:: Bread for the World's Tax Day Initiative ::
Bread for the World is encouraging churches to observe Sunday, April 11, or Wednesday, April 14, as “Tax Day” as a way to learn more about how our tax system works and how it can benefit poor people.
We are calling on our favorite biblical tax collector, Zacchaeus, to help spread the word. In Luke 19, we see that Zacchaeus is transformed by his encounter with Jesus.
His story reminds us that when the tax system meets Jesus, there is good news for poor people.
:: Tax Day Resources ::
We have prepared a variety of Tax Day resources to help your congregation think and pray about the role of taxes and tax credits. They include:
- A litany that helps your congregation “pray through” many of the lines on the 1040 form. (PDF)
- A sermon/study resource that examines Zacchaeus’ story and connects it to our own tax filing and Bread’s 2010 Offering of Letters. (PDF)
- A Tax Day insert for your bulletin. (PDF)
- A list of activities for study, discussion, and community engagement. (PDF)
- A simple message you can share by phone with members of Congress.
- A new hymn, by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, written especially for Tax Day
:: Tax Day Initiative and Your Offering of Letters ::
Observing “Tax Day” is also great preparation for Bread for the World’s 2010 Offering of Letters, which seeks changes in tax policies that address the growing poverty in the United States.
Nearly one in four children lives in a family that struggles to get enough to eat. Because of rising unemployment, a record number of Americans are receiving help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps).
For most families, food stamps provide only enough food to get through the first three weeks of the month. Too often, parents must choose between paying the rent and providing food for their children.
That’s why Bread for the World is urging Congress to protect and strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. These tax credits are critical to helping families make ends meet, but they will expire this year.
:: Contact Congress ::
Please urge your member of Congress to adopt changes to U.S. tax policy that increase the resources low-income families have to meet their basic needs, including food.
Ask for specific action. For example, "I ask you to protect and strengthen key tax credits that can make a big difference for low-income workers and their families." Give reasons why. Share your personal story. Letters with personal stories are the most compelling and effective. Have you or someone you know been affected by these tax credits? Learn more about contacting Congress »
:: Report Your Commitment ::
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