Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit/Lobby Day

Six anti-hunger advocates from New Mexico traveled to Washington to participate in Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day on June 9-11. Our delegation included Kamatara Johnson (Circles USA-Albuqueque-Las Cruces), Sergio Mata-Cisneros (The Food Depot, Santa Fe), Carlos Navarro (St. John XXIII Catholic Community-Albquerque)m Kendra Poole (La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque & Maryland), Lynette Schurdevin (Peace Lutheran Church Las Cruces) and Rev. Andy Stoker, Central United Methodist Church-Albuquerque) 

Carlos Navarro, Lynette Schurdevin, Kamatara Johnson, Kendra Poole, Andy Stoker, Sergio Mata-Cisneros

Between the six of us, we visited our the offices of our three members in the House of Representatives and our two Senators. We lobbied for funding for the Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), global nutrition assistance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Kendra, who recently lost her job at the US Agency for International Development to the administration's downsizing noves, provided great insights on the importance of global nutrition assistance. A delegation from Puerto Rico joined as at two of our visits to advocate for changing the island's SNAP benefits from a block grant to full participation in the SNAP program.. 

While all our visits were scheduled with congressional aides, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Rep. Melanie Stansbury (at Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office, of all places). Rep. Stansbury was accompanied by NM State Sen. Harold Pope. 

State Sen. Harold Pope, Kendra Poole, Carlos Navarro, Kamtara Johnson, Lynette Schrudevin, Rep. Melanie Stansbury

      Here are other photos from Lobby Day. 

Outside Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office  (We met with legislative aide Emily Hartshorn) 

Sen. Martin Heinrich's office.  We met with LA Aria Campos

Outside Sen Ben Ray Lujan's office. We met with LA Katie Mertens

                             Rev. Andy Stoker and Kendra Poole converse with Sen. Lujan's aide Katie Mertens

Another highlight of the gathering was a celebration of Bread for the World's 50th anniversary.  Here are a handful of photos

Bread member Bryan McFarland, North Carolina

                                                   Bread president Eugene Cho

Bread staffer Jamie Thomas with former Bread president David Beckmann 

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, ONE Campaign CEO, was one of the keynoters

Current and former board members Jeremy Everett, Kate Pringle, John Carr, David Miner, Sandra Joireman

                                      With Elaine VanCleave (Tennesee Bread member)