a constituent of Senator Durbin's, and I was just calling to ask Senator Durbin to please support the Senate's higher numbers for poverty-focused development assistance.

Operator: Higher numbers ... yes. Can I get your zip code?

ZS: My zip code is 60042.

Operator: 60042, I will pass your message. Thank you.

ZS: Thank you.

We can't guarantee that your call will be exactly like this, but it's about as simple as that, folks! So call Congress today. Urge your U.S. representative and your U.S. senators to support the higher Senate numbers in the final appropriations bill for poverty-focused development assistance. Use our toll-free number to call the Capitol switchboard today: 1-800-826-3688. Ask for your member of Congress and your senators. Please make your call by Monday at 5 p.m. EST.

We've got a few more hours to make a real difference!