Plan a Fighting Poverty with Faith Event!
As people of faith, we have a strong tradition of helping those who are less fortunate—providing them with bare necessities: food, housing, and clothing. But our soup kitchens and our shelters are only short-term solutions. Our efforts to sustain our brothers and sisters living in poverty must be complemented with a serious plan of action from our political leaders to reduce the number of needy. By speaking out collectively during the month of October, we will expand the national conversation on the need to protect critical programs and produce policies that engender economic opportunity. We will do this with the aim of spurring our political leadership to more aggressively pursue an anti-poverty agenda.
As a leader on the local level, you can become a part of Fighting Poverty with Faith by organizing an event or campaign. There are so many ways to raise up issues of poverty in your community! Listed below are some ideas and resources for planning your activism as part of the 2010 Fighting Poverty with Faith mobilization. Don’t forget, once you’ve planned your event, to upload the details to our event calendar.
National Campaigns
CHN Letter to the Fiscal Commision
For local, state, or national organizations, please sign this letter asking the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to protect low- and moderate-income people in its recommendations about reducing the long-term deficit. The deadline to sign this letter is September 8.
To read the letter: http://www.chn.org/pdf/2010/DeficitComLetterSigners.pdf
To sign the letter: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/125/questionnaire.jsp?questionnaire_KEY=1061
Resources for Local Event Planning
Election Year Programming
A great way to get involved in FPWF is to plan events that provide an opportunity to tell elected officials or candidates that confronting poverty is a priority in your community. However, many non-profit organizations have questions about getting involved in politics and elections. Below you can read through two guides for non-profit organizations that provide guidelines and best practices for events you may be planning during election season, including candidates forums and voter registration drives:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Election Guide: Called to Be a Public Church
National Council of Jewish Women’s Election Guide: Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote
Poverty Simulation Materials
Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) Website
CAPS Brochure
This program, created by the Missouri Association for Community Action (MACA), is a powerful tool. On their informative website, listed above, you may purchase a kit. Alternatively, in most states there are individuals or organizations that already own the kit and will come conduct the simulation with you. MACA is happy to help connect you to people in your state who can do this.
Contact Your Local Officials
Find your Elected Officials
Your representatives will be home in their districts often as election season approaches and you can set up meetings with them to share with them the goals of Fighting Poverty with Faith. As their constituent, you have the power to convince your officials that voters care strongly about human needs programs and job creation legislation.