online 2020 offering of letters
In light of the coronavirus lock down, Bread for the World now has a way for folks to participate in a modified 2020 Offering of Letters by simply signing an online form letter. The first letter described below has been suggested for Offerings of Letters in Michigan and Ohio. You might also consider signing the two other letters listed below. All three letters address needs arising out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Keep in mind that you can make your letter more effective by customizing it.
The first letter asks members of Congress to extend the Pandemic EBT (electronic-benefits transfer) program through the summer. The Pandemic EBT program helps low-income families by providing them with extra funds to purchase food, but it is currently scheduled to be terminated at the end of the school year.
The second letter asks for international aid to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus in developing nations with high rates of poverty.
The third letter asks for improvements in SNAP (the food-stamp program), to make it more effective at alleviating hunger during the pandemic.
For each letter, one-click will send a letter to both Senators and your member of Congress. Use of these online letters will also allow Bread to accurately track which members received letters and for Bread's government relations team to do timely follow up. If your zip code is 49423, you will need to supply the last four digits of your 9-digit zip code, so that the software can determine which Congressional district you live in. You can use this USPS tool for retrieving that information.
Keep in mind that you can make your letter more effective by customizing it.
The first letter asks members of Congress to extend the Pandemic EBT (electronic-benefits transfer) program through the summer. The Pandemic EBT program helps low-income families by providing them with extra funds to purchase food, but it is currently scheduled to be terminated at the end of the school year.
The second letter asks for international aid to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus in developing nations with high rates of poverty.
The third letter asks for improvements in SNAP (the food-stamp program), to make it more effective at alleviating hunger during the pandemic.
For each letter, one-click will send a letter to both Senators and your member of Congress. Use of these online letters will also allow Bread to accurately track which members received letters and for Bread's government relations team to do timely follow up. If your zip code is 49423, you will need to supply the last four digits of your 9-digit zip code, so that the software can determine which Congressional district you live in. You can use this USPS tool for retrieving that information.
The information below is superceded by the above announcement
2020 Area -wide offering of letters
BETTER NUTRITION, BETTER TOMORROW
Note: The information below was mainly written before the coronavirus severely disrupted life in the US. The requests originally planned for the 2020 Offering of Letters are still valid, but the coronavirus has our political leaders preoccupied with limiting the damage caused by the virus. Check Bread.org for guidance on how you can help shape Congress's response to the crisis at hand. For example, Bread for the World is advocating for an increase in SNAP (food stamp) benefits.
This year’s Offering of Letters (letter-writing campaign) builds upon last year’s request that Congress affirm the need for strong US leadership in providing global nutrition. Last January the Senate fulfilled our 2019 request by unanimously passing a Global Nutrition Resolution! In 2019 the House also introduced a Global Nutrition Resolution, which (though not yet passed) has garnered 153 co-sponsors, including Representative Bill Huizenga whose district includes Ottawa County.
Now we want Congress put money behind its resolutions: we are requesting that the budget for international nutrition programs be increased from $150 million in the current year to $200 million next year, and we are asking for $50 million to fund a Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program. The Summer EBT program provides additional resources to families who rely on free and reduced-price school meals during the school year.
In addition to causing human misery, hunger incurs staggering costs. It raises health-care costs, stifles economies, and leads to unrest and extremism. Conversely, improving access to proper nutrition reaps generous rewards by averting the myriad of problems associated with hunger.
In recent decades, the world has made tremendous strides against hunger. Since 1990 our world has cut hunger roughly in half. Moreover, we know much more about effective ways to reduce hunger than we did just two decades ago. God is indeed working in our time! Our advocacy is a way of cooperating with God’s grace and a means of fulfilling our responsibility to respect life.
Now we want Congress put money behind its resolutions: we are requesting that the budget for international nutrition programs be increased from $150 million in the current year to $200 million next year, and we are asking for $50 million to fund a Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program. The Summer EBT program provides additional resources to families who rely on free and reduced-price school meals during the school year.
In addition to causing human misery, hunger incurs staggering costs. It raises health-care costs, stifles economies, and leads to unrest and extremism. Conversely, improving access to proper nutrition reaps generous rewards by averting the myriad of problems associated with hunger.
In recent decades, the world has made tremendous strides against hunger. Since 1990 our world has cut hunger roughly in half. Moreover, we know much more about effective ways to reduce hunger than we did just two decades ago. God is indeed working in our time! Our advocacy is a way of cooperating with God’s grace and a means of fulfilling our responsibility to respect life.
So, for 2020 we are asking churches to organize an Offering of Letters and then pass the letters collected to the Holland Bread Team. We hope to arrange a meeting with Todd Whiteman, district manager of Rep. Huzienga, in his Grandville office and personally deliver the stack of letters, along with a list of participating churches. The letters addressed to other members of Congress will be mailed to their DC offices.
The ability of area churches to conduct their usual Offering of Letters has been stymied for now, since congregations are unable to gather for worship. Hopefully, we will be able to reschedule our Offerings for a later date. Meanwhile, consider using internet tools to encourage people to speak up for our hungry brothers and sisters.
The ability of area churches to conduct their usual Offering of Letters has been stymied for now, since congregations are unable to gather for worship. Hopefully, we will be able to reschedule our Offerings for a later date. Meanwhile, consider using internet tools to encourage people to speak up for our hungry brothers and sisters.
Several area churches have been conducting these Offerings for years and consider them to be an essential component of our mission to carry out God’s work in today’s world. The Offering of Letters can be carried out with only modest effort, and we are available to help! (E-mail us at us@hollandbreadteam.org.) Though handwritten letters are most effective, we have found that providing a form letter for parishioners to sign is most practical when large numbers of people are solicited.
If you would like to provide Bread for the World brochures, we have quite a few here in Holland. So, feel free to email us at us@hollandbreadteam.org and ask us to drop some off to you.
Resources
- Sample letter to Rep. Huizenga (WORD document will download to your computer)
- Sample letter to Senator Stabenow (WORD document will download to your computer)
- bread.org/ol Offering of Letters resources on Bread for the World's website
- Biblical Advocacy 101 (guide provided by the Christian Reformed Church)
- Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (teaching document of US Conference of Catholic Bishops)
- Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel, Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis; see Chapter 4 and especially paragraph 183)
- Pulpit Talk:
- Bulletin Insert:
Letter counts for 2019 Offering of Letters
First United Methodist (Holland) 62 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Hope Church 34 Rep. Huizenga, 9 Rep. Upton
St. Francis Catholic 134 Rep. Huizenga, 32 Rep. Upton
Third Reformed 58 Rep. Huizenga, 17 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 54 Rep. Huizenga, 10 Rep. Upton
Community Action House 82 Rep. Huizenga, 4 Rep. Upton
Total letter count: 504 (424 for Rep. Huizenga and 80 for Rep. Upton)
First United Methodist (Holland) 62 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Hope Church 34 Rep. Huizenga, 9 Rep. Upton
St. Francis Catholic 134 Rep. Huizenga, 32 Rep. Upton
Third Reformed 58 Rep. Huizenga, 17 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 54 Rep. Huizenga, 10 Rep. Upton
Community Action House 82 Rep. Huizenga, 4 Rep. Upton
Total letter count: 504 (424 for Rep. Huizenga and 80 for Rep. Upton)
Letter counts for 2018 Offering of Letters
First United Methodist (Holland) 58 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
Hope Reformed Church 45 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic 90 Rep. Huizenga
St. Francis Catholic 176 Rep. Huizenga, 30 Rep. Upton
Third Reformed 83 Rep. Huizenga, 19 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 42 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Total letter count: 582
First United Methodist (Holland) 58 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
Hope Reformed Church 45 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic 90 Rep. Huizenga
St. Francis Catholic 176 Rep. Huizenga, 30 Rep. Upton
Third Reformed 83 Rep. Huizenga, 19 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 42 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Total letter count: 582
Letter counts for 2017 Offering of Letters
Christ Memorial Church 12
First United Methodist (Holland) 18
Hope Reformed Church 67
Hope United for Justice (Hope College) 51 Rep Huizenga (plus an unknown number to other reps)
New Community Fourth Reformed 40
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic 70 Rep. Huizenga, 2 Rep. Upton
St. Francis Catholic 173 Rep. Huizenga, 25 Rep. Upton
St. Patrick Catholic (Grand Haven) 16 (many more sent separately, count unknown)
Third Reformed 70 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 43 Rep. Huizenga
Total letter count: 610+
Christ Memorial Church 12
First United Methodist (Holland) 18
Hope Reformed Church 67
Hope United for Justice (Hope College) 51 Rep Huizenga (plus an unknown number to other reps)
New Community Fourth Reformed 40
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic 70 Rep. Huizenga, 2 Rep. Upton
St. Francis Catholic 173 Rep. Huizenga, 25 Rep. Upton
St. Patrick Catholic (Grand Haven) 16 (many more sent separately, count unknown)
Third Reformed 70 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk 43 Rep. Huizenga
Total letter count: 610+
