COVID-19 and the Offering of Letters in New Mexico

Now that are churches have temporarily shut their doors and we're social distancing at home, some important questions have emerged about our 2020 Offering of Letters.

Do we go ahead with our Offering of Letters? 

Now that we're writing at hone, can we extend the Offering of Letters over several dates?

Does the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic modify the message in our letters? 

How do we tie-in our Offering of Letters to local efforts in New Mexico to feed the growing community of people who are suddenly scrambling for food? 

 What happens to Bread for the World's National Advocacy Conference, originally scheduled for June in Washington, D.C.? 

Some of the answers are contained in the above image. We will attempt to expand on each of those suggestions, answer the other questions, add some local and national perspective and offer some examples from around the country.

Do we go ahead with our Offering of Letters?

The answer to the question is: Yes, please do go ahead with your Offering of Letters. It will take a different kind of organizing.  You will have to contact members of your congregation by e-mail, have them send the messages directly to our legislators. Encourage letters, e-mails, phone calls--and please have every person report back to you, so you can send a count.

Several congregations had scheduled Offerings of Letters this year: Albuquerque Mennonite Church and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community in March; All Saints Lutheran Church, in April; St. Paul Lutheran Church in May; and St Andrew Presbyterian Church in June.

Several other congregations (including Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, St. John XXIII Catholic Community,  Central United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church-Truchas) had planned or were considering the possibility of holding an OL but had not set a date.

We encourage congregations that are not on either list to participate, even if you only get a handful of letters.

We will be keeping track of our total numbers, just as we have in years past in this site. Please provide us with a breakdown on the number of letters sent to a representative and senators. Also please report your results to Bread in Washington.

Can we extend the Offering of Letters over several dates?
The one advantage of having fellow congregants write at home, is that you are not limited to a single date or dates. There is a bit more flexibility. (The downside, of course, is that recruiting writers is going to be a bit more difficult from home).

Can I write my legislator directly on his/her website? 

Yes. This is an easy way to send a message. If you do it this way, please be sure to include your postal address in the message so the legislator knows that the message is coming from a constituent.  Some legislators require a zip code authentication (but please do include your postal address in the body of the letter).
Here are some links:

• Sen. Tom Udall
• Sen. Martin Heinrich
• Rep. Deb Haaland
• Rep. Xochitl Torres-Small
• Rep. Ben Ray Lujan 

Does the COVID-19 pandemic modify our message? 

The basic message remains focused on enhancing nutrition at the global level and in our own country. But now we can start the letter by making a reference to the pandemic.  Here is the latest sample letter (as of March 27).

Bread also has an online letter urging Congress to protect vulnerable populations during the current health emergency.  So which of these two letters should you encourage your members to write?  If possible, have them write both messages. For our New Mexico totals, we'll count both letters. (Again, please break down the number of letters by legislator).

Bread has created a special page with background and recommended actions on the COVID-19 situation. A post on the Bread blog also offers additional information.

One of the consequences of the health emergencies that followed the outbreak of COVID-19 was that we had to cancel our Offering of Letters workshop, originally scheduled for Saturday, March 14.  This was the case for Bread groups around the country.  The group in Indiana put together a great online presentation. Take a look.

How do we tie in our Offering of Letters to local efforts in New Mexico to feed the growing community of people who are suddenly scrambling for food?  As you saw from the online letter, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) maximum benefits by 15 percent and suspend all rulemaking that would limit access to SNAP to ensure vulnerable populations in the U.S. have access to the resources they need.

most important ask is to urge Congress to boost

A task force has been created to bring people around the state to ensure that food is available to everyone in New Mexico.  Here is information on the overall strategy, including ways to help.  And this link provides a way to help in Bernalillo and Valencia Counties.

What happens to Bread for the World's National Advocacy Conference, originally scheduled for June in Washington, D.C.? 

Guess who I saw at the 2019 summit?

There is good news and bad news. The bad news first. Bread had hoped to bring a few hundred activists from around the country to a local university (I think Catholic University) for a large advocacy summit reminiscent of the national gatherings that were held in years past. Because of the outbreak of COVID-19, a gathering this size is not possible (even in early June). We did have a smaller version of the Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day in 2019.

The good news is that the event will be held online on June 8-9, allowing some of the people who could not travel to Washington to participate. There will still be worship, advocacy-focused workshops and legislative updates. More details will be announced soon on the 2020 Virtual Advocacy Summit.

An Offering of Letters Workshop

Saturday, March 14, 2020 9:30-Noon All Saints Lutheran Church 4800 All Saints Rd NW, NE. Albuquerque (map) Lupe Conchas, Bread for the World's Southwest Regional Organizer, will provide an overview of this year's letter-writing campaign and answer all relevant questions. He will tell us how you can get more resources and information via regional webinars. He will also give us information about Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day in Washington on June 8-10. Thank you to Lucretia Tippit, Judy Messal and the team at All Saints Lutheran Church for hosting the event. For more information contact breadnm@gmail.com The Campaign Last year, Bread focused our annual Offering of Letters campaign on global nutrition so mothers and children could get the foods they need to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Because of your advocacy, both the House and Senate introduced its own versions of a Global Nutrition Resolution. In 2020, we will again promote nutrition. In addition to continuing our advocacy work around global nutrition, we will also turn our attention to those experiencing hunger in the United States. Read More   Get Toolkit    Powerpoint Presentation Join Us! These churches have set a date to hold an Offering of Letters this year: Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community,  All Saints Lutheran Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church,  St. Andrew Presbyterian Church. Other congregations that have written letters in recent years and/or are committed to writing letters in 2020 are Central United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque). First Presbyterian Church (Santa Fe), Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Peace Lutheran Church (Las Cruces), Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church (Truchas), St. John XXIII Catholic Community, St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church, St. Timothy's Lutheran Church.

Connect with Lupe Conchas in Albuquerque and Santa Fe

Bread for the World's Southwest Regional Organizer Lupe Conchas is coming to New Mexico. We have planned two events for local members and other interested individuals to meet him, one in Albuquerque on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m., and the other in Santa Fe on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1:00 p.m.

Lupe will talk about Bread for the World's plans for the Southwest region and for the country and also discuss this year's Offering of Letters, Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow (Mark your calendars for an Offering of  Letters Workshop in Albuquerque on Saturday, March 14, at All Saints Lutheran Church, also featuring Lupe).

Here are details of the two events. A light meal of soup will be served at the Albuquerque event.  Thursday, February 6, 2020 St Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 601 Montaño Rd NW,  Albuquerque, NM 87107 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Saturday, February 8, 2020  First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe 208 Grant Ave,  Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM  Please RSVP to breadnm@gmail.com or via Facebook Events  Albuquerque     Santa Fe

It's Never Too Early to Start Planning

Reps. Haaland, Torres Small Cosponsor Global Nutrition Resolution

Recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerating global progress against maternal and child malnutrition and supporting United States Agency for International Development's commitment to global nutrition through its multi-sectoral nutrition strategy.   Summary of House Resolution 189 and Senate Resolution 260

As of mid-July, Bread for the World members in New Mexico had written 29 letters to Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and 254 to Rep. Deb Haaland urging our congressional representatives to support efforts to boost our country commitments to global child and maternal nutrition. This ask is part of Bread for the World's 2019 Offering of Letters. Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow.

Collage of Lobby Day Visits

The letters from constituents might have played a part in the decision of Reps. Haaland and Torres Small to cosponsor House Resolution 189. Our two members of Congress were among the broadly bipartisan group of 94 House cosponsors. 

Of course, our Lobby Day visits to the Washington offices of the congresswomen might have helped, along with follow-up from Bread government relations staff.

We have also been in touch with Rep. Rep Ben Ray Lujan, who promised me during a conversation in Albuquerque that he would consider cosponsoring the initiative. This conversation came during the August congressional recess, and hopefully he will add his name when Congress returns in September.

On Lobby Day, I also visited the offices of Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich. We also requested that they sign on to the Senate version of the resolution. As of mid-August the two senators were not yet among the bipartisan group of 35 Senate cosponsors of SRes260. We are hopefully that they will add their names to the list.

Advocating on Capitol Hill for a Global Nutrition Initiative

Recognizing the importance of sustained United States leadership to accelerating global progress against maternal and child malnutrition and supporting United States Agency for International Development's commitment to global nutrition through its multi-sectoral nutrition strategy. H.Res.189

Earlier this year, Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts)  submitted House Resolution 189 (H.Res.189). The measure was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and also to the Committee on Agriculture

In the Senate, Republican Susan Collins and Democrat Chris Coons of Iowa put together a similar measure, which had not been assigned a number as of Lobby Day.

The Resolution is closely linked with Bread for the Worlds' Offering of Letters, Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow.

Lobby Day
On June 11, Lobby Day, Bread for the World members met with aides (and sometimes with actual legislators) to urge them to cosponsor the two initiatives, and some cases to thank them for already having done so.

On Lobby Day, I met with Mary Nugent at Rep. Debra Haaland's office and Jake Jackson at Rep. Xochitl Torres Small's office (and dropped a package of information by Rep. Ben Ray Lujan's office) to urge their bosses to cosponsor the resolution.

In the Senate, I met with Adriana Mares and Blair Hammond at Sen. Martin Heinrich's office, and with Clint Cowan at Sen. Tom Udall's office. I asked that our senators cosponsor the Collins-Coons resolution, which did not have a number as of that date.

In all my visits, I handed aides letters that were written by members of Central United Methodist Church. The letters created a real connection with constituents back home.

Stay tuned for updates and follow-up action, including visits to the local offices.

Upper Left to Right: Jake Jackson, Blair Hammond, Andrea Mares. Lower Left to Right:Mary Nugent, Clint Cowan

A Discussion on Global Nutrition; Chatting with a New Board Member

Representatives of nine congregations gathered on Saturday morning, March 16, to discuss the 2019 Offering of Letters: Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow and to hear from one of our newest members of the Bread for the World national board of directors.

About a dozen people attended the workshop, which included members of Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Annunciation Catholic Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, St. John XXIII Catholic Community, St. Paul Lutheran Church and St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Most of these churches also participated in our 2018 letter-writing campaign, which yielded 1, 353 letters to Congress on protecting safety-net domestic nutrition programs.               

Talking Child Nutrition
The topic of this year's letter-writing campaign is very straightforward. We are asking Congress to pass legislation to establish a new, scaled-up approach to global nutrition. Passage of a bill or resolution will strengthen U.S. commitment to global child nutrition and will lead other countries to join us in the global effort to end hunger.

Still, there were some questions. For example, one participant asked whether the legislation Bread supports would target the health of a child before he/she is born. This would mean an emphasis on providing nutrition for expectant mothers.

The answer is yes, of course. The 1,000 Days Campaign, which provides a model for global nutrition initiatives, takes into account the health of a child from the beginning of a mother's pregnancy to the boy or girl's second birthday. "Nutrition programs for pregnant women and young children are highly cost effective. Every dollar spent on them produces on average a $16 return from reduced health care costs and people's improved ability to participate in the labor market," says the Hunger and Poverty Facts section of the four-page position paper on this year's Offering of Letters.

E-Mails, Handwritten Letters and Lobby Day(s)
There were also discussions on whether e-mails are effective, on the timing of letters, and on the mechanics of delivering the actual letters to Congress. We agreed that electronic communications are a relevant way to connect with legislators, but that messages should be personalized and that a postal mailing address should be provided.

St. Timothy Lutheran members

In Albuquerque, some congregations are planning to continue the tradition of delivering the letters to the local office and perhaps taking the opportunity to discuss global nutrition with a local aide. St. Timothy Lutheran and La Mesa Presbyterian Church have both recently organized visits to the local offices of our elected officials in downtown Albuquerque.

Along those lines, we are working on setting up local visits in Albuquerque to the offices of Rep. Debra Haaland, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall, in conjunction with Bread for the World's Lobby Day, which is on June 11. At least two people from Albuquerque are planning to visit Capitol Hill on that day. Several churches and one synagogue (along with a national representative from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger) organized a local Lobby Day in June 2017.

Board member Kara Bobroff
One of the two people planning to attend Lobby Day in Washington this year is Kara Bobroff, a new member of Bread for the World's board of directors. The visit to Capitol Hill would coincide with the summer board meeting. I (Carlos Navarro) also plan to attend Lobby Day.

Bobroff, founding principal of the Native American Community Academy (NACA) in Albuquerque, was a special guest at our Offering of Letters workshop. She spoke on strategies to engage Native American communities in our anti-hunger work in New Mexico and elsewhere. "As far as getting more Native American communities involved [in anti-hunger efforts], the focus on children is one of the primary ways to do that," said Bobroff.  She pointed out that ensuring that children have adequate nutrition is a universal goal for communities across the globe.

In part because of her great success with NACA (which serves as a model for Native communities elsewhere in the country) and her 30-year track record in education, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this year appointed Bobroff as one of the deputy secretaries of New Mexico Public Education Department (PED). "She helped to create a network school scorecard to provide a more holistic view of school and student success in order to guide future educational growth," said a press release from Gov. Lujan Grisham's office.

Bobroff spoke enthusiastically about a new initiative in this year's 60-day session of the New Mexico State Legislature that created a new early education agency. The Early Childhood Education Department, which was approved by the State Legislature, would develop programs for infants and young children up to age 4. The programs would include home visits for families, child care assistance and prekindergarten. "I think there might be way to have the efforts of [local Bread advocates] connect with some the programming with women and children at that age level," said Bobroff.

So how did Bobroff become acquainted with Bread for the World? She learned about the organization while serving with Bread president David Beckmann on former President Barack Obama's Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Beckmann asked her to consider becoming a member of the Bread board, and she accepted an invitation to be part of the ballot for the board of directors. She became a member of the board, beginning on Jan. 1, 2019.

As a new board member, it was very valuable for Bobroff to meet with some grassroots members  at our Offering of Letters workshop. "It's interesting to know the work that you're doing locally, but also what's happening at the other levels as well," she told participants at the workshop.

Here is a four-minute clip of Bobroff's talk at our local Offering of Letters workshop. (Ivan Westergaard of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Rena Dragoo of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church look on).

David Beckmann Introduces 2019 Offering of Letters

Bread for the World’s 2019 Offering of Letters: Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow urges our government to accelerate progress toward ending hunger by increasing funding for global child nutrition programs. In this video, Bread President David Beckmann introduces us to the letter-writing campaign for this year.

A Workshop on the 2019 Offering of Letters

I recently traveled to a mountain village in Guatemala called El Paraiso. In this country of great natural beauty, I saw the impact of hunger with my own eyes. Nearly all the children in this village are underweight for their age; they are chronically malnourished. In some parts of the highlands of Guatemala, as many as 7 in 10 children suffer from chronic malnutrition. It does not have to be this way. God has made it possible for us to end hunger in our lifetime.    -David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World       (See USAID Nutrition Profile for Guatemala)

Join us at our Offering of Letters workshop in Albuquerque

Saturday, March 16, 2019
9:30-Noon
La Mesa Presbyterian Church (conference room)
7401 Copper, NE

We will hold a conversation on the topic of letters for 2019, entitled "Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow." The discussion will led by Carlos Navarro, volunteer state coordinator for Bread for the World in New Mexico. Here is a brief dscription of the campaign:

"Better nutrition today means a better tomorrow for millions of women and children around the world," said David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World "That's why, beginning in 2019, Bread for the World will work with you to mobilize the political will to make this a policy priority and to take a new approach to scale up what we know works in helping improve the nutrition of women and children — including making global nutrition the focus of our 2019 Offering of Letters."

Photo from NACA website

Special Guest
Our special guest at the meeting is Kara Bobroff, founding principal of the Native American Community Academy and a new member on the national board of directors of Bread for the World. Kara--who would have just returned from her first board meeting in early March--will offer additional information about the OL as well us tell us about her work to promote education among Native youth in New Mexico and elsewhere. She will also discuss her overall vision of how we can come together to address hunger within tribal communities, our state of New Mexico, and our nation.

Here's How You Can Follow Up on Your Offering of Letters

Bread for the World sent out this update for the 2018 Offering of Letters with instructions on how to follow up on those letters you wrote. Many of you probably received this note from Christine Melendez Ashley. 

Thanks to you, thousands of letters, emails, and calls have made their way to your members of Congress — urging them to invest in ending hunger. But our work isn’t finished yet.

President Trump recently signed a spending bill extending funding for programs like WIC, international food aid, and poverty-focused development assistance, but only through Dec. 7. Congress is taking a break from Washington, D.C., until after the November midterm elections. When they return next month, they will make final decisions on spending bills funding critical anti-hunger programs through 2019.

It’s not too late to join the 2018 Offering of Letters campaign. Here’s how:

• Call (800-826-3688) or email today. Urge your members of Congress to pass spending bills that strongly invest in programs like WIC, summer meals, global nutrition, and poverty-focused development programs.
  
  

Email Congress

Schedule an Offering of Letters event with your church or group of friends. Every handwritten letter or personalized email counts.

This November, Pledge to End Hunger

'A Blessing Over This Humble Offering'

As people of faith, we view our letters to Congress on hunger-related issues as an expression of our faith. Several of our Bread for the World congregations in Albuquerque ask their pastor or another member of the clergy to say a blessing over the letters before they are put in the mail.

Here are some photographs from the blessings of letters written at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Holy Ghost School, and St. John XXIII Catholic Community.

"One of the goals of Holy Ghost Catholic School is Care for Creation," said Rosemary Holland, who facilitates a retreat on this theme at the school. "As part of our action we close the school year with a retreat in each elementary class room to reflect on our responsibility to creation--which certainly includes people most in need. So we invite the students to write a Bread for the World letter."

Prayer Over Letters
God of the Hungry. God of Abundance. God of Grace.
Time and time again, you have called your people to care for those who are hungry and living in the margins. You have given us a world of abundance and we confess that we  have not been good stewards and shared justly.

We give thanks for the freedom and power you give us to resist this injustice. By writing these letters to Congress today, we use that power in a small way so that we might answer your call to feed those who are struggling with hunger.

We present these letters as a humble offering and ask your blessing upon them. Bless those who carry and deliver these letters. Bless the readers and decision makers they reach; that they may hear your call to allocate our shared resources so that people who hunger are fed. Amen.

Rev. Gene Gries, Holy Rosary Church

Litany
Leader: Our hearts desire to be in right relationship with God and one another. Therefore, we advocate to our lawmakers to support a budget that invests in programs that move people out of hunger and poverty. Let us act with a mind and heart for justice, love, and mercy.

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors.

Leader: God, source of life, give us courage to care for all creation with mercy, to treat your people with kindness, and sustain our efforts with your love so all people thrive.

Rev. Ark Biczak, St. John XXIII

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors.

Leader: God, source of light, we pray for the wisdom to thoughtfully engage with our lawmakers, so they might pass a budget that supports an end to hunger in our world.

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors.

Leader: God, source of wisdom, ensure in each of us gathered, the desire to speak with authenticity, compassion, and directness to change structures in place that keep people hungry.

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors.

Leader: God, source of abundance, we pray for those who today will not have enough food to sustain themselves, their families, their neighbors. Challenge us to live in the spirit of your abundance to sustain and provide for all.

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors.

Leader: God, source of life, may our call to stewardship be a worthy testament to what is most important in your heart: the care and protection of your most vulnerable people.

People: Lord, teach us to respond with your justice, love, and mercy in our endeavors. Amen.

(The blessing was created by Bishop Jose García and Justice H. Randolph. The litany was written by Genevieve Mougey. All three are members of Bread for the World's Church Relations staff).

The Candidates Too

Most of the 80-plus letters written at our Offering of Letters at St. John XXIII Catholic Community on the weekend of July 7-8 were directed to our congressional representatives in Washington. More than one-third of those letters went to Sen. Martin Heinrich, while a dozen or so were addressed to Sen Tom Udall, while the count for Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham was in the teens.  A visitor to our parish from California wrote a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Rep. Lujan Grisham had been the popular choice in our Offerings of Letters the past three years. Many letter-writers, aware that she has announced her decision to step down from her post in the U.S. House of Representatives to run for governor of New Mexico, wrote fewer letters to her.  However, organizers of our Offering of Letters decided to give parishioners the opportunity to write to the three individuals seeking to replace Lujan Grisham in the House: Democrat Deb Haaland, Republican Janice Arnold-Jones and Libertarian Lloyd Princeton.

Our sample letters to the candidates had slightly different wording than those to sitting members of Congress.  Our messages mentioned the high rate of child hunger and overall food insecurity in New Mexico and suggested that one way to address this situation was to protect funding for vital nutrition programs like SNAP, WIC and tax credits for low-income voters.

My guess is that the candidates are not necessarily receiving letters from would-be constituents at this point in the campaign. Our OL offered the opportunity to those who wanted to send the message to do so.  By this time next year, Haaland, Arnold-Jones or Princeton will be representing the New Mexico First District, and we hope that our letters will plant a seed to ensure that addressing hunger remains on the radar of our new elected official.

Here are additional photos from our Offering of Letters.

Our pastor, Father Ark Biczak

Judy Traeger, a JustFaith facilitator

On July 4, Support #FreedomFromHunger #ProtectSNAP in the #FarmBill

Prayer AND Advocacy During Farm Bill Deliberations

We need both action and contemplation to have a whole spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter which comes first; action may lead you to contemplation and contemplation may lead you to action. But finally, they need and feed each other.  -Rev. Richard Rohr, OFM

Last week, we received two separate notes from Bread for the World. One note came from Bishop José García, senior advisor for prayer and strategic initiatives, who urged us to join the monthly prayer circle to include two requests in our prayers: the well-being of low-income individuals whose benefits are running out, and wisdom and compassion for our members of Congress as they debate the farm bill.

Circle of Prayer: As we fast again this month, we pray especially for those whose SNAP benefits will run out on or near the 21st day of the month. This is particularly important as Congress works on the farm bill.

To support your fast and create community, we are starting a monthly Prayer Circle. Please join us May 21 at 12 p.m. (EDT).

The Prayer Circle will be led by our special guest Rev. Art Simon, founder of Bread for the World. We will pray for Congress to write a farm bill that protects and strengthens domestic nutrition programs and fully funds and continues to improve our international food aid programs.

Register for the Circle of Prayer

Advocacy: The second note came from Christine M. Ashley, interim co-director of government relations, who asked us to contact our legislators in the House of Representatives to urge them to vote against H.R.2  the Agriculture and Nutrition Act (H.R.2).

 "The farm bill imposes SNAP benefit and eligibility cuts in addition to stricter work requirements, in the name of getting SNAP recipients back to work" said Ms. Ashley. "If enacted, these changes would make it harder for families with children, people with disabilities, and seniors to get the food they need,"  

Ashley wrote the note two days before H.R. 2 was defeated in the House by a vote of 213-198.  The threat a punitive Farm Bill has not gone away, so the appeal to advocacy still stands. However, the strategy has shifted.

Here is a note from Food Research and Action Center:  Thank House Members who voted “No” on H.R. 2 and urge them to reject the motion to reconsider; urge Senators to protect and strengthen SNAP, including by rejecting SNAP cuts and by improving adequacy of SNAP benefits.

And this note appeared in the Bread Blog: Unfortunately, House Speaker Paul Ryan could bring this bill back up for a vote again early next week, so we will need to ensure our members of Congress stand strong in opposing these harmful cuts. Call your representative (800-826-3688) to thank them for voting against the bill or to oppose their support for the bill. (list of yeas and nays)

House Candidates Discuss Immigration, Poverty at Forum in #ABQ

Davis, Arnold-Jones, Princeton (standing), Lara, Haaland, Sedillo Lopez, Moya, Martinez (off frame)

On Wednesday, May 16, the eight individuals seeking to fill the soon-to-be vacant New Mexico Congressional District 1 seat in the House of Representatives participated in a discussion on immigration and other issues at First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque. The race has drawn six Democrats (Pat Davis, Debra Haaland, Damian Lara, Damon Martinez, Paul Moya, Antoinette Sedillo Lopez), one Republican (Janice Arnold-Jones) and one Libertarian (Lloyd Princeton). The seat is currently held by Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is leaving to run for governor of New Mexico.

The forum was organized by the New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Among the immigration issues that were discussed were the role of local police in enforcing immigration policy, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and locations within the city where immigration enforcement personnel should not be allowed to seek undocumented immigrants.

Poverty and Economic Development
One of the "other" issues that were discussed was child poverty and poverty in New Mexico in general.  As one who works on addressing hunger and poverty in our state, our country and overseas, this was an area of particular interest. The candidates addressed this issue in a somewhat superficial manner. To be fair, they couldn't go in depth because they were given 90 seconds to make a statement.

Here are some comments that stood out for me that were directly or indirectly relevant to the Bread for the World Offering of Letters, entitled For Such a Time as This. In New Mexico, the focus of our letters is on protecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which affect so many individuals and families in our state. Haaland addressed this issue directly. "Kids cannot learn when they're hungry," she said.  However, Martinez spoke of protecting safety net programs, and Sedillo Lopez spoke of the need to "radically expand" the earned-income tax credit (EITC), which is a position that Bread has supported.

Sedillo Lopez and Davis both spoke of the need to increase the minimum wage, although the former mentioned a specific figure: $15 per hour and then link any increases to inflation.

Another area that was discussed was education--specifically early childhood education, which the  candidates agreed could use more support. "The surest way out of poverty is to fix education," said Moya.  This was also a point of emphasis for Martinez, Sedillo-Lopez and Davis.  Lara mentioned the need to expand Headstart.

Arnold Jones addressed the need to reduce overregulation to promote economic growth in the state, while Princeton suggested that more effort should go to programs like vocational training in the state to help boost employment.

Letters to Candidates
While the forum did not lend itself to a broad discussion on hunger and poverty in New Mexico, we are hoping to raise the issue to the candidates between now and the November election.

After June 5, only one of the six Democrats will remain in the race, along with Arnold-Jones and Princeton. We hope to promote letters to the three candidates as part of our ongoing Offering of Letters efforts in New Mexico (along with continuing letters to our current House and Senate members).  The Congressional seat in the 2nd district is also open, so we may address letters to the eventual nominees seeking to replace Rep. Steve Pearce, who is also running for governor.  Stay tuned for more details.

As of May 15, four churches had written more than 500 letters to Reps. Lujan Grisham, Pearce, and Ben Ray Lujan and Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich (who is also running for re-election this year).

I was pleased to learn that the location of the congressional debate, First Presbyterian Church, is planning an Offering of Letters on May 20, a fact that Rev. Matthew Miller, pastor of the church, proudly pointed out to me. The letters written on May 20 will be dedicated on  May 27. Special thanks to Kirsten Marr for organizing this effort at First Presbyterian Church.

#HandsOffSNAP Tweets

The farm bill imposes SNAP benefit and eligibility cuts in addition to stricter work requirements, in the name of getting SNAP recipients back to work. If enacted, these changes would make it harder for families with children, people with disabilities, and seniors to get the food they need. Christine M. Ashley,Interim Co-Director of Government Relations, Bread for the World

Get the facts about SNAP.

The House Agriculture Committee's proposed Farm Bill, which would make draconian cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other nutrition assistance programs, prompted anti-hunger advocates and organizations to launch the #HandsOffSNAP campaign to spread the word that hunger would increase significantly if the measure is approved.

Here is a sampling of messages on Twitter that carried the #HandsoffSNAP hashtag, which was also used to highlight rallies and press conferences on May 8.

“Food ought to be a fundamental right for everybody in this country.” - @RepMcGovern at #HandsOffSNAP Speakout at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/3c6fNGT0cv

— FRAC (@fractweets) May 8, 2018

America is the bread basket of the world and the richest country that has ever existed. We must have it in our budget, values, and priorities to feed our people. #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/9hIOx3Dvdy

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) May 8, 2018

At least 162,364 people in NM’s District 2 participate in #SNAP. Most of these families include children and nearly a third include senior citizens. @RepStevePearce. #HandsOffSNAP https://t.co/QOonvZ9hJ6

— NM Center on Law & Poverty (@NMPovertyLaw) May 8, 2018

The @HouseGOP farm bill cuts nearly $20B dollars from #SNAP. It would cause more than 2 million people to lose their SNAP benefits. Taking food away from children & working families, is cruel, & makes it harder for them make ends meet. #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/6SrG2BiQFg

— MoveOn (@MoveOn) May 8, 2018

SNAP Helps Millions of Low-Income Seniors: https://t.co/xOtjDTROuU via @CenterOnBudget #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/zZnTVUEeOd

— SocialSecurityWorks (@SSWorks) May 8, 2018

Did you know that changes to categorical eligibility in the #FarmBill would push food-insecure children off the free meal program. Light up the phones in Washington, D.C. and tell your representatives #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/9QYZNdb1uP

— Bread for the World (@bread4theworld) May 8, 2018

#SNAPmatters because it puts food on the table for families. #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/F99rvtJt9Y

— Fresh EBT app (@FreshEBT) May 8, 2018

#SNAP is crucial to more than 40 million Americans, including 10 million Latino families struggling to put food on the table. Cutting, restructuring or restricting #SNAP hurts families who are trying to make ends meet. #HandsOffSNAP#resistance #resist #indivisible

— Margaret Arnett (@Margaret_Arnett) May 9, 2018

.@RepWalorski @SenToddYoung @SenDonnelly #DYK 78% of #SNAP families in #Indiana work? And that 47% of SNAP households have children?

SNAP (food stamps) reaches 318,798 households with 718,667 #Hoosiers a month!! We must protect this vital program for our families! #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/Qg7e0hFsTq

— Angie R-Schafer (@AngRSchafer) May 8, 2018

“There is a racialization that comes with the cutting of #SNAP... in their mindset we can’t be helping lazy people, but it’s hard work to be poor.” Says @RevDrBarber #SNAPWorks #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/ZBybtxl4bp

— NETWORK (@NETWORKLobby) May 7, 2018

Thank you @NancyPelosi for joining us at the #HandsOffSNAP rally today and speaking out against the harmful cuts and changes to SNAP in the House Republican #FarmBill! pic.twitter.com/z1x3wyLPLT

— MomsRising (@MomsRising) May 8, 2018

Opinion: Cuts in SNAP Would Hurt New Mexico

The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (NMCLP) and the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) are two of the strong voices in our state opposing any measures that would reduce access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income and working families and individuals.

Both organizations have spoken out against restrictive measures proposed by Gov. Susana Martinez's administration. In 2015, SWOP has organized a town hall opposing unrealistic work proposals that the Martinez administration proposed for SNAP recipients. The NMCLP has fought the Martinez administration in court over the same issue and has also helped organize a coalition to oppose draconian cuts proposed in federal legislation. At the same time, NMCLP has highlighted the positive impact of SNAP on our state economy.

In a column published in The Albuquerque Journal on Sunday, May 6, entitled Cuts in SNAP bad for poor people, economy, NMCLP Managing Attorney Sovereign Hager and SWOP Executive DIrector George Lujan address the impact of the 2018 Farm Bill proposed by the House Agriculture Committee on New Mexico. The measure would severely reduce SNAP benefits.

Here are the first two paragraphs of the opinion piece.

In New Mexico, food is at the heart of our culture. In this collective identity we have a shared understanding that no one in the community should ever go hungry. Unfortunately, 20 percent of New Mexicans do not have enough to eat right now, including as many as one in three children.

The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, proposed by Republicans in Congress, would make the situation unbearably worse for our families by cutting SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – and preventing more than 120,000 New Mexicans from putting food on the table. New Mexico can simply not afford such a huge step backward.

Read the Full Editorial Online

Feeding America Sets Call-in Day for Tuesday

Image from Bread for the World

Earlier, we sent out sign-in letters from the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (for organizations) and the Southwest Organizing Project (for individuals) to Congress asking that the Supplemental Nutrition Program be protected. 

Here is another way to take action. Feeding America and its local affiliates around the country, including Roadrunner Food Bank in Central and Southern New Mexico, are urging anti-hunger advocates around the country to participate in National Call-in Day on Tuesday, May 8, to oppose cuts in SNAP the Farm Bill.

Here’s a few details about the call in:

1. Dial Feeding America’s toll free number, (888) 398-8702 
2. Listen to the pre-recorded message. 
3. Enter your zip code and be connected to your Representative
4. Once you are connected to your Member of Congress, state that you are a constituent and give your name and the town you are calling from. Let the office know you are calling about The Farm Bill. 

Deliver this message:
(Please use the following script to help oppose cuts to SNAP and advocate for a strong Farm Bill).

I’m calling from [community name] which [Congressperson’s name] serves.

I’m concerned about the House Farm Bill. The bill’s severe cuts to the SNAP program through burdensome and unnecessary work time limits and restrictions on eligibility will lengthen the lines at our pantries, soup kitchens, and other sites that serve hungry people in my community.

Charitable hunger programs in our state will not be able to meet the demand of these proposed SNAP cuts. The deep cuts to SNAP will negatively impact the people we serve and increase hunger in our community.

I’m asking you to oppose H.R. 2 – the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 and to come up with a bipartisan bill that protects and strengthens this vital program.

Thank you for passing my thoughts and concerns along to (Congress person’s name here).