Write to Congress
Bread for the World urges elected leaders in Washington, D.C., to enable people in our nation and our world to feed their families and move out of poverty.
Personalized emails stand out. They tell senators and representative that you, as a constituent, really care about an issue. Members of Congress want to hear from their constituents about the issues on which they will vote in the Senate and House of Representatives.
The following are issues moving in Congress and/or in the administration. This is your opportunity to change policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist here and abroad.
![This story was written by Roger Thurow, an author and a senior fellow for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, who adapted it from his book,"The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children—And the World." Photo: Anne Thurow](https://www.bread.org/sites/default/files/styles/875_wide/public/esther-okwir-in-uganda-875.jpg?itok=5CbSKPFt "This story was written by Roger Thurow, an author and a senior fellow for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, who adapted it from his book,"The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children—And the World." Photo: Anne Thurow")
2019 Offering of Letters: Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow
Good nutrition during the 1,000-day period from the beginning of a woman’s pregnancy to her child’s second birthday is critical to a child’s health and future well-being.
To accelerate progress on nutrition, we must scale up what we know works: improved access to nutritious foods, vitamins and minerals, clean water and sanitation, promotion of breastfeeding, and treatment for severe malnutrition.
All children deserve the opportunity to live a healthy life and reach their full potential. Join us in making this opportunity a reality!
Migration and Immigration
Immigration is a hunger issue. People who make the decision to leave home and come to the United States generally have few other options. Central America’s “Northern Triangle” countries—Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras—are among the poorest in the world, with very high levels of hunger and malnutrition.
Any truly effective immigration policy must include lasting solutions to the push factors of migration: hunger, malnutrition, extreme poverty, and violence. Stricter U.S. immigration laws and harsher border enforcement policies alone will not keep desperate parents from trying to give their children a better future.
As our country continues to debate immigration reform, we must acknowledge the United States cannot have a comprehensive immigration strategy without a focus on supporting countries’ efforts to create environments that help people survive and thrive in their homes and communities.
This year, Congress has the opportunity to strengthen the United States’ development and humanitarian assistance by investing in development assistance targeted to help countries in Central America respond to and address the causes of forced migration.
Criminal Justice Reform
Reforming our nation's criminal justice system is critical to ending hunger and poverty in the United States. Families are directly impacted when loved ones are incarcerated, especially if they are serving long prison sentences.
Harsh mandatory minimum sentences, combined with the lack of rehabilitative programs for people in prison, exacerbate hunger, poverty, and existing inequalities.
People lose income and work skills while serving time in prison. They also often lack opportunities to participate in rehabilitative programs, making it even harder for many to find a job after leaving the prison system. This explains why 1 in 4 households headed by a returning citizen lives in deep poverty.
Reforms, such as reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders, eliminating the collateral consequences to incarceration, and expanding access to reentry services would help reduce hunger and improve the stability of families in the United States.
"Jesus said ...
'You give them something to eat.'"
Matthew 14:16
Tools
from our Resource Library
For Education
U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
Fact Sheet: Hunger and Poverty in Puerto Rico
Even before Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck Puerto Rico, hunger and food insecurity were much more common among Puerto Ricans than among their fellow U.S. citizens in the 50 states.
Before...
Fact Sheet: Fortified for Life. How the U.S. Government Supports Global Nutrition.
Good nutrition is a critical part of ensuring that all human beings can use their bodies and minds to live an active life and reach their full potential.
For Faith
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...
In Times Like These … A Pan-African Christian Devotional for Public Policy Engagement
This devotional guide invites deepened relationship with and among Pan-African people and elected leaders in the mission to end hunger and poverty.
Sermon by David Beckmann at Duke University Chapel
Remarks delivered October 1, 2017 at Duke University Chapel in Chapel Hill in North Carolina.
Thank you for inviting me to preach here at Duke University Chapel. And I especially want to thank the Bread for the World members who have come this morning.
Bruce Puckett urged...
For Advocacy
U.S. Hunger and Poverty State Fact Sheets
These fact sheets provide a snapshot of hunger and poverty in the United States and in each state plus Washington, D.C.
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.
Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017
Unnecessarily long prison sentences, combined with the lack of rehabilitative programs for people in prison, exacerbate hunger, poverty, and existing inequalities.
Overly harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences have contributed to the rapid increase of our country’s prison population. The...