advocacy on Capitol Hill

One of the most surprising things I learned last week on my Advocacy in Action trip was that constituents really can exert powerful influence over their elected officials in Congress - if they take the time to be advocates. Bread for the World - "a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad" - encourages citizens to write personal letters and emails to Congress. A study conducted in 2005 by the Congressional Management Foundation found that 96% of the Capitol Hill staffers surveyed reported that if their member of Congress had not reached a firm decision about an issue, individualized letters from constituents influenced the member's position. The study also confirmed that handwritten, mailed letters are the most effective way to communicate with members of Congress.

A Bread for the World staffer related a story that demonstrates how individualized letters yield results. A call came into Bread's offices from a Capitol Hill staffer who wanted to talk about Bread's position on a particular issue. This staffer commented that his office has been "flooded" with letters about the issue and recognized that Bread had been promoting this cause. After explaining Bread's position, the Bread representative asked, "By the way, just what is a flood of letters? How many did you receive?" The answer: 13. Thirteen individualized letters from constituents had been enough to get the attention of a member of Congress. Thirteen letters had spurred a Congressional staffer to make a call to find out more about an issue. Only thirteen letters.

Every year Bread for the World invites churches and groups across the country to take up a nationwide Offering of Letters to Congress on an issue that is important to hungry people. This year Bread is advocating the reform of U.S. foreign assistance programs so that they are more focused on ending hunger and poverty. You can learn more about the Offering of Letters at www.offeringofletters.org.

"And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." (Isaiah 58:10)

stewardship of citizenship

I have spent the past two days in Washington, D.C., on an Advocacy in Action trip that was co-sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Together for Hope, and Bread for the World. I have fond memories of our nation’s capital because of the three years that Paul and I spent in the area when we were first married, but I had forgotten how attached I am to D.C. As I walked around the city – and I walked many, many miles during my stay – I was filled with the same giddy sense of exuberance that I recall feeling when I was 21 years old and new to town.

I learned a great deal on this trip about the work of Together for Hope, the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, and Bread for the World. (I will be sharing more information about the important work of each of these groups in future posts.) Yesterday afternoon, as the staff of Bread for the World prepared to send us to Capitol Hill to talk our respective representatives and senators, they reminded us of the importance of being good stewards of our citizenship. I found that phrase to be striking. In the past I have thought a lot about what it means to be a good steward of my financial resources, my possessions, my time, and my energy, but it had never occurred to me to consider the stewardship of my citizenship.

My experiences on Capitol Hill yesterday convinced me of the necessity of being an advocate for “the least of these.” As I spoke with legislative assistants in the offices of Representative Jim Cooper and Senator Bob Corker, I learned that members of Congress really do want to hear from their constituents, and I realized that voices from home actually have an impact on the legislative decision-making process. I can make a difference, and so can you.

Last night I took a walk to the World War II Memorial, where I sat for several moments gazing at the Lincoln Memorial, and I thought about the men and women who have made sacrifices to create, preserve, protect, and improve this nation. I have always cherished my right to vote and have exercised it at every opportunity, but there is more I can – and must – do if I desire to work with others to create a “more perfect union” and a better world. I regret that I have not been more active in making my voice heard in the past. From this point forward, I am making a commitment to be a conscientious steward of my citizenship. Representative Cooper, Senator Corker, and Senator Alexander can expect to hear from me soon.