August In-District Meetings

Katie Andrews, ONE's Field Organizer who works in Kansas & Missouri, sent me this message:

I am sending you all a message is to see if any of you are interested in leading an in-district meeting during the August Congressional Recess. The meetings should be held sometime during August 6^th – August 31^st. We are still working out the details on what we would like the visits to address and they may be geared towards any or all of the following: Farm Bill, the Education for All Act and the Global Child Survival Act. Depending on what district or Senator you are able to reach out to, we may adapt the request since many will be key in the Farm Bill Reform process and others would be great co-sponsors for the other two pieces of legislation. Please let me know if you are available and interested in setting up a meeting and please respond to me with who you are interested in scheduling a meeting with—your representative (with district #) or one of your senators. Also, let me know if you already have a connection with the office (you’ve met with staff or the member before, you are a personal friend with staff or the member, etc.). We are hoping to confirm some meetings this week or the next so that we can post information about the meetings on our website for others to sign-up and participate in. Just remember the actual meetings would take place some time between August 6^th – August 31^st..

If you are interested, contact me at maureendidde@gmail.com and I will get you connected with Katie.

KC Harvesters Food Stamp Challenge!

Take the Food Stamp Challenge!

Could you live on Food Stamps for a week? Find out by taking the Food Stamp Challenge.

As part of Hunger Awareness Week June 2-10, Harvesters is issuing a challenge to the community to live on a Food Stamp budget for just one week. You may know what it's like to have hunger pangs, but do you really know about the physical, emotional and social difficulties of poverty, food insecurity and hunger? Register today for the Food Stamp Challenge and find out!

During Hunger Awareness Week June 2-10, Harvesters is asking participants in the Food Stamp Challenge to see if they can make ends meet on a Food Stamp budget. You will buy your groceries using the maximum Food Stamp benefit for your household size. For a household of one, that’s $38.75 for the week—$5.54 per day or $1.85 per meal.

Calling all Kansans

This message came from Anne Batchelder at ONE:

For over a week, ONE members have been writing and calling their senators asking them to sign on to the "Feinstein-Hagel" Dear Colleague letter asking for $39.8 billion for the international affairs budget (IAB). Senator Brownback hasn’t signed on yet. WE NEED YOUR HELP! CALL SENATOR BROWNBACK!!! Ask your friends and family to call Senator Brownback! Let him know that Kansans care about global poverty and AIDS.

It's easy and only takes a few minutes - Below is a call in script, just give them a call or you can print out the attached letters, sign your name/ address and fax them in to their office ( fax number is listed on the letter)

Please try to get 5-10 friends, family, and co-workers to call or sign on to a letter. You can print out the letters and fax them in for them, just ask them to sign!

We can make poverty history if we work together with ONE Voice! So please call or fax your letters today! Don't be nervous, our leaders are there because of us and they want to hear from people who live in their states.

Call TODAY and fight for life-saving Funding!

Right now members of Congress are deciding how much money will be dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS in the world’s poorest countries.

Call 1-800-786-2ONE (1-800-786-2663) today and ask both your Senators to sign on to the Feinstein-Hagel “Dear Colleague” letter that supports $39.8 billion for the International Affairs Budget.

We need your voice, if we work together as ONE we can change the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people. Urge your congressional leaders to sign onto this “Dear Colleague” letter today!

Make the difference and call your Senators today: call 1-800-786-2ONE (1-800-786-2663) today to be connected to your Senators. Remember to tell them:

• I am a constituent of YOUR TOWN in YOUR STATE.

• You're calling with the ONE campaign- an effort started by Americans to unite as ONE voice to fight extreme poverty and global HIV/AIDS.

• You're calling to ask your Senator to sign on to the Feinstein-Hagel “Dear Colleague” letter that supports the $39.8 billion for the International Affairs Budget.
Thank you for joining ONE in taking action to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty. Your voice will make a difference!

Kansas City ONE Update

Greetings!

Many of you have noticed that the KC volunteer chapter of the ONE Campaign has been on a bit of a hiatus. I wanted to let you know that we have not disappeared, however currently are not able to facilitate our regular meetings and monthly awareness-raising events. Therefore, if you are interested in being a part of this coordinating process, please let me know by emailing me at maureendidde@gmail.com or posting a comment here, leaving your contact information. Peter, Bill, and myself are still involved at our own levels, but unable to lead the group at this time.

One of the ways Bill Salyer is continuing is by using his business to spread the word about ONE. The first Monday of each month, he is hosting an informational meeting at 6pm for anyone to come and learn more about ONE or share their experiences. While this is not a meeting meant for event planning, it is a great way to get connected with other interested people. You can join in the first Monday of May at 6pm at Thyme Capsule Nutrition.

A few other ways you can be involved right now is by participating in Displace Me, a nationwide event to raise awareness and support for the Invisible Children campaign. You can attend the Kansas City event on Saturday, April 28 from 3pm until Sunday April 9th at 9am at Kaw Point Riverfront Park at 1401 Fairfax Trafficway in KCK.

Also, AIDS Walk Kansas City takes place on the same day and is a great way to support the fight against AIDS locally and internationally.

Finally, please remember to respond to the emails that you receive from one.org and send emails and make phone calls to your Senators, remembering that it DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! You can keep tabs on what is happening with US and UN Funding for extreme poverty via Bread for the World, Care, The Global Fund, The ONE Campaign and others linked here on our site. Also, use the link on the right to subscribe to our email list.

Press on in doing your part to fight extreme poverty!

Bread for the World Offering of Letters

Bread for the World is a nationwide faith-based movement that seeks justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying our nation’s decision makers.

Bread for the World will be conducting an Offering of Letters Workshop on April 22, 2007 at St. Marks Catholic Church in Independence, Missouri. St. Mark’s is located at 3736 Lee’s Summit Road. The workshop will be held at 2 p.m.

In this year’s Offering of Letters, church congregations across the nation will urge Congress to take the opportunity presented by the reauthorization of the Farm Bill to increase its capacity to reduce hunger and poverty in the United States. The Farm Bill includes vital nutrition safety nets that our government provides for those most in need. For instance, the School Lunch Program and Food Stamp Program are part of the Farm Bill.

Please send a representative from your church or organization who would like to be or is involved in addressing hunger

1/22 KC ONE Campaign Meeting Information

Hello Everyone,

We will meet again this coming Monday, the 22nd as planned and then pick up again on the first Monday of February and continue forward with the 1st and 3rd Monday's of each month. The meeting on the 22nd will follow a slightly different format:

Monday, 7:00 PM @ Thyme Capsule Nutrition, 2627 Burlington, North Kansas City

Located just across the street from PetCo

For directions, call the store at 816-472-7035

We will view a video on AIDS, hunger, and child soldiers in Africa

Be prepared to watch and discuss with fellow ONE Campaign Members!

Have a great week,

Peter & Bill

KC ONE Campaign Coordinators

www.one.org

kc-one.blogspot.com

KC ONE 2007 Kick-Off Notes

Thank you to our new members who came to join us tonight for the 2007 kick off! We had some scheduling trouble with certain sporting events as well as the Governor's inaguration in Kansas tonight as well. That being said, we had a very productive and exciting kick off.

We are ready to start taking action! The areas of focus for us in town this year are going to be:

• Local Non-Profits
• Who is in town and interested in poverty reduction?
  
• Academic Institutions
• How do we start groups at the various Universities, what are their connections?
  
• Faith-Based Organizations
• Connecting the various churches and organizations already doing great work in town and overseas.
  
• Corporate Citizenship
  
• Most companies do something for social awareness, what and where?
  
• Social Awareness
  
• First Friday's, Art Fairs, great opportunities to be out showing films, participating interacting.

This is where you come in...are you an artist interested in having ONE at a show or sponsoring a show at First Friday's? Do you work for a major company in town that does work with poverty? What can you bring to the table to help?

Many came tonight motivated by New Year's resolutions, lets all start the year charged and ready to get involved, if it is even donating a little time or a friend who knows a friend who wants to become involved.

Our next meeting will be in 2 weeks, which we will then continue 1st and 3rd Monday of every week in February. Send us your ideas, your thoughts, your time or simply your passion to the cause all are helpful and needed.

Cheers,

Peter & Bill

KC ONE Campaign Coordinators

www.one.org

kc-one.blogspot.com