516 posts categorized "Advocacy"

Bread staff at the 2013 Justice Conference: (l-r) Michael Smith, Krisanne Vaillancourt-Murphy, Sarah Miller, and Kyle Dechant. (Robin Stephenson)

By Sarah Miller

Several weeks have passed since I traveled to Philadelphia for the 2013 Justice Conference, but my mind is still filled with thoughts about the event. This year, I joined the team representing Bread for the World at this two-day event that aims to "promote dialogue around justice-related issues such as human trafficking, slavery, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and human rights." Six Bread staff members, two Bread advocates, and I heard prominent speakers from all over the world, talked to representatives from some of the hundreds of humanitarian organizations in attendance, participated in workshops, and engaged in deep conversations about justice.

I have several friends who attended the biblical and social justice conference last year and raved about the experience. I knew the conference would have an effect on me, but I greatly underestimated its power.

More than 6,000 people gathered in Philadelphia’s downtown convention center, all of them with the same desire—to have meaningful conversations about justice. Flocks of people came by Bread’s exhibition booth to hear about our mission to end hunger and poverty through advocacy. We collected 160 signatures on our petition to the president, which asks President Obama to set a goal and work with Congress on a plan to end hunger in the United States and abroad. 

We also offered conference-goers an opportunity to send powerful anti-hunger messages to members of Congress. We asked people to pose for photos while holding a whiteboard that read: “I want our leaders to make ending hunger a national priority because….” Each person wrote down their thoughts on the importance of ending hunger, along with their name and zip code. After we snapped each person's photo, we tweeted the picture to their U.S. representative. In the end, roughly 40 people used this unique method to contact their representative and engage in dialogue around the issue of hunger.

Bread also held a workshop, "Transformational Advocacy: A Faithful Witness to the Reign of God," in partnership with Asbury Seminary and Eastern University. The session focused on the process of being changed through advocacy actions and introduced attendees to the website evangelicaladvocacy.org.

We made many new contacts and strengthened existing relationships. We heard powerful, visionary speakers asking attendees to listen to the call of God and make meaningful changes in their communities and around the world. It was truly a time of giving and receiving for all involved.

Sarah Miller is a church relations intern at Bread for the World.

All slideshow photos taken by the Bread for the World Justice Conference team.

Faith leaders including (l to r) Rabbi Kimelman-Block of Bend the Arc; Bishop Don Williams of Bread for the World; Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness; Sister Simone Campbell of NETWORK Lobby, and Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life, at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol for the Loaves and Fishes Day of Action. (Nina Keehan/Bread for the World)

By Nina Keehan

Yesterday, faith leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., and in 13 states across America, for a “Loaves and Fishes” day of action. The effort emphasized the need for Americans to demand that their political leaders protect hungry and poor people during federal budget negotiations.

In a country that’s blessed with abundance, the faith leaders argued that what America really needs is not more food for the hungry, but a budget that doesn’t ignore the most vulnerable citizens. The event culminated in activists delivering baskets containing loaves of bread and fish to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and to local offices of members of Congress around the country.

“We are standing here to tell our elected officials that there is enough food to go around if we share,” said Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, during the D.C. press conference kicking off the action. “Sharing is the way forward.”

Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness, emphasized the importance of pushing for a budget that considers all Americans, not just the rich. "How can we declare that the haves in America should have more while the have-nots should have less? We are better people than that."

Bread for the World’s Bishop Don Williams, associate for racial-ethnic outreach, stated the importance of looking out for others. “We live in something called the ‘real world,’” he said. “For some people that means living in a real nightmare. Fifty million people live in poverty and hunger. And we can spout numbers all day, but behind each one of those numbers is a face and a family.”

As the Biblical story goes, Jesus was able to feed five thousand with just five loaves and two fish—a miracle. Yet feeding everyone hungry in America doesn't require a miracle, just a mandate.

Nina Keehan, a media relations intern at Bread for the World, is a senior magazine journalism and public health dual major at Syracuse University.

By Robin Stephenson

I was really happy that NPR ran a story on "Morning Edition" last week about the power of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

At Bread for the World, we know the EITC has the power to change lives. For the last several years we have advocated for this refundable tax credit, and the Child Tax Credit, because both programs provide a hand up and a path out of poverty. 

"Morning Edition" reporter Marianne McCune said the EITC, which is “[e]ncouraging poor people to work and giving them a boost for keeping at it" is "relatively uncontroversial—for now.”

The "for now" in McCune's statement is appropriately ominous. The tax credit has had a long history of bipartisan support, but could easily become another political football in the budget debates—despite the fact that it's one of our country's most successful anti-poverty programs.

I know the EITC works and changes lives because I've heard the success stories over and over again. I am always surprised by how many people come up to me in churches after adult forum presentations on the issue and tell me how they have been grateful for the program. “When our family was first starting out, my husband and I were establishing our careers and not making a lot of money, and the couple of years we qualified helped us through until we made enough," is one common tale.  Also: "After I was on my own as a single parent, that program got me through the tough times so that I could take care of my children until I could get back on stable ground." One of my colleagues has talked about how vital the EITC has been for his family. 

The stories are anecdotal, but they’re backed up by data. Brookings Institute has reported that the benefit, which most families use for just two years, lifts more children above the poverty line than any other government program. In 2011, these credits helped 8.7 million low-income working families avoid severe poverty. Still, personal stories though, such as that of John from the documentary The Line (see below), are as powerful as statistics, and can change hearts and minds—especially on Capitol Hill. 

This year’s Offering of Letters, "A Place at the Table," includes advocating again for the refundable tax credits. The American Taxpayer Relief Act extended important improvements to the EITC and CTC, but these will expire in five years. The EITC and CTC are especially vulnerable to cuts now, as Congress simplifies the tax code and curbs deductions. But the low-wage workers who benefit from the EITC and CTC do not have lobbyists to fight on their behalf. Bread for the World members must raise their voices to protect these credits. Contact your members of Congress and voice your support for EITC—you can make a difference in the push to protect this program.

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

Photo: IRS.gov

By Marsha Casey

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Black History Month honors those who have paved the way for the victories and successes of African-Americans, ensuring each generation has a brighter future than the last. What started, thanks to historian Carter G. Woodson, in 1926 as a weeklong observance is now a month that celebrates of the accomplishments of African-Americans. I often wonder where our country would be today had it not been for the tireless efforts of Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the countless others whose names never made it into the history books.  

Though we’ve come a long way with respect to equality among all Americans, poverty is still an injustice that many face. During his second inaugural address on Jan. 21, President Barack Obama said, “We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal—not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.”

This statement's power was only heightened by the fact that it was delivered by the first African-American president on a day observing the birth of a man who stood for civil rights, justice, and equality—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

In order to see Dr. King’s dream realized, and show respect to those African-Americans who have sacrificed and advocated so that all people could have the rights they are entitled to, it is imperative that we work to put an end to poverty. As Black History month comes to a close, let's redouble our efforts to achieve Dr. King's vision of a "beloved community," in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. We must continue urging our lawmakers to set a goal to end hunger and reduce the federal deficit responsibly, so as not to further burden those who didn’t create it.

Marsha Casey is a media relations intern at Bread for the World. She is a student at Montgomery College Takoma Park, Silver Spring Campus.

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr. leaning on a lectern (1964). From the United States Library of Congress's prints and photographs division, through Wikimedia Commons.

 

Elementary school children in southeast Washington, D.C., enjoy their lunch. (Eugene Mebane, Jr.)

By Nina Keehan

Black History Month is a time to celebrate progress and achievement, but it also provides an opportunity to acknowledge that African-Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from hunger and poverty.

The statistics are sobering. Bread’s newest fact sheet, “Hunger and Poverty Among African-American Children,” released today, puts the food insecurity rate of African-American children at about 30 percent, compared to roughly 20 percent for all U.S. households with children. Poverty figures are even worse, with 38.8 percent of African-American children under 18 and 42.7 percent of children under 5 living below the poverty line.

In some states, African-Americans make up only a small percentage of the population, but still have the highest rates of poverty. Take Iowa: although less than 3 percent of the state’s population is black, more than half of those children are living in poverty. That, compared with a poverty rate of 17.3 percent for all children in Iowa, signals a huge disparity.

The problem also exists in states that have large African-American populations. In Mississippi, African-Americans are 37 percent of the population, and the child poverty rate for that group is nearly 50 percent, compared with 31.8 percent for all children in the state.  

We must continue to work to help those suffering from hunger and poverty by being aware of these facts and fighting for programs that help reduce the disparities. Federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) and WIC have prevented millions of African-American families from falling into poverty. Join Bread for the World in asking the president to set a goal to end hunger. Take part in our Offering of Letters campaign, which urges Congress to protect the programs that help hungry and poor people. Make these actions a part of your Black History Month observance, and continue to fight these disparities every month of the year.  

Nina Keehan, a media relations intern at Bread for the World, is a senior magazine journalism and public health dual major at Syracuse University.

By Rev. David Beckmann

The national discussion around hunger is changing — and your work is driving that change!

More than 6,800 of you have signed our petition asking the president to set a goal and work with Congress to end hunger. During his State of the Union address, President Obama outlined his proposals to help people climb out of poverty. But the March 1 sequester threatens WIC and poverty-focused development assistance, which are not exempt from deep automatic cuts.

These events make the presidential petition more important. Thank you so much for your support. We still have much to do, but the next step is easy: go see a movie.

This Friday, March 1, the documentary A Place at the Table will open in theaters nationwide. The film, from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth and Food, Inc., focuses on hunger in America.

A Place at the Table shows that we defeated hunger in the past and that we can do it again.

Please see the film—and invite your friends, co-workers, classmates, and family members to watch it with you. Click here to find a theater near you. A Place at the Table will also be available through iTunes and on-demand on March 1.

Bread for the World's 2013 Offering of Letters is also called "A Place at the Table" and launches on March 1. Together, the film and our Offering of Letters campaign will magnify our focus on ending hunger through changes in public policy.

Watch the movie, discuss it, and spread the word about the importance of ending hunger and poverty. A hunger-free world is within reach. God is at work in our midst, preparing an abundant table where all are welcome. With your voice we will convince our nation’s leaders to ensure all people a place at the table.

   Derick Dailey teaches a Bible study class at Bethel A.M.E. Church in New Haven, Conn. A seminary student at Yale University, Derick learned about sharing his bounty from his grandmother as he was growing up in Little Rock, Ark. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof ....
—Psalm 24:1

When Derick Dailey’s grandmother passed away in August 2012, he was asked by his family members to send a message to her as she departed.

"I said her favorite verse in her ear. I whispered, The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and all that dwell therein."

Derick recalls his grandmother repeating that verse frequently while he was growing up in her home in North Little Rock, Ark., with his twin, Eric. "Whether I was sitting on the piano playing and she was singing the hymn — or she would just sometimes just break out in that verse because she believed deeply in that," says Derick.

"That everything on this earth belonged to God."

"She was part of the Women’s Missionary Society of our local church," says Derick, "so she would start early Saturday morning cooking ... and oftentimes we would get confused thinking the meal was for us and she would remind us, 'no, I will cook something for you all on Sunday evening; this meal is for the sick and shut-in.'"

Derick, now a graduate student at Yale Divinity School, has seen hunger and poverty firsthand. "Arkansas is this rural community," he explains, "and it struggles deeply with food insecurity, with hunger, with poverty, poor education, crime, and poor infrastructure. You name it and Arkansas is confronting it."

As a sophomore at Westminster College in Missouri, Derick and his friend Eyob researched poverty in Phillips County in southeast Arkansas, one of the poorest counties in the nation. The two met with mayors and church leaders to talk about the conditions and causes of economic devastation along the Mississippi River. Derick recalls that at one point, Eyob, who is Ethiopian, exclaimed, "Wow, this looks like rural Ethiopia."

"It never occurred to me that a place in this country, the wealthiest country in the world would look like something in rural Ethiopia," says Derick. "It was a big wake-up call for me that the core of poverty is lack of opportunity and lack of resources."

"Listening to the stories and hearing the challenges [of local leaders] made clear to me that hunger and poverty are not just some abstract social science terms. These are realities for people, and not just realities for people in Third World countries but realities for people in my state, a state that I love — whether it's in Phillips County or in Little Rock seeing my own family struggle to make ends meet."

Those experiences motivated Derick to get directly involved in ending hunger and poverty. He joined Bread for the World and was one of Bread’s first Hunger Justice Leaders. Following that training in advocacy, Derick founded the Westminster Poverty Initiative, which runs a food bank and facilitates donations of clothing and household items to people in need in the community surrounding the college. Derick and Eyob also raised funds and opened a library in Ethiopia.

But Derick knows that larger actions are necessary.

"I thank God for Bread for the World for having this sort of forum where people of faith can actively engage on issues of policy in a real way without feeling that they are somehow outside the norm or they are doing something that is unchurched or unreligious," says Derick.

"The reality is that in order to break free from the bondage [of poverty] in this country and the world, we need elected officials to make good on their words and put love thy neighbor at the center of our legislative agenda."

[This piece originally appeared in the February edition of Bread's e-newsletter.]

Tara Marks, a Bread activist from Pittsburgh, once used WIC and SNAP benefits. She is currently in law school and gave testimony to the Senate Budget Committee on Feb. 13, 2013. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

By Robin Stephenson

Today, Tara Marks is in law school—and yesterday she told members of the Senate Budget Committee that her journey from poverty to an advanced degree program was possible thanks to WIC and other similar federal programs.

Many of you remember Tara as the face of the 2012 Offering of Letters video "A Hunger for Advocacy." Her story of poverty so extreme that she skipped meals to provide enough for her son is an inspiration for many advocates at Bread for the World. Pell grants, WIC, and SNAP were the stepping stones that helped Tara escape poverty.

Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) invited Tara to give testimony. Sen. Murray has said that budgets "...are about the families across America whose lives will be impacted by the decisions we make. They are about their jobs, their children, and their future, and we owe it to them to make sure they have a voice in this process—and that their values and perspectives are heard.”

Tara’s journey plainly shows that budget discussions are about more than numbers—fiscal decisions have real consequences.

For Tara, a budget that funded domestic nutrition programs created a path out of hunger and poverty for her and her son, Nathan. During her testimony, Tara noted that when she was hungry, abundance surrounded her. “This was not a question of availability of food, but a question of affording it. I did not live in a food desert; I lived in a food mirage. I had many grocery stores around me, but I could not afford to go in and shop.”

She passed out from hunger before finally applying for SNAP (formerly food stamps), which gave her access to adequate food.  Food assistance alone did not help Tara move up the ladder of prosperity, but it gave her the stability to get the education that did.

Stories like Tara's and Nathan's not only humanize hunger and poverty, but serve to remind our members of Congress that decisions made today will affect lives tomorrow.  When Murray asked Tara where she thought she would be today were it not for those federal programs, she replied, “I would still be in poverty.”

In a continued effort to give families across the country a place at the budget negotiation table, Murray offers an online platform that allows members of the public to share their stories and ideas. Add your voice to the existing 2,000 submissions.

Today, one of the programs that provided critical assistance to Tara and Nathan—WIC—is in danger.  If the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester are allowed to go forward in the next couple of days, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that roughly 600,000 infants, children, and expectant moms will be without this vital assistance.  Their futures may well depend on your hunger for advocacy.  Call your member of Congress at 1-800-826-3688 and tell them that cutting programs that effectively combat hunger and poverty will not solve our country’s fiscal problems.

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) listens as Bread for the World activist Jana Prescott speaks during Bread for the World Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 12, 2012. (Laura Elizabeth Pohl/Bread for the World)

By Robin Stephenson

While the 113th Congress is new, many of the issues it will tackle are not. Funding for both domestic nutrition programs and refundable tax credits is still in jeopardy. Poverty-focused  development assistance is also in danger, and any cuts made to PFDA would result in lives lost and an increase in hunger and poverty around the world.

Given the urgency surrounding congressional budget negotiations and the fact that the fate of programs that benefit hungry and poor people is uncertain, anti-hunger advocates need to be ready for a busy year. Here are three questions you should ask yourself in preparation for your 2013 advocacy efforts. 

Do you have a new representative or senator in your region?  

If so, introduce yourself to staff in the new member's local office, and also use the opportunity to introduce them to the issues in the 2013 Offering of Letters.

Relationships are key to successful advocacy and making contact with local staffers is important.  They can help you connect with the D.C. legislative staff, and since they live in the member's district and work directly to address the concerns of constituents, they often have an understanding of how poverty and hunger are affecting a community. Local meetings also give our experts on Bread’s staff the opportunity to follow up with the legislator’s D.C. staff.  Check out the Congressional Management Foundation list "Five Key Ways to Engage Freshman Legislators," and if you are able to set up a local office meeting, be sure to contact your regional organizer. Bread's organizers can provide you with talking points and handouts that you can use during your visit. 

Check out this example, from the New Mexico Bread team, on finding your members in district.

Is your member on a relevant committee?

Are you planning a hunger summit or site visit that your member of Congress could possibly attend? 

Members of Congress typically spend three days a week in Washington, D.C., and travel home on the weekends.  Members also have longer periods of time spent in their home states or districts (called recess), which are dictated by each chamber’s calendar.  Recess is a great time to connect with your member of Congress, but it's important to plan ahead. If you want to request a meeting with your member, find out scheduled town hall dates, or invite your member to an event during one of those periods, do it well in advance. 

As part of a local faith roundtable, our Oregon Bread team often partners on events that educate our community.  Last year, the newly elected Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore., District 1) dropped by the annual Oregon Faith Roundtable Against Hunger breakfast in Portland and then wrote about it in a Facebook status update!

Robin Stephenson is national social media lead and senior regional organizer, western hub, at Bread for the World.