Bread founder Art Simon speaks in Portland.

Art Simon at Westminster Presbyterian

Art Simon spoke today at Westminster Presbyterian church today in Portland on a book tour to promote his new book: “The Rising of Bread for the World“.  I have been involved with Bread for the World for over 25 years now and Art Simon is a personal hero of mine. I had not seen him for a few years so it was really a treat to see him again.

The book is an autobiography of his life and how Bread began as an organization. Once I am done reading it I’ll add a book review.

In his speech he talked about the impact that Bread has had over its 35 year existance. Bread also works in conjunction with other partners so it can never claim sole credit for what it has achieved, but what matters is results.

He talked about Bread’s role in the start up of the child survival fund in the 1980’s and the impact it has had over the years. This program supports proven means to reduce child mortaility: growth charts, immunization, breast feeding, oral redydration therapy. Roughly 5 million children survive each year due to this program.

The number of children who die each day has been reduced fron 40k per day to 25k per day. Its still a big number but this is clear progress over the past few decades. He called this a long term exodus from hunger, and urged us all to get involved in this movement and continue the progress.

His example has been an inspiration to me of what Christian faith means and what it can do in this world. It is something we can all learn from.

Breads western regional office in Portland is moving to a new location. Can you help with various office supplies.

We are excited to announce that we are in the process of transitioning into our new office space which is located over on NW 21st Ave in Portland! We are extremely thankful to the folks at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon for being our gracious hosts for the past three years, so our move is bittersweet, but we hope that it will foster new opportunities to grow the movement to end hunger. Our new lease begins Tuesday, Sept. 1st, so we have a week to get our office up and running!

As we leave behind our old office space, we will also have to leave behind furniture and other office essentials that we were able to use during the course of our lease. Do you have any of the following items that you would be willing to donate to our new Portland Bread for the World office? If you have any of these items, please email back. We can either arrange to have the item(s) picked up (we will have a truck this Friday), or if you are willing to drop them off at our new location, that would be wonderful! We are also looking for a volunteer with a strong back to help with some heavy lifting this Friday (8/28) if you are able…

Office Furniture/Supplies Office chair (or two) Small garbage cans (up to 5) Wall clock Lateral file cabinet (large or small) Large paper cutter 3-hole punch Large dry erase board World map/US map for wall	General Furniture Couch/loveseat/futon coffee table 6 ft folding table Folding chairs
Kitchen stuff Refrigerator (tall or mini) Microwave Cart/stand for microwave Dish drying rack Plates/mugs/glasses/utensils Electric tea kettle Drink cart	Misc House plants (real or fake let’s be honest, fake plants are harder to kill) Any cool social-justice-themed art/tapestries?

For your records, our new address effective September 1st will be:

Bread for the World
Western Regional Office
325 NW 21st Ave Ste. 100
Portland, OR 97209

We look forward to continuing our efforts to end hunger at home and around the world. And as always, thank you for all you do.

Oregon Food Bank August advocacy newsletter available

Monthly Advocacy Alert keeps you informed

Oregon Food Bank and the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force publish a monthly Advocacy Alert to help people understand hunger and poverty issues and take action on legislation that affects low-income people.

All it takes is five minutes
Each Advocacy Alert contains a section called “Take Five!” That section includes actions you can do in five minutes or less.

• Sign me up for Advocacy Alert
• Read past issues of Advocacy Alert

Recent Advocacy Alerts

All Advocacy Alerts are available as Adobe Acrobat documents (.pdf). Adobe PDF documents requires Adobe Reader software.

August 2009

• Wrap-up on 2009 legislative session
• Together we can create a hunger-free Oregon

Help celebrate Bread for the World Sunday

Encourage your church or faith community to renew their commitment to end hunger by taking part in Bread for the World Sunday!  On October 18 and other Sundays in the fall, congregations and faith communities will recommit to help end hunger in God’s world.

You can order FREE resources to help your church observe Bread for the World Sunday. This year’s reflection, on Mark 10:35-45, is written by Rev. John Buchanan, editor and publisher of the Christian Century. A new song composed by Marty Haugen in honor of Bread for the World’s 35^th anniversary, a call to worship, a litany, worship bulletin inserts, and offering envelopes—all are available to make your celebration a success.

• Order your FREE Bread for the World Sunday resources.
• See the creative ways that churches are observing Bread for the World Sunday.
• Share this e-mail with your pastor, priest, or other church leader and offer to help plan your church’s involvement in Bread for the World Sunday.

With the global economic crisis, more people are hungry here in our country and around the world.  Participating in Bread for the World Sunday is one way your congregation can make a difference.  I hope you will join with us.

Arthur Simon, Bread for the World founder, is coming to Portland (9/9, 8am @ Westminster Presbyterian)!

 

 

The Rising of Bread for the World: “Cheering On a Humble, Mission-Driven Organization” Bread founder Art Simon’s new book looks at our past and our future. Also, view the schedule for Simon’s fall book tour. Arthur Simon will be in Portland at:Westminster Presbyterian Church Wednesday, September 9, 8:00 a.m.

Oregon Bread monthly online meeting: Wed Aug 5th 8-9pm.

Monthly Online Meeting for Bread for the World Oregon

Wednesday, August 5th 30 @ 8-9pm

To participate either: 

1) Skype me at Mike.Hiland

2) Call me at  503-925-5097 

For meeting agenda: Click here

We are starting a monthly online conference meeting for the Oregon group. This will allow people to participate from home using their computer and/or phone. The meeting will last no longer than an hour. To participate, open your web browser and click on the meeting agenda link above. Then either Skype in to me at Mike.Hiland, or call me at  503-925-5097 . 

You can get and use skype for free by going to www.skype.com and downloading it (you’ll also need to get a headset – available from the website). Skype allows you to make free phone calls using your computer to anyone who also has skype (no long distance charges)(for a small charge you can also call regular phones from skype or have regular phones call into your skype account).

You dont need to RSVP, but I’d like to get an idea of how many people will be participating. Please email me to RSVP.

Oregon Bread Enews – 2009-07

MONTHLY UPDATE – VOLUME 5 ISSUE 07  - July 31,  2009

Greetings!  My name is Mike Hiland, I live in Sherwood, and am a local activist with Bread for the World. This is our monthly Oregon newsletter. Please check below for upcoming events and current action alerts and contact me if you have any questions or comments. I am available to speak to your church or group about the issue of hunger and the moral call to take action. Please also forward this to whomever might be interested. God bless and thanks for your time.  Monthly Online Meeting for Bread for the World Oregon Wednesday, August 5th @ 8-9pm To participate either:  1) Skype me at Mike.Hiland 2) Call me at 503-925-5097 For meeting agenda: Click here The monthly online meeting allows people to participate from home using their computer and/or phone. The meeting will last no longer than an hour, it consist of a worship, education and action component. The theme for this month is the Millennium Development goals and the progress to date. To participate, open your web browser and click on the meeting agenda link above. Then either Skype in to me at Mike.Hiland, or call me at 503-925-5097.  You can get and use skype for free by going to www.skype.com and downloading it (you’ll also need to get a headset – available from the website). Skype allows you to make free phone calls using your computer to anyone who also has skype (no long distance charges)(for a small charge you can also call regular phones from skype or have regular phones call into your skype account). If you cant make the meeting, you can go to the agenda link after the meeting and review the material and take the action. This way you can still support us even if you cant make the meeting (let me know what you thought of the agenda and if you have any comments for next time). You dont need to RSVP, but I’d like to get an idea of how many people will be participating. Please email me to RSVP. Action Alert: Bread for the World Urges Senators To Pass Initial Aid Reform Bill   Washington, DC, July 28, 2009—Bread for the World President Rev. David Beckmann urged members of the Senate to promptly pass a bill introduced today aimed at revitalizing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The bipartisan bill — the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009 (S.1524) — was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bob Corker (R-TN), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Jim Risch (R-ID). “Revitalizing USAID is crucial to the overall reform of U.S. foreign assistance,” said Rev. Beckmann. “If the Obama Administration and Congress improve the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance, our dollars will do more good for decades to come.” USAID was created to lead U.S. development efforts and was once the premier development agency in the world. However, after years of benign neglect and proliferating aid programs across the U.S. government, USAID has lost much of its professional capacity, expertise and authority. The bill includes a formal statement that it is U.S. policy to promote global development, good governance, and the reduction of poverty and hunger. It contains provisions for restoring planning, policy, and evaluation capacities to USAID. It also lays out new transparency measures for U.S. foreign assistance. The Senate bill introduced today complements the efforts of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA-28) and his initial aid reform bill, H.R. 2139, which currently has 91 bipartisan cosponsors. Please contact your senators using the links below and ask them to cosponsor and support S1524, the Kerry/Lugar foreign aid reform bill. Email Webforms (click the links to contact your senator through their webforms):   Wyden, Merkley, Murray, Cantwell.  Bread Update The links below are from various Bread for the World blogs and articles. Updates from these blogs are also maintained on our local www.breador.org website. A Partnership of “Faith Active in Love” Bishop Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reflects on advocacy’s relationship with mission and ministry The Rising of Bread for the World: “Cheering On a Humble, Mission-Driven Organization” Bread founder Art Simon’s new book looks at our past and our future. Also, view the schedule for Simon’s fall book tour. Arthur Simon will be in Portland at: Westminster Presbyterian Church Wednesday, September 9, 8:00 a.m.

Thanks to Rep Wu and Blumenauer for Cosponsoring foreign aid reform bill

Please thank Reps Wu and Blumenauer for cosponsoring HR2139, the Initiating foreign assistance rform act of 2009.

This is a big step forward for us. Now we need Shrader, DeFazio, Walden, and Baird

Email Webforms (click the links to contact your representative through through their webforms):  Wu, Blumenauer, Schrader, Wyden, Merkley. Baird. DeFazio. Walden.

Action Alert: Urge our reps to support Foreign Aid Reform HR2139

 

The Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009

Summary of H.R. 2139, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009

Take Action

Reps Wu and Blumenauer are already cosponsors of this bill. Our primary focus now is to get Reps Schrader, Defazio, Walden and baird as cosponsors. If you live in their districts please contact them and ask them to cosponsor.

Email Webforms (click the links to contact your representative through through their webforms):  Wu, Blumenauer, Schrader, Wyden, Merkley. Baird. DeFazio. Walden.

Details

On April 28, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Representative Howard Berman (D-CA-28) and Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL-10) introduced H.R. 2139, the “Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009,” to direct the president to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to further the U.S. foreign policy objective of promoting global development, and for other purposes.

The bill is intended to be a precursor to a broader reform effort later this year, including a comprehensive rewrite of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

The bill has four main sections:

1. Requires the president to develop and implement a comprehensive National Strategy for Global Development
2. Requires the president to develop and implement a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. foreign assistance
3. Requires that both American taxpayers and recipients of U.S. foreign assistance have full access to information on U.S. foreign assistance
4. Repeals several outdated provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

1. National Strategy for Global Development
The bill requires the president to develop and implement a National Strategy for Global Development, which will define and streamline the roles of each department and agency engaged in U.S. global development policies, programs, and activities. The strategy will also establish objectives for U.S. development programs that support the overall goals of reducing poverty and contributing to broad-based economic growth in developing countries. The president is encouraged to make the strategy flexible in order to respond to the changing needs and priorities of U.S. foreign assistance and to consult with a variety of stakeholders, both within and outside the government, in the development and implementation of the strategy.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation
Second, the bill requires each U.S. department and agency carrying out foreign assistance to develop a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of its assistance programs. Each U.S. department and agency will be required to establish measurable performance goals, the capacity to conduct monitoring and evaluation activities, and a process to identify the lessons learned and results of the evaluation activities so that these findings can be incorporated into the future budgeting and implementation of U.S. foreign assistance programs. The bill requires the president to establish a foreign assistance evaluation advisory council to provide assistance in coordinating and facilitating U.S. foreign assistance evaluation.

3. Transparency
Third, the bill requires the president to make publicly available all information on U.S. foreign assistance on a program-by-program and country-by-country basis. To ensure the transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance, American taxpayers and recipients of U.S. foreign aid will have access to all information regarding the planning, allocating, disbursement, contracting, monitoring, and evaluating of U.S. foreign assistance.

4. Repeals
Lastly, the bill repeals and reforms several provisions in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that are considered to be no longer relevant.

 

Critical Vote this week in Salem – Without New Revenue, Oregonians’ Pain Will Deepen

Action Alert on Salem Budget

  

 From OCPP

 

This week the legislature will vote on bills that would raise taxes on the wealthiest Oregonians and corporations. What will it mean for Oregonians if the votes fail?

In its latest fact sheet, OCPP provides examples of cuts in the Co-Chairs’ budget. They illustrate the pain already in store for Oregonians, particularly the most vulnerable — seniors, children, the disabled, the unemployed and low-income families.
 
Because the Co-Chairs’ budget assumes an additional $800 million in newly raised revenue, “no” votes on HB 2649 and HB 3405 would only heighten the pain for vulnerable populations.

A good indication of the kind of pain that would follow from the defeat of the revenue raising bills — HB 2649 and HB 3405 — is the harm contained in the budget cuts already penciled in. Those cuts are largely set out in the budget that the Co-Chairs of the legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee released in late May.

Read Raise Revenue or Deepen the Pain: The Legislature must enact HB 2649 and HB 3405 to avoid further harming Oregonians, particularly the most vulnerable. Click here for a PDF copy.

 

Write your State representatives now by clicking here.