Our Impact

Engaging Individuals

Bread for the World urges elected leaders in Washington, D.C., to enable people in the U.S. and abroad to feed their families and move out of poverty. But our ability to bring about change for hungry people depends on the actions of people like you — citizens and residents who communicate with their elected representatives in Washington, D.C.

Members of Congress want to hear from constituents about the issues they will vote on. When you, your friends, your community, and others in your congressional district or state tell your elected officials in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that ending hunger is important and urge them to take specific actions, they will listen.

You don’t have to have any special skills or be part of a well-funded powerful lobbying group to engage in hunger-related advocacy. Bread is a powerful lobbying group — a network of people of faith and concerned individuals across the country who care about hunger. Perhaps you volunteer at a soup kitchen or contribute to a food bank. Maybe you’ve traveled to a developing country. Sharing your real-life experiences with elected officials in our federal government is powerful and can change lives. Just as important, by speaking out, you will begin to create a useful relationship with your elected leaders.

Unless you and others tell elected leaders that ending hunger is a priority, the many other issues and concerns Congress hears about will drown out the voices for hungry people.

History of Engagement

Engaging people from all walks of life in advocacy to end hunger has always been central to Bread’s mission. It has enabled us to win important victories for hungry people at home and abroad, year after year.

When Bread was founded in 1974, the “Project 500” campaign sought to recruit 500 citizen leaders across the country who would lobby their members of Congress on hunger-related issues. Ever since that first, successful campaign, which formed the backbone of Bread’s citizen advocate base, Bread has continued to support and equip current advocates and to engage and recruit the next generation of leaders.

Bread organizing staff across the country help to involve citizens and residents in the districts and states they cover. Engaging advocates is especially important in districts and states represented by key members of Congress — members of leadership and committees that oversee policy and programs that directly affect hungry people.