FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

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Hubert Hawkins
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FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview Every day, millions of people in the United States and around the world feed

Our gains are increasingly vulnerable due to the actions and inactions of governing officials. Our great democracy gives all Americans access to powerful decision makers.

people who struggle with hunger and poverty. We must call on our leaders to ensure that all people, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity to reach their God-given potential.

The federal budget is the investment of our tax dollars. This investment must reflect our nation s priorities and values. You serve God when you put your faith into practice.

presence and direction in our nation s life. Investments to End Hunger Globally, hunger and poverty rates have been cut in half over the last 25 years.

Funding for international hunger programs is under threat and we must work to get it back on track.

1 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview Every day, millions of people in the United States and around the world feed and support their families in part because of lifesaving programs funded by our government. We are making progress toward the end of hunger, but we live in challenging times. Our gains are increasingly vulnerable due to the actions and inactions of governing officials. Our great democracy gives all Americans access to powerful decision makers. Just as Esther in the Old Testament was called to be an advocate with the king of Persia for her threatened people, we are called to speak up with leaders in Congress to protect vital programs for people who struggle with hunger and poverty. We must call on our leaders to ensure that all people, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity to reach their God-given potential. The actions that Congress takes have far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in the United States and around the world living in hunger. The federal budget is the investment of our tax dollars. This investment must reflect our nation s priorities and values. You serve God when you put your faith into practice. And just as Esther fasted and prayed as she prepared for advocacy with the king, the people and churches who participate in Bread for the World s annual Offering of Letters also pray for God s saving presence and direction in our nation s life. Investments to End Hunger Globally, hunger and poverty rates have been cut in half over the last 25 years. But in 2016, for the first time since the turn of the century, the number of people living in hunger increased, and now stands at 815 million. Funding for international hunger programs is under threat and we must work to get it back on track. In the United States, 1 in 8 Americans lives at risk of hunger, including approximately 13 million children. Hunger rates have been declining since 2011, yet many Americans still struggle to put food on the table. We know how to end hunger. Food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infant, Children (WIC) nutrition program, and school meals keep hunger at bay for millions of vulnerable Americans. Studies show that they also help children do better in school and in life. To access the full toolkit, visit bread.org/ol 425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Job training and tax credits give low-income workers the tools and incentives they need to

2 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS An Overview BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Job training and tax credits give low-income workers the tools and incentives they need to move themselves out of poverty. Putting our tax dollars toward policies and programs that have been tested and proven to increase opportunity is critical to ending hunger and poverty. The Budget Landscape Last year, the faithful and persistent advocacy of you and other Bread for the World members helped stop devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Congress fully funded key hunger and poverty programs in the United States and around the world, and due to high-level advocacy during a critical moment, also provided an additional $1 billion for famine relief. In 2018, the Congress will once again target vital domestic and international anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs for deep cuts. Bread stands with you and people of faith across the United States to remind Congress through the Offering of Letters that we must respond to Jesus call to help those most in need. By raising your voice through Bread for the World s 2018 Offering of Letters: For Such a Time as This, you can urge Congress to invest in programs and support policies that help improve the lives of men, women, and children struggling with hunger in the United States and around the world. What Congress Must Do Every year, Congress approves budgets and policies that impact men, women, and children living with hunger and poverty in real and significant ways. Congress passes federal budget resolutions that set yearly spending levels and longer-term priorities such as immigration policy and tax policy. Congress must also pass the annual appropriations bills that fund all government programs, including international assistance as well as child nutrition and job training programs here in the United States. Again this year, Bread for the World s network of churches and concerned people are asking Congress to protect the funding for key programs that provide hope and opportunity for people living with hunger. PROGRAMS THAT INVEST IN PEOPLE AND OVERCOME HUNGER AND POVERTY The government programs that help people living with hunger include: Nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition program, and school meals provide millions of low-income children and families with nutritious food. SNAP alone kept 3.6 million Americans out of poverty in Tax credits for low-income workers, such as the earned income tax credit and child tax credit, do more to reduce hunger and poverty and encourage work than any other government program. In 2016, these tax credits moved 8.2 million people in the United States out of poverty. Humanitarian relief programs provide lifesaving assistance following natural and man-made disasters. In South Sudan, for example, these programs have provided food and other assistance that have saved lives and reduced suffering. International poverty-focused development assistance improves nutrition, provides access to safe water and sanitation, and helps struggling farm families increase production and income. Today, fewer children around the world are dying and more are thriving than ever before, partly due to our nation s investments in nutrition and agriculture programs. To access the full toolkit, visit bread.org/ol 425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC

A BIBLICAL REFLECTION FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Answering God s Call to Advocacy and Action BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS In the relationship between God and

Throughout the Bible, we find examples of how God s people promote the common good and speak up for what is right.

3 A BIBLICAL REFLECTION FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS Answering God s Call to Advocacy and Action BREAD FOR THE WORLD S 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS In the relationship between God and God s people, it is clear that God not only cares for us, but cares how we treat one another. Throughout the Bible, we find examples of how God s people promote the common good and speak up for what is right. In the book of Esther, for example, we find the story of an unlikely advocate Queen Esther, who is persuaded to risk her own position of privilege to save her people from destruction (Esther 4). From Leviticus and Deuteronomy to the Wisdom books; from the teachings of the prophets to the works and sermons of Jesus Christ the Bible outlines measures for the nation s leaders and individuals to provide for the most vulnerable members of the community to feed themselves. The choices made by our elected leaders on the federal budget determine how our nation generates revenue and invests shared resources. We show our commitment to the common good when we advocate for investments in programs that move people out of hunger and poverty, and into better opportunities in life. We read in Deuteronomy, When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore, I am commanding you to do this (Deuteronomy 24:19-22). Jesus, too, instructs his disciples to care for people who are hungry and poor. In a familiar passage in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his followers, For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (Matthew 25: 35, 40). Jesus is teaching that we will be judged as a nation by the way the most vulnerable members of our community are treated. In our time, this includes the many people who struggle with hunger and poverty. It also includes immigrants who are seeking better lives for their families, and people who have been incarcerated and are trying to get back into the job market. God has blessed our nation with sufficient resources to make provision for all in our present time and in years to come. Investments in domestic safety-net programs, such as WIC, SNAP, free and reduced-price school meals, and tax credits for low-income workers help people in the United States move out of poverty and feed their families. International programs like the global food security initiative, Feed the Future, and the McGovern-Dole school feeding program help millions of hungry people around the world. Like Esther, we must meet the challenges before us and speak truth to power. Mordecai reminded Esther that she could not remain neutral. Action was needed, and she could use her position of influence to change the fate of her people. We cannot be silent in this challenging time. Together, we must urge Congress to develop a federal budget that serves the common good and offers help and opportunity for all people especially those struggling to put food on the table. To access the full toolkit, visit bread.org/ol 425 3rd Street SW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC

4 Social Justice Committee News Sept Offering of Letters Campaigne On the weekend of Sept , Our Lady of Mercy will participate in the Bread For the World Offering of Letters. We ask each household to write a simple letter to their Senators and Congressman and bring it with them that day. These letters will be part of our Procession of Gifts during Mass. The focus of these letters is the full funding of various national and international programs which have proven themselves successful in alleviating hunger. Below is a sample letter that you can use to guide your own letter. If you forget your letter, paper and pens will be available in the Gathering Space before Mass. As part of its year-long campaign every year on a specific topic, Bread for the World urges elected leaders in Washington, D.C., to enable people in our nation and our world to feed their families and move out of poverty. The Offering of Letters campaign is the main way Bread for the World engages people in churches in advocacy with their members of Congress offering-of-letters-sample-letter-to-congress.pdf WRITE TO CONGRESS Ask Congress to Make Funding Decisions That Help End Hunger BREAD FOR THE WORLDS 2018 OFFERING OF LETTERS: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS In 2018, we are raising our collective voice to ask Congress to invest in and protect key programs that help improve the lives of men, women, and children facing hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. Your messages to Congress will push legislators to make funding decisions that can jump start and accelerate progress against hunger. Writing a personal message is simple and should take only a few minutes. Follow these steps for an effective letter: 1.

5 Ask for a specific action, using your own words or this sentence: I urge you to invest in and protect key programs that will end hunger and reduce poverty in the United States and around the world. 2. Give reasons for your request. Share a personal reason that motivates you to write. Letters with personal stories are the most compelling and effective. Show your own commitment to ending hunger: My church is already helping by [example], but I also expect you to pass budget and spending bills that will end hunger by Write your name and address at the end of your letter and on the envelope [Date] Dear Sen. Patrick Toomey or Robert Casey, or Dear Rep. Glenn Thompson or Mike Kelly, As Congress works on the fiscal year 2019 budget and spending bills, I ask you to invest in and protect key programs that will reduce hunger and poverty. Our country and the world have made progress against hunger and poverty in recent decades. I want you to continue to invest in programs like SNAP and tax credits for low-income workers. Continued funding for programs that reduce hunger and poverty around the world are also important to me. My faith calls me to urge you to make public investments that will move us toward the end of hunger. My parish works to alleviate hunger by hosting the Harborcreek Food Pantry. Through the annual CROP Walk, members of Erie County come together to raise funds to support ministries like the local soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries that serve so many hungry people living among us. I support a number of these local initiatives by my time and donations. But, local charitable efforts are not enough. We need federal programs that are fully funded. Sincerely,

6 [Your name] [your address] [city, state, ZIP] so your members of Congress know you are one of their constituents. Sen. U.S. Senate Washington, DC Rep. U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Introduction page 3 The Bible and the Offering of Letters page 5

CONDUCTING AN ?? TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction page 3 The Bible and the Offering of Letters page 5 ORGANIZING AN OFFERING OF LETTERS The Basics page 6 Integrating Your Event into the Life of Your Congregation/Campus