Bread for the World's 2014 Offering of letters Campaign to Reform U.S. Food Aid

For many decades, the United States has been a global leader economically, diplomatically, and militarily. The same is true in the humanitarian arena. Our federal government often sends assistance in the form of food aid. Now there is an opportunity to reform the federal government's food-aid programs so that funds are used more effectively and efficiently.

It is time to update the government's 1950s practices to enable it to respond more flexibly and faster in a 21st century, globalized world. Changes to the food-aid programs would allow food aid to benefit 17 million more people each year — at no additional cost to U.S. taxpayers.

This year's Offering of Letters focuses on much-needed reform to U.S. food aid. Learn about our role in global aid, and why reform is so critical. Then, write to Congress and urge your representatives to enact much needed reforms to our global food aid programs.

Together we can change policy and ensure continued, improved assistance to millions of hungry people around the world. Please contact me if you want help organizing your offering or if you would like a speaker.

Useful links:

Offering of letters website

Act Now! (How to find your Member of Congress)

Sample Letter

How to Conduct an Offering of Letters

Reach Out and Spread the Word

Resources for Download
 
Video: Introducing the Offering of Letters

Farm Bill cuts Food Stamps 

Statement from Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon

Farm Bill Cuts $8 Billion from SNAP

After two years of negotiations, the new farm bill was signed into law this month. Unfortunately, it contained $8.6 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a reduction that puts 78,000 Oregon families at greater risk for hunger by reducing their monthly SNAP benefits. This cut came on top of an earlier $5 billion cut in November 2013. Many of you may have seen the letter in the Statesman Journal that we co-authored with Oregon Food Bank and Marion-Polk Food Share, describing our concerns about the farm bill legislation.   We will continue to make the case in Oregon, and with our elected leaders in Washington D.C., for why SNAP, and other federal nutrition programs, are critical to addressing hunger. We want to thank everyone who contacted their Congressional representatives and the President to voice opposition to these damaging cuts. Your advocacy helped let our delegation know that SNAP is a critical food resource for Oregon families. Please continue to follow our federal advocacy work by becoming a partner or joining us on Facebook where we share action alerts and updates.

Documenting Hunger: "A Place at the Table"

How is it possible that people in this country continue to go hungry, despite our abundance of food?

A Place at the Table, a new eye-opening documentary, answers that question through the lives of three people. Barbie, a young Philadelphia mother, fights to make ends meet and break the cycle of poverty. Rosie, an imaginative fifth-grader, tries to distract her mind from hunger pangs as she learns and grows in rural Colorado. And Tremonica, a sunny Mississippi second-grader, struggles with health problems caused by the poor nutritional value of the food that her mother can afford. Their stories reveal the depth of the hunger crisis in America and the factors that drive it.

The film also shows that we have made progress against hunger in the past—and that we can do it again.

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for A Place at the Table

We are pleased that the launch of A Place at the Table coincides with Bread for the World's 2013 Offering of Letters. Together, they magnify our focus on ending hunger through changes in public policy. Our association with Participant Media does not end when the film hits theaters across the country. We are also partners on the social action campaign accompanying the film.

Through A Place at the Table's social action campaign, Bread members have more avenues for action — at both the local and the national level. Bread for the World and Participant Media will regularly ask our advocates to take action throughout this joint campaign.

• No Place at the Table: Discussion Guide for A Place at the Table
• View Barbie's and Rosie's stories on our Videos page
• Take action and answer the film's call to resume our progress towards ending hunger in the U.S. and abroad

NEW! Bread for the World National Conference Call

Check the calendar to register for the next monthly conference call.

A Circle of Protection: A Statement on Why We Need to Protect

 Programs for the Poor

In the face of historic deficits, the nation faces unavoidable choices about how to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices. These choices are economic, political—and moral. As a community of faith, we believe the moral measure of the debate is how the most poor and vulnerable people fare.

We look at every budget proposal from the bottom up—how it treats those called “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45). They do not have powerful lobbies, but they have the most compelling claim on our consciences and common resources. The faith community has an obligation to help them be heard, to join with others to insist that programs that serve the most vulnerable in our nation and around the world are protected. We know from our experience serving hungry and homeless people that these programs meet basic human needs and protect the lives and dignity of the most vulnerable. We believe that God is calling us to pray, fast, give alms and to speak for justice.

As faith leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people. Therefore, we join with others to form a Circle of Protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor people at home and abroad.

1. The nation needs to substantially reduce future deficits, but not at the expense of hungry and poor people.

2. Funding focused on reducing poverty should not be cut. It should be made as effective as possible, but not cut.

3. We urge our leaders to protect and improve poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance to promote a better, safer world.

4. National leaders must review and consider tax revenues, military spending, and entitlements in the search for ways to share sacrifice and cut deficits.

5. A fundamental task is to create jobs and spur economic growth. Decent jobs at decent wages are the best path out of poverty, and restoring growth is a powerful way to reduce deficits.

6. The budget debate has a central moral dimension. People of faith are asking how we protect “the least of these.” “How do we share sacrifice?” "How do we make 'Justice flow...'"

7. As believers, we turn to God with prayer and fasting, to ask for guidance as our nation makes decisions about our priorities as a people.

8. God continues to shower our nation and the world with blessings. As believers, we are rooted in the love of God. Our task is to share these blessings with love and justice and with a special priority for those who are poor.

Budgets are moral documents, and how we reduce future deficits are historic and defining moral choices. As faith leaders, we urge Congress and the administration to give moral priority to programs that protect the life and dignity of poor and vulnerable people in these difficult times… It is the vocation and obligation of the church to speak and act on behalf of “the least of these.” This is our calling, and we strive to be faithful in carrying out this mission.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and the needy" Proverbs 31:8-9