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The new Congress needs to hear from constituents about hunger and poverty concerns.
Jennifer Stapleton photo |
Mike McCurry and Jack Oliver surely know politics--but from different vantage points. McCurry, a member of Bread for the World's board of directors, was President Clinton's press secretary for four years and a senior advisor to the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign. Oliver, co-chairman of the ONE Campaign, developed political strategies for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign and as the Republican National Committee (RNC) Deputy Chairman from 2001-2003. But the two agree that now is a time when Bread for the World members could win significant victories for hungry and poor people.
"The [November 2006] elections were a wake-up call from the American voters," said McCurry. "Voters said that Congress should get serious about the problems we face--and make bipartisan progress in solving them. Hurricane Katrina left a very searing image in the minds of many. Many feel despair about Iraq. People see that in a wealthy country, we should be doing better for poor people."
Oliver concurred and added that reducing global hunger and poverty is an important area of bipartisan agreement.
"Hungry people don't care whether you're from a red state or a blue state, as long as you find a way to help," he said.
Oliver pointed to encouraging signs: the success of the ONE Campaign and the steps forward the United States has taken during a Republican presidency. Bread for the World is a founder of the ONE Campaign, which rallies Americans to fight hunger, poverty and disease and has attracted support among people of all backgrounds. In recent years, U.S. funding for global HIV/AIDS has quadrupled, and 800,000 people in Africa receive lifesaving anti-retroviral medications (ARVs), up from 50,000 just three years ago. Also notable is the new U.S. targeted campaign against malaria in 15 countries.
Both strategists said that Bread for the World should seize this opportunity to build support for significantly reducing hunger and poverty. We should continue to be strong advocates for people whose voices often go unheard.
"Members of Congress listen to constituents at home a lot more than the news media gives them credit for doing," said Oliver. "And a citizen movement based on faith is an incredible thing."
“Bread for the World is a strong model for how people of all political persuasions can come together and model the Christian behavior that’s expected of us,” said McCurry. “More and more political power is now in the hands of people who work at the grassroots. It’s really replacing the 30-second ad as the way we persuade people to pay attention to the issues – and that’s a good thing. The personal witness of individuals is powerful for the people around them.”
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This resource includes a handbook with helpful information on Seeds of Change and the farm bill, along with worship resources, sample letter, and other materials to help you organize an Offering of Letters, along with a DVD which illustrates how our work can help hungry families and rural communities in the United States and worldwide.
Order from our online store.
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Bread for the World Partners with JustFaith
Bread for the World is pleased to announce our partnership with JustFaith Ministries, which creates and distributes justice education materials. Its flagship program is a 30-week educational course which helps people of faith explore more deeply the biblical call to compassion and justice.
The JustFaith program is described as "a process that recognizes the complexity of the call to compassion and provides a wide range of compelling resources and experiences to communicate this tradition." It is an excellent fit with Bread for the World's mission of acting from faith to advocate for justice for hungry and poor people and to end hunger in God's world. The program features readings, videos, lectures, discussions, prayers, retreats and hands-on experiences.
Bread for the World is already participating in JustFaith's work. Several books on its reading list are by BFW founder Art Simon and president David Beckmann, and regional organizers have given guest presentations on hunger and poverty in churches with JustFaith groups.
A number of Bread for the World churches have organized JustFaith courses, and JustFaith encourages churches to hold an Offering of Letters and become involved with Bread for the World as part of their course. Bread for the World also plans to help develop curriculum materials on advocacy and hunger.
JustFaith was originated by Jack Jezreel. Read Jack's account of this work in "On Faith" (article below).
The ecumenical version of JustFaith will be ready for use this fall. Interested churches can contact JustFaith Ministries at info@justfaith.org or (502) 429-0865 or visit their website. You can also download the flyer 
for more information.
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Following the Call to Justice
By Jack Jezreel
February marks the release of a movie, Amazing Grace, which highlights the story of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), who spent most of his life addressing Britain's participation in the slave trade and the release of slaves in England. His story is an inspiring testimony both to the potential impact of one person's life on the world as well as the importance of speaking to political power as an expression of one's faith.
William Wilberforce found spiritual counsel in John Newton, an ex-slave trader turned minister and abolitionist and author of the hymn "Amazing Grace." Newton's own life speaks to that intersection of conversion and compassion. Both men's biographies echo God's call to care for each other, especially those who are most vulnerable.
In 25 years of church-based social ministry, I have been fascinated by what draws people like William Wilberforce, John Newton, John Wesley and Dorothy Day—and you and me—into courageous commitments of compassion and justice. For over 15 years, I have been dabbling in how to provide opportunities for people to discover transforming opportunities in their lives. The results developed into JustFaith, newly partnered with Bread for the World to provide churches with a tool to inspire and nurture faith commitments to justice and mercy.
Here are lessons I have learned over these years: The work of justice is hard. To think that any one of us will easily make faith choices that require a re-orientation of our lives, without some kind of encouragement, community, learning (and unlearning!), prayer and support is probably unreasonable. Learning and participating in God's justice are the Church's primary work. All of this requires conversion—change—and change is a vulnerable and difficult process.
The work of justice—and the changes it asks of us—is also life-giving. Jesus invites us to "abundant life," filled with passion, vision, cause, fulfillment and depth. This is the stuff that comes with commitments of compassion, mercy, solidarity, advocacy and love. We ignore the needs of others only at the expense of ignoring our own deepest thirst for communion with the love that is God.
The Good News of the Gospels suggests that like William Wilberforce and John Newton, we can be changed. We can become people whose lives are great simply because our lives have become characterized by compassion. We can, with God's help, change the world. There is, indeed, an amazing grace.
Jack Jezreel is executive director of JustFaith Ministries.
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Stronger U.S. Rural Communities
First in a series of articles about hunger and the farm bill
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Congress should pass a farm bill that supports all of rural America, where nearly a fifth of our people live.
USDA photo |
Bread for the World's 2007 Offering of Letters,
Seeds of Change, calls for improvements in the U.S. farm bill when Congress renews it this year. Among the key tasks is to pass a bill that strengthens our country's rural communities, because much of the federal support for rural areas of the United States comes from the farm bill.
The farm bill originated in the midst of the Great Depression as a way to help people in rural areas. Today, the goal remains the same, but the rural landscape has changed dramatically. In the 1930s, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population worked in agriculture. Now, less than 2 percent of all Americans work on farms, and the majority of rural jobs are in service industries such as retail outlets. To remain true to its original intent, the farm bill needs to expand its programs to support all of rural America and not only agriculture. Today, the United States needs a rural development bill with a farm component rather than a farm bill with a rural development component.
The decreasing proportion of agriculture in the U.S. economy has left rural areas vulnerable to "boom and bust" cycles – mines, oil fields, factories and big box stores open and close. Hunger and poverty are more common in rural areas, and many rural counties have lost population as people move away to seek better jobs.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges facing rural communities, many strategies show promise. Increasing rural entrepreneurship, improving access to technology, attracting a diverse business base, developing regional long-range plans and taking advantage of assets such as natural beauty or recreational opportunities are a few strategies that could strengthen rural communities.
Rural development programs have generally been small and a low priority in past farm bills. Our Seeds of Change campaign urges Congress to give rural development greater visibility and more resources. Only then will more rural communities be able to find solutions that work for them.
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In Nebraska, a Multi-Layered Approach to Fighting Hunger
Jana Prescott and her sister Julie Prescott Burgess are longtime activists with Bread for the World's chapter in Omaha, NE. "Bread for the World is a wonderful organization that allows me to use my faith to help people to serve God as they serve their neighbors," said Jana.
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Jana Prescott (right) and Julie Burgess (left) meet with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), BFW President David Beckmann and a fellow Nebraskan.
Jay Mallan photo |
Jana first learned about Bread for the World while she was the head cook at a Presbyterian camp in Colorado, and her successor at the camp has also become involved with our work. She was seriously injured in a car accident in 1983, but she has not let this interfere with her activism.
"I decided to do what I could as a handicapped person…. I think I do help my representatives in Congress to see things from the point of view of people who truly need their daily bread," she said. "I am sure that from the notes I give my congressmen and the emotion in my heart, they listen to me and really think hard about the legislation they're working on."
"Every time I send out a Quickline request for phone calls to a member of Congress or ask activists to write letters, Jana gets right in touch with me to let me know that she's taken action," said Bread for the World regional organizer Elise Young. "She has a faithful and loving spirit and really encourages other activists to keep up their good work."
Both Jana and Julie have attended many Bread for the World National Gatherings and Lobby Days. "They are articulate and work very well as a team," noted Young. "Together they keep up on all the issues and visit members of Congress in their district offices as well as in Washington." The two also volunteer their time in direct service to hungry people. This year, Jana plans to participate in a mission trip to Ecuador and Julie in a mission to Cameroon.
Jana supports Bread for the World financially by participating in our Baker's Dozen program, through which members pledge a monthly donation amount. Contributors to Baker's Dozen enable Bread for the World to plan ahead, knowing that we will be able to meet financial commitments for our advocacy efforts.
Find out more about Baker’s Dozen.
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From Facebook to Face-to-Face on Capitol Hill
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Young leaders from Illinois speak with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) at BFW's Lobby Day reception.
Rick Reinhard photo |
A group of 20 activists aged 18 to 32 gathered in Washington, DC, last November to help Bread for the World plan for the June 2007 National Gathering and beyond. These emerging leaders crossed geographical, racial, denominational and career lines to set priorities and suggest strategies for engaging younger working people and college students in Bread for the World's advocacy efforts.
"'Emerging leaders' may not be the right term," said Erin Luchenbill, BFW campus organizer. "They really are already leaders – each has a lot of experience and is connected with several organizations. At our retreat, we talked about their experiences with bringing people into the movement to end hunger and poverty."
The activists emphasized that many energetic students and young professionals are organizing around the U.N. Millennium Development Goals; the ONE Campaign to end hunger, extreme poverty and disease; and faith-based organizations.
"The ONE Campaign uses the three Cs for organizing: computers, coffee and celebrity backing," said Abby Jensen, a former BFW Faith Outreach Organizer and now a professor at Dordt College. The emerging leaders group agreed that strengthening the anti-hunger movement calls for a blend of using technology to help people get involved and stay connected, and building personal relationships among young and seasoned activists.
Being able to put videos on Web sites, send text messages to cell phones, store and share photos easily on a site, host blogs and other places to get information quickly, and make use of wireless Internet access at coffeehouses can all be useful organizing tools. Activists also use more traditional strategies such as building relationships among people regardless of age, working within churches, keeping people updated on major hunger issues and news, following up on events and sharing best practices.
The next goal for the group is to boost the participation of 18-32-year-olds in Bread for the World’s National Gathering, convocation and Lobby Day this June. Hopefully, young working people and college students will make up at least 30 percent of the participants. The activists are discussing events, speakers, topics, music and other ideas that would most appeal to younger activists, and planning for a lasting impact by organizing before and after the events.
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Urge your senators and representative to improve our nation’s farm policy so that it better serves hungry people in the United States, U.S. farmers and rural communities, and farmers in developing countries struggling to sell their crops and feed their families.
Unsure who your member of Congress is?
Find contact information for returning and newly-elected members.
Points to make:
- Our current farm policy provides large payments to some farmers but does little to help farmers and other rural families of modest means.
- Our current farm policy also hurts farmers and rural communities in developing countries.
- In the United States, 35 million people live in families that struggle to put food on the table.
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Capitol Switchboard: 202/224-3121
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For the complete newsletter in its print version, please contact:
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Publications, Bread for the World
50 F Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20001
| Telephone: 202-639-9400
Fax: 202-639-9401
Email: publications@bread.org |
