April Enews

 

MONTHLY UPDATE – VOLUME 5 ISSUE 04  - April 02,  2009

ACTION ALERTS   Oregon Food Bank and Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force Advocacy Alert   In this month’s Advocacy Alert you will find:   Food stamps go SNAP Federal food stimulus for Oregon Health reform: kids & vulnerable adults can’t wait Governor’s Hunger Week   See the take five section to take action on expanding health care coverage.   View the latest Advocacy Alert online as well as past editions.   Sign up for the Advocacy Alert from the OFB website.     Portland Downtown Small Group Meeting: Monday April 13, Noon-1pm at the Central Library in downtown Portland.  We will learn about and write letters on our key foreign aid reform issue. My key goal for the year is to get a number of these small local groups meeting on a monthly basis. We can meet at a house, church library etc. This first meeting is for people who work or live near downtown. Please RSVP (breador@verizon.net) if you can make it, or let me know if you would like to host a meeting in your area. Thanks – Mike Small Group Resources The purpose of these small groups is to create a group that takes one hunger advocacy action each month. A group that meets your needs and time schedule, and does not rely on participation in large regional meetings that require travel and fixed inflexible meeting times. Groups of 3-15 people can meet for one hour each month to stay informed and take action on important issues. These groups can get topic ideas, suggestions and support from the Oregon volunteer coordinator (me: breador@verizon.net) or our regional organizers. Please contact me if you want to participate in a small group close to your home, work, school or church. I can help in getting the word out and can attend your first few meetings to help get things started. Printable Resources for your group (Open the links to view and print the documents): Small Group Leaders Guide Small Group Meeting Agenda Monthly Email Newsletter Signup Sheet Topics (Cover one topic per meeting, print out a sample letter for each participant) Topic 1: 2009 Offering of Letters, Reforming Foreign Aid: Sample Letter,  Background Info Topic 2: Boost Food Stamps in the stimulus package: Sample Letter Topic 3: Restore the Oregon General Assistance program  Sample Letter. Background Info   A Victory in Congress Thanks to your efforts, the voices of poor and hungry people were heard in Congress today! The Senate passed an amendment adding $4 billion for International Affairs back into their budget resolution. Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Lugar (R-IN) offered the amendment and your calls and emails convinced the Senate that this was an important thing to do. The international affairs part of the budget contains the programs that help reduce hunger and poverty. By adopting the Kerry-Lugar amendment, the Senate signaled its support for programs that address agriculture, nutrition, health, water and education in poor countries around the world. The budget process has only begun, but this vote is an important first step in the effort to bolster U.S. poverty focused assistance in the year ahead. Your calls made a difference! Thank you! BREAD’S ISSUES IN CONGRESS:2009 Offering of Letters On March 18, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN), co-chaired by Bread president David Beckmann, published an open letter to the administration and Congress, urging them to “make modernization of our foreign assistance programs a priority.” The letter was endorsed by nearly 150 influential individuals and organizations from the nonprofit, academic, military, and business sectors. Read the MFAN press release or sign up as a supporter. 2009 Budget On March 10, the Senate passed its omnibus bill for fiscal year 2009 by voice vote. President Obama signed the measure into law on March 11. For 2009, poverty-focused development assistance received an increase of $740 million. 2010 Budget The House and Senate budget committees are now reviewing the administration’s budget outline for fiscal year 2010. The Senate Budget Committee plans to mark up its resolution this week, while House Budget Committee action has not yet been scheduled. Congressional leadership hopes to have budget resolutions passed by the full House and Senate before the April recess begins on April 4. Child Nutrition Reauthorization As the administration prepares the details of its 2010 budget request, advocates are urging administration officials to include additional resources for child nutrition beyond the increase of $1 billion per year in the budget outline. Advocates have been meeting with Senate and House budget committee members to urge significant new funding for child nutrition. ACT NOW: Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters 2009 focuses on making U.S. foreign assistance better. To learn more about the issue and how to contact your representatives in Congress, go to www.bread.org/OL2009. Join us for Bread for the World’s Gathering 2009, June 14-16 in Washington, DC. Help us Rejoice! Hope! Act! For more information, visit www.bread.org/Gathering2009.