By LaVida Davis
This month, we launched the 2016 Offering of Letters: Survive and Thrive. From Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, faithful advocates will do what they have done for over 40 years — write letters to their members of Congress, using our collective Christian voice to end hunger.
We live in a world where every two minutes, a woman dies from complications in pregnancy or childbirth; and every five seconds, a child dies, often from preventable causes such as malnutrition. This year we have an opportunity to make real change in the lives of women and children around the world. The stakes are higher than ever, and our faith must drive a commitment equal to this unparalleled moment of possibility.
In 2015, Bread saw the awesome power of faith in action in a handful of Catholic churches in Cincinnati and New York City. Inspired by Pope Francis’ message of love and commitment to ending hunger in our world, they wrote and collected more than 15,000 letters on child nutrition programs. We used those letters to effectively engage legislators in crafting strong programs that would make sure children in our communities get the food they need to grow healthy and strong.
Your letters work! They help drive progress against hunger — but we still have more to do.
That is why this year, we are challenging Bread members to scale up their efforts in their own communities and congregations around this year’s Offering of Letters. Resources are available in English and Spanish on our website to help you start planning your Offering of Letters today.
LaVida Davis is the director of organizing at Bread for the World.
