Sample Presentation
Cristina lives in an apartment with her three children. With her low wages, she struggles to put food on the table. Her children rely upon free school breakfasts and lunches. The family lives on the edge of a financial cliff. If the children need medicine, the car breaks down, or any other unexpected expense comes up, their food budget takes a hit.
You could probably think of ways our church could help Cristina and her family. But here’s one you probably haven’t thought of: Make sure the tax laws Congress will pass this year benefit struggling low-income families.
Many expenses are fixed, like rent and utilities. Food is not. Low-income families can end up cutting back on the quality and quantity of food they purchase to make their income stretch further.
Hunger will persist as long as people like Cristina lack the resources to buy food.
In 2010, as part of Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters, I’m asking you to urge your members of Congress to adopt changes to U.S. tax policy that will benefit low-income families, making it easier for them to make ends meet.
It worked for Cristina. She hadn’t realized she was eligible for some of these tax credits. Then a local volunteer tax clinic helped her claim refunds that she used to support her children. Daily living felt a bit less precarious.
This year, taxes will be near the top of the agenda in Congress because a series of tax cuts and tax credits enacted in recent years will expire. In the midst of the debate over which taxes to change and which to renew, the needs of low-income people could be lost. Don’t let that happen.
God’s grace in Jesus Christ moves us to help our neighbors like Cristina, whether they live next door or far away. Food is a basic need, and it is unjust that so many people—especially children—do not have enough to eat.
Children who experience hunger have higher levels of chronic illness and problems learning. The impact is lifelong for those who don’t get proper nutrition from birth to age 3.
President Obama and others have set a goal of ending childhood hunger here in the United States by 2015. Strong child nutrition programs are vital to meeting this goal. But food assistance by itself is not enough to overcome hunger. The causes of child hunger in the United States are rooted in poverty and the lack of opportunity.
Please join me in offering our voices alongside those who go hungry in our communities by writing a letter to your members of Congress.
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