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Bread for the World -- Washington DC, June 12

Dear Mission Committee:
Since we won't meet until September, here's a rundown of my trip to Bread for the World's National Gathering and Lobby Day (June 9-12; I was there June 10th evening thru the 12th).

Christians from all denominations attended the workshops on the campus of American University. An interfaith worship service, which included Muslim and Jewish leaders as well as every stripe of Christendom, was held on Monday evening at the National Cathedral.

On Lobby Day, Tuesday, Bread ran a really good "how to" session in the morning (at a Lutheran church just behind the Supreme Court building). Then we had at least 400 people on Capitol Hill in the afternoon, calling the on senators and representatives.

The Connecticut delegation was a group of 5, including one YDS graduate from June (Steve, do you know a Josh Wyrtzen?). The YDS guy was from New Haven, so he also called on Rosa DeLauro. We met as a group of 5 from Connecticut with staff members in both Senator Dodd's and Senator Lieberman's offices.

(By contrast, I know the delegation from Indiana had 18 people.)

The Farm Bill is just this week being formulated, so focusing attention on it is very timely. Senator Durbin (D/Illinois) has written (June 8) to his Senate colleagues a very good letter explaining changes needed to the Food Stamp program. I got a copy of the letter yesterday by e-mail, from the person to whom we spoke
in Senator Liebermans office. Senator Lieberman has signed the letter, which is just now being circulated. The issues Durbin's letter outlines tie in so perfectly with what our church is doing, donating food for food pantries. (Essentially, because food stamps are not enough, our food pantries become essential. Food stamps allocate $1/meal. And there are many "qualifications" for food stamps that are outdated. )

Re: another part of the large Farm Bill: There is a huge push by big corporations not to cut the subsidies given for commodity crops (wheat, cotton, rice, soybeans, corn). Currently, the more one produces of these commodity crops the more money one gets. (Conservation of land is often sacrificed.) This subsidy also
prevents farmers from third world countries from competing with US agriculture. My feeling is that legislators aren't willing to hear this issue. Big corporations are pushing hard on Capitol Hill to keep the status quo. They must also know how to give money.

Truly on Capitol Hill the "squeaky wheel gets the grease". It's important for legislators to feel from folk back home who aren't just representing large argribusinesses.

We are lucky that Rosa DeLauro is the chair of the House Agriculture Appropriations Committee. She is very versed in the importance of support for healthy food for low income people, the importance of Connecticut agriculture (small scale), etc. We just need to be sure she has support for her efforts.

Best,
Nancy

Tons of Food

Tons of Food Is back! This will be our second annual friendly competition with area churches to raise desperately needed food.

+ Week 3 = 154 pounds
+ Week 2 = 133 pounds
+ Week 1 = 74 pounds = 0.32 lb/per each member (74 / 234 members).
+ See the details>

Columbus House

Columbus House "celebrated" 25 years of service in our community with a gala event at Yale Commons.