JUSTICE AND PEACE MINISTRY TEAM

Meetings are held the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

 UCC Justice & Ministries Link:

  www.ucc.org/justice

HOW DO WE WRITE A LETTER TO CONGRESS?

The letter-writing campaign is focused on one key point:  We want Congress to protect and reform U.S. foreign aid to make it more effective in reducing hunger and poverty.

You are asked to make your letters as personal as possible, so handwritten letters or personalized emails (via Congressional web forms) are encouraged.  Web forms are actually the preferred mode of communication for most senators and representatives.  You can find your respective senators’ or representatives’ offices online at <senate.gov> or <house.gov>.

Letters can also be handwritten and mailed to:

Sen. __________, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 or

Rep. __________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.

Remember these four simple steps to effective letter writing:

1.      Write your name and address at the end of your letter AND on the envelope, so your members of Congress know you are one of the people they represent.

2.      Ask for specific action, using this sentence or your own words: “I ask you to reform foreign aid to make it more effective in reducing hunger and poverty.”

3.      Give reasons why:

?        Letters with personal stories are the most compelling and effective.

?        “My church is already helping with food and monetary donations, but I also expect my country to take the lead in combating global hunger.”

4.      Put each letter in a separate envelope and address it.  Send your letter to:

?        Your U.S. senators:  U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510

?        Your U.S. representative: U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515

Below is an example of a letter that can be written.  Because of security procedures, your letter may take two to four weeks to reach Congress, so please plan accordingly OR use the web response forms for your respective senators’/representatives’ offices which can be located at <senate.gov> or <house.gov>.

Date ___________

Dear Senator__________ or Representative_______________,

I am a member of Congregational Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ, and we are passionate about the need to sustain funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the United States and around the world.  My church is committed to serving hungry people in our community, but I also expect the U.S. government to take a lead in addressing hunger in systemic ways.

I am deeply concerned about some of the budget cuts Congress is considering.  We need to cut the federal deficit, but we must not do it on the backs of poor people.

We need to form a circle of protection around the people who benefit from these programs—struggling women and children in developing countries.  Poverty–focused foreign assistance is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, so chopping it would do little to reduce the deficit.

At the same time, we need to make sure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.  More efficient U.S. foreign aid programs will ensure that our tax dollars are used effectively and that the aid we give is what local people in poor countries really need.  These reforms will help foster economic growth and opportunity and contribute to our own national security as well.  As Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has stated that helping countries develop “is a lot cheaper than sending soldiers.”

Please protect families and children from cuts that cost lives, and support reforms to U.S. foreign aid so that the world’s most hungry people are the ones who actually benefit from our assistance.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Address