Down on the Corner Where the Cool Cats (Bread Activists) All Hang

California and Hawaii activists

Did you know that the Bread for the World website has a special page for grassroots members? This site is for folks who lead local, regional or state groups, organize Offerings of Letters, make phone calls to their members of the House and Senate and engage in all sorts of activities that keep the organization running like a well-oiled machine. The Activist Corner is updated weekly with the latest information, tools, and resources, so make sure to visit weekly.

Here is an important item on the agenda for folks who are beginning the planning process for the 2017 Offering of Letters. 

National Grassroots Webinar and Conference Call
Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. MT) 
Join us for an informative webinar and also find out how your advocacy can drive change in the coming months. This month we’ll preview of the 2017 Offering of Letters: Doing Our Part to End Hunger.

And here is an opportunity for action (which is what Bread activists do best).

Colorado delegation

Act Now
2017 Offering of Letters: Doing Our Part to End Hunger

Call (800/826-3688) or email your members of Congress and tell them to invest in programs like WIC, SNAP, tax credits for low-income workers, and international development assistance. 2017 looks to be a very dangerous year for programs that help poor and hungry people. Congress could make significant cuts to programs in the 2018 budget and spending bills unless they hear from constituents.

Activists in Action 
 Incidentally, there is a section called "Activists in Action."  Since the page will be updated at some point in the near future, I will cut and pasted right here.  This section highlights our efforts and plans in Albuquerque.

Carlos Navarro, Ellen Buelow, Larry Beulow, Art Meyer

New Mexico Leaders Plan an Offering of Letters Workshop
Carlos Navarro, who joined Bread for the World more than 30 years ago and has been committed to ending hunger ever since, leads our efforts in Albuquerque, N.M. Navarro organizes a yearly workshop designed to introduce the Offering of Letters to local church leaders and anti-hunger activists.

Navarro has scheduled an Offering of Letters: Doing Our Part to End Hunger workshop for March 11. The workshop will teach participants how to conduct a successful letter-writing event, and also how to have an effective meeting with congressional members.

In advance of the panel, Navarro asked New Mexico Bread activists for tips and recorded them in a post on the Bread New Mexico Blog. Asked how to prepare for a visit to your congressional office, Bread member Ellen Beulow said:

"Preparing is half the journey. Bread webinars are great places to learn about issues. The Offering of Letters kit pinpoints why and how to write our congressional representatives. However, to speak to staffers about that issue, we need to gather some personal stories in our community...It’s important to keep conversations concise and to the point while giving perspective on needs in New Mexico."

Indiana, New Mexico activists

Ellen and her husband Larry will travel to Washington, D.C., for Bread’s annual Lobby Day, Tuesday June 13. To increase the impact of their advocacy, Navarro and others will schedule in-district meetings with congressional staff to coincide with the couple’s Capitol Hill visits.

Our work to end hunger is powered by the passion and talent of our activists across the United States. We are louder when we organize and stronger when we take advantage of the wealth of knowledge our members have accumulated in over 40 years of advocacy.

If you need tips or have questions about organizing an Offering of Letters workshop in your region, contact organizing@bread.org or call 800/822-7323.

"Preparing is half the journey. Bread webinars are great places to learn about issues."
-Bread Member Ellen Beulow