An encounter with Congress
The V Encuentro (Encounter) is essentially an encounter with Christ. It is also an opportunity to evangelize, by reaching out to our neighbor and finding in him/her, the face of Jesus. Undoubtedly, the V Encuentro is the response to Pope Francis call to become missionary disciples.
The process for the V Encuentro has helped the Catholic Church to identify how to better serve the Latino Community in the United States. This consultation, which started at the parish level, has undergone through the diocesan levels. Now, it has reached the regional levels and will conclude, next September, with a national Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas.
The V Encuentro has already bear fruits. It has outlined the challenges of evangelization, has identified the achievements of the Hispanic ministry, and it has lifted the Hispanic presence within and without the Catholic Church.
The consultation is a call to deepen our role as missionary disciples, who are not only actively pursuing charitable work, but social justice as well. This process also has been an opportunity to facilitate an “encounter” between our communities and their members of Congress.
Bread for the World and Catholic Relief Services, the humanitarian agency of the catholic community in the United States, have participated jointly in the Encuentros at region X (Texas-Oklahoma-Arkansas), and region XI (California-Nevada-Hawaii) to lift up the voice of the catholic community in Congress.
During these two regional Encuentros, thousands of catholic Latino leaders wrote approximately 3,000 letters to Congress, advocating to:
- Protect our government’s budget for humanitarian aid that protects refugees and immigrants.
- Protect funding for programs that help reduce hunger and poverty in the United States (WIC, SNAP, and the Earned Income Credit).
- Pass a permanent legislative solution for Dreamers–young people that only know the United States as their home, that includes a path to citizenship. This is a justice matter that is impacting our faith communities and requires immediate attention.
The Latino catholic community is committed to lift up its voice to end hunger in the United States and around the world. Therefore, with these advocacy actions, we are pressing forward to an encounter with our lawmakers.
The V Encuentro (Encounter) is essentially an encounter with Christ.
Tools
from our Resource Library
For Education
Election Resources
One of the best times to raise the issues of hunger and poverty is during election campaigns. Engage candidates in your state/district on hunger and poverty using our elections resources.Racially Equitable Responses to Hunger During COVID-19 and Beyond
By Marlysa D. Gamblin and Kathleen King
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as when a person or household does not have regular, reliable access to the foods needed for good health. Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC) have historically had higher...
Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Global Pandemic, Better Nutrition Protects Lives
With the coronavirus now spreading in low-resource contexts and new waves of infection expected in the coming year, better nutrition for vulnerable people is more important than ever.
For Faith
Finding Hope, Ending Hunger on Both Sides of the Border: A Bilingual Latino Devotional
Devotional writers challenge us to feel the Spirit of God within us and to hear God’s urgent call to demand justice so all can put food on the table.The Bible on Health as a Hunger Issue
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in faith.” These words from Colossians 2:6 remind us of the faith that is active in love for our neighbors.
The Bible on...
Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty
A diverse body of Christian leaders calls on the churches and Congress to focus on the integral connection.
Dear Members of Congress,
As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders—from all the families of U.S. Christianity—are...
For Advocacy
Fact Sheet: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond to changes in need, making it well suited to respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact Sheet: Why We Need $200 Million for Global Nutrition Programs
Bread for the World and its partners are asking Congress to provide $200 million for global nutrition in the fiscal year 2020 budget.
Fact Sheet: Hunger by the Numbers
In 2017, 11.8 percent of households in the U.S.—40 million people—were food-insecure, meaning that they were unsure at some point during the year about how they would provide for their next meal.