Nichelle Mitchem

House Blocked Paycheck Fairness Act Vote

Late last week, the United States House of Representatives blocked a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This was a blow to all of people who have worked so hard on policies to help close the wage gap in pay for men and women.

But it’s not over yet. There is a way to FORCE a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro put forward what’s called a “discharge petition” and all we need to do is get 218 Representatives to sign it in order to release the bill for a vote.

Data indicates that working women in the United States are paid an average of eighty (80) cents for every dollar paid to men. Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. The pay gap is even larger for most women of color; on average, black women earn about seventy (70) cents, and Latinas about sixty (60) cents, of every dollar paid to all men.

In 1996, Equal Pay Day was established by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages. For the past thirty-one (31) years, the National Committee on Pay Equity has been working diligently to eliminate sex-and race-based wage discrimination and to achieve pay equity.

In 1979, the National Committee on Pay Equity was founded as a coalition of women’s and civil rights organizations; labor unions; religious, professional, legal, and educational associations, commissions on women, state and local pay equity coalitions and individuals working to eliminate sex- and race-based wage discrimination and to achieve pay equity.

9 to 5 shared that a woman has had to work an extra three months this year to match a man’s income in 2010. As we think about the work women have done for equal wages, help is needed in the fight for the next step toward pay equity. It reminds us of the continuing problem of sex- and race-based wage discrimination and the need to achieve pay equity. The alert reads as follows:

When the Equal Pay Act passed nearly 50 years ago, a woman earned an average of 59 cents for every dollar a man made. Today, she makes 77 cents. The annual gap between men and women’s median annual wages is a staggering $10,849. With more and more families relying on women’s wages to support them in an ailing economy, shortchanging women nearly $11,000 a year is inexcusable.

Solution:
The Paycheck Fairness Act is an important step in the continuing struggle for women’s rights. Blocked in the Senate in 2010, when a minority of Senators prevented the bill from moving forward, the Act was reintroduced by members of Congress in the House where it was blocked.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would take several steps towards closing the wage gap, including: clarifying acceptable reasons for differences in pay between men and women; prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about or disclose information about employers’ wage policies and their pay rates; making it easier to file class action lawsuits based on equal pay; and requiring the EEOC to survey current pay data and obliging employers to submit pay data identified by race, sex and national origin of employees.

Action Needed:
Help 9 to 5 and other advocacy organizations to make this very necessary change: Contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative and urge them to support and sign on to the Paycheck Fairness Act ‘s discharge petition. Women have waited too long for equal wages. We, as a nation, cannot afford to wait any longer.
—9 to 5

Official Summary
The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress, which serves Congress.8

4/13/2011–Introduced.

“Paycheck Fairness Act – Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience. States that the bona fide factor defense shall apply only if the employer demonstrates that such factor: (1) is not based upon or derived from a sex-based differential in compensation, (2) is job-related with respect to the position in question, and (3) is consistent with business necessity. Avers that such defense shall not apply where the employee demonstrates that: (1) an alternative employment practice exists that would serve the same business purpose without producing such differential, and (2) the employer has refused to adopt such alternative practice. Revises the prohibition against employer retaliation for employee complaints. Prohibits retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee or another employee in response to a complaint or charge, or in furtherance of a sex discrimination investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, or an investigation conducted by the employer. Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or (except for the federal government) punitive damages. States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to seek additional compensatory or punitive damages in a sex discrimination action. Requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to train EEOC employees and affected individuals and entities on matters involving wage discrimination. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities for negotiation skills training programs for girls and women. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Education to issue regulations or policy guidance to integrate such training into certain programs under their Departments. Directs the Secretary to conduct studies and provide information to employers, labor organizations, and the general public regarding the means available to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Establishes the Secretary of Labor’s National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to require the EEOC to collect from employers pay information data regarding the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting pay discrimination. Directs: (1) the Commissioner of Labor Statistics to continue to collect data on woman workers in the Current Employment Statistics survey, (2) the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to use specified types of methods in investigating compensation discrimination and in enforcing pay equity, and (3) the Secretary to make accurate information on compensation discrimination readily available to the public. Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner of the EEOC jointly to develop technical assistance material to assist small businesses to comply with the requirements of this Act.”

Source: GovTrack. 9 to 5. The National Committee on Pay Equity. The Paycheck Fairness Act.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

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Help Fight Childhood Hunger

America’s children need your help to fight for funding for much needed feeding programs. The US House and Senate are making decisions about funding for hunger-relief programs.Hunger in America is pervasive. Food security is necessary to lead a productive, healthy, and active life. It has been reported that more than forty-nine (49) million Americans lack reliable access to the food. Childhood hunger is a growing reality in America. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the prevalence of childhood hunger is a national travesty and for many a well kept secret.

Approximately, one in four children in America is food insecure. As is aptly stated in the materials by Share Our Strength i “No Hungry Kid”, “…their bodies may not be rail thin, nor their bellies bloated like their counterparts in other countries, but they’re at risk of hunger all the same. They lack the energy to learn, grow, and thrive.” It is a well known fact that proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of healthy children.

Statistics on Childhood Hunger in the United States: • According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2009. ii • 20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food. (Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008. iii • In 2009, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (21.3 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.6 percent) or single men (27.8 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.9 percent) and Hispanic households (26.9 percent).v

With 46.2 million residents, Poverty, USA, is the largest state in America. Despite recent economic growth more than 43 million Americans -including 14.7 million children – live in poverty, the highest in the more than 50 years that the data has been tracked. Yet a recent Gallup poll found that only 5% of Americans believe poverty and homelessness are important problems for the country. So let’s look at some facts and make our own determination:

Over 25 percent of the children in the US under the age of six live in poverty. The poverty rate among women climbed to 14.5 percent in 2010 from 13.9 percent in 2009, the highest in 17 years. As poverty surged last year to its highest level since 1993, median household income declined, leaving the typical American household earning less in inflation-adjusted dollars than it did in 1997. One out of every six Americans is now being served by at least one government anti-poverty program. Child homelessness in the United States is now 33 percent higher than it was back in 2007. More than 50 million Americans are now on Medicaid, the U.S. government health care program designed principally to help the poor.

According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, 1.6 million American children “were living on the street, in homeless shelters or motels, or doubled up with other families last year”. The percentage of children living in poverty in the United States increased from 16.9 percent in 2006 to nearly 22 percent in 2010. One out of every seven mortgages in the United States was either delinquent or in foreclosure during the first quarter of 2010.

The number of children living in poverty in the United States has risen for four years in a row. There are ten (10) different states where at least one out of every four babies is born to a family living in poverty. 28 percent of all households in America have at least one member that is looking for a full-time job. There are seven million children in the United States today that are not covered by health insurance at all.

Please call your US House Representatives and Senators and ask them to support programs that improve the quality of life for what the Bible terms “…the least of these”. If the line is busy, please redial and call again. Please let your elected officials in Washington know that you care about children and families living in poverty.

Feeding America has drafted a message that you can delivered to your elected officials:

“As your constituent, I ask you to please urge the Senate Agriculture Committee to protect and strengthen hunger-relief programs. My community cannot afford for these programs to be cut.”

We can only make a difference when we take action.

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result. ~ Gandhi

“Don’t miss your chance to make an impact, dial your elected officials in Washington DC now!

Source(s): Feeding America. Action Alert Voices for Americas Children. Action Alert Bread for the World. St. Vincent de Paul Society. National Center on Family Homelessness.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

i In 1984, Share Our Strength, was started by the brother and sister team of Bill and Debbie Shore started the organization with the belief that everyone has strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty, and that in these shared strengths lie sustainable solutions.

iiRhoda Cohen, J. Mabli, F., Potter,Z., Zhoa. Hunger in America 2010. Feeding America. February 2010.

iiiNord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008.

iv Cook, John. Feeding America. Child Food Insecurity in the United States:2006-2008.

v Nord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2009.

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Child Hunger Is Exploding In Greece - And 14 Signs That It Is Starting To Happen In America Too

“The Least of These”

It will soon be Thanksgiving and in the American tradition, many will prepare a celebration to express their gratitude to God for all the blessings in their lives. Most celebrate with a turkey dinner. It is a longstanding tradition. A record number of Americans will be using food stamps to get by this Thanksgiving.

“About 42.2 million Americans are using food stamps this Thanksgiving, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That’s more than in any prior year, the nonprofit government watchdog group The Sunlight Foundation reports. It may be no surprise, given that participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — the official name for food stamps — has increased 70 percent on average since 2007, according to U.S. News and World Report. In June, food stamp use hit a record high.”

This year’s Thanksgiving holiday, for many families, is filled with worry about how they will pay their bills in December. How would you celebrate if you couldn’t afford to buy the traditional Thanksgiving food? There would be no turkey, no mashed potatoes, no gravy, no dressing, and even no pumpkin pie.

“The boost in food stamp use is just one indicator of how many Americans will be struggling to have a good Thanksgiving meal this year, especially given the fact that the average person on food stamps has a budget of just $1.00 to $1.25 per meal. Food banks are hurting in the face of last summer’s drought which cut into supplies, while raising prices at the same time.”

Many throughout our nation are facing another Thanksgiving holiday that will not include the traditional meal with all the trimmings. Economic times are very difficult for countless families and food budgets, for many, are stretched to the limit. You can make it a better holiday for a family in your community. Donate to your local community food bank and you will help make Thanksgiving a joyous day for many of your neighbors in need. After all, it’s an American tradition. Make a difference; change a life.

Additionally, tell your members of Congress to protect programs that give hope and opportunity to people experiencing hunger and poverty. Reducing our nation’s long-term debt is critical, but hungry and poor people didn’t cause the problem, and cutting programs that help them won’t significantly reduce our debt. But cutting these programs will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable members of our society.

As Congress considers federal budget cuts, please join me in urging Congress to keep our nation’s commitment to those Jesus called “the least of these” by sending an email.

Make it a Happy Thanksgiving for the families struggling to recover under very difficult economic circumstances--- remind your members of Congress that  you put them in office to care for all their constituents not simply the 1%.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Source(s): “Food Stamps Used By Record 42.2 Million Americans This Thanksgiving”, The Huffington Post, Harry Bradford, 11/21/2012.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

 

The Farm Bill Passed the U.S. Senate

 

Last week, the United States Senate passed the Farm Bill by a bipartisan vote of 64 – 35 thanks to the people that stepped up to send an email, make a phone call, and spread the word through social media. The Senate’s Farm Bill provides our nation’s food banks and other emergency food providers with an additional $174 million in funding for USDA food provided through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) over the next 10 years. This is heartening news for food banks and other charitable organizations that must meet the rising demand for food assistance.

It was extremely disappointing that an amendment to restore $4.5 billion in cuts to SNAP did not pass. The good news is that the Senate rejected other amendments that would have imposed even deeper cuts and harmful structural changes to SNAP by a significant, bipartisan majority.

The fight is not over. In fact, it’s just getting started as the Farm Bill moves to the U. S. House of Representatives. Now that the Farm Bill has passed the Senate, the House of Representatives is set to finalize its version and bring it to committee for a vote the week of July 9th. In the House of Representatives,  even deeper cuts are expected for SNAP.

In the next few weeks, Hunger Advocates across the nation will have another opportunity to make their voices heard and protect vital hunger-relief programs like TEFAP and SNAP. Will you join us? I will be sending out more information and asking you to call your Member of Congress as that vote nears.

For those of you that sent emails and letters to your U.S. Senators, I thank you for helping to protect and strengthen programs that help to feed hungry Americans. Remember, without a strong federal commitment, we, as a nation, cannot hope to create a hunger-free America. Please stay tuned for more ways you can get involved in the coming weeks.

Source(s): www.congress.org. www.govtrack.us. Feeding America.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

The Exploitation of Poverty Stricken Immigrant Women Results in “Injustice on Our Plates”

As the Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s founder Morris Dees reminds us that as we sit down to give thanks for the bounty of our nation and for all the blessings we enjoy, we should remember those who do the backbreaking labor that puts food on our tables.

In response to the plight of migrant farm workers, in 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center released an investigative report entitled “Injustice on Our Plates” which exposes the exploitation of poverty-stricken immigrant women working in our nation’s food industry.

The report not only tells the story of individuals it includes federal recommendations related to comprehensive immigration reforms that will ensure fairness for farm workers and others who are feeding our nation with their labor.

Dees states that, in addition to wage cheating, sexual harassment in the workplace is a fact of life for the women he interviewed for the report. The report indicates that fear keeps these women silent, so their suffering is invisible to all of us who benefit from their labor every time we sit down at the dinner table.

Dees reminds us in his eye-opening investigative report that, “We, as a nation, have allowed this shameful exploitation to continue for far too long. We have a moral obligation to recognize the problem and to take a stand.”

To learn more, please get the report and urge your lawmakers to take up comprehensive immigration reform and strengthen laws that will ensure fairness for farm workers and others who are feeding us with their labor. With an equal amount of conscience, mind, heart, and collective action we can change the world.

Source(s): Southern Poverty Law Center. “Injustice On Our Plates”. Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Child Hunger In America

This spring, the U.S. House of Representatives proposed cuts to the Women, Infants, and Children nutrition and health program (WIC). WIC provides much-needed health care and nutrition support for some of our most vulnerable families, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, infants, and children under the age of five years old.

Hunger in America is prevalent. Hunger poses a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of an ever-increasing number of infants and children. According to the WIC website, “…[when] WIC was permanently authorized, 88,000 people participated. By 1980, participation was at 1.9 million; by 1985, 3.1 million; by 1990, 4.5 million; and by 2000, 7.2 million. Average monthly participation for FY 2008 was about 8.7 million. Children have always been the largest group of WIC participants. Of the 8.7 million people who received WIC benefits each month in FY 2008, about 4.33 million were children, 2.22 million were infants, and 2.15 million were women.”[i] Estimates from The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities show that funding WIC at the US House proposed low-level would result in eliminating 200,000 to 350,000 eligible low-income women and young children from WIC next year.[ii] It is a well-known fact that proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of healthy children thus highlighting the need for continued funding for feeding programs such as WIC.

On May 31, 2011, in response to the devastating funding cuts proposed by House Republicans, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement about the proposed cuts to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).[iii] These cuts further the attack on poor and working class Americans outlined in the FY12 Republican budget which proposes to severely cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, by $127 billion over ten years. [iv]

“House Republicans are trying to deny low-income mothers access to healthy food options. Their priorities are sorely misplaced. They push for tax cuts for big oil companies and threaten families with the greatest needs in this economy. If children don’t develop healthy habits early, if they don’t have enough food, they can struggle in the classroom and in life."

“Just a short time ago, President Obama signed into law transformational legislation that will dramatically improve school meals and other child nutrition programs. We came together in a bipartisan way to pass this legislation, to cut hunger and improve the meals our children eat in and out of school. And now, the House Republicans would reverse the progress made and threaten the mothers, families and children who rely on WIC on a daily basis. “It is absolutely necessary to take a long hard look at government spending to avoid wasting any taxpayers’ dollars, but time and time again, Republicans wrongfully make their cuts on the backs of poor and working class Americans.”[v] For more information on WIC, visit the WIC website at www.fns.usda.gov.”

Sources: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Voices for America’s Children’s Action Alert. WIC’s website. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA)’s website where he released his statement on the proposed WIC Cuts in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

---

[i] WIC website

[ii] US Representative Miller website.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Ibid.

[v] Ibid.

Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 (H.R. 2180)

Last summer, U.S. Representative Brad Miller reintroduced Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 (H.R. 2180) with the overarching goals to: reduce global poverty and to promote U.S. national security interests. With the world’s population growing at a staggering rate, it has been reported that more than one (1) billion people live in the slums. All humans should be afforded the opportunity of living in dignity this is almost impossible when countless persons around the planet are forced to live in the squalor of a slum. Many of the world’s poorest inhabitants live in overcrowded conditions and lack access to running water as well as sanitation services. Their living conditions are hazardous, dangerous, unsafe, and contribute to many of the world’s major health problems.

In U.S. Representative Brad Miller’s press release about this piece of legislation, he states that “the United States was once the international leader in promoting policies and investments that improved the lives of millions of slum dwellers. However, the lack of a coherent U.S. policy addressing the growing challenges of global urbanization is undermining critical American investments in health care, education, and disaster recovery in developing countries.”

“The Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 establishes programs to expand access to affordable housing for poor people around the world. Under the Act there will be reviews U.S. aid to see what is — and isn’t — working to help improve the effectiveness of our programs.” Additionally, the Act requires cooperation among public and private aid groups to find creative solutions to improving life in slums until they can be eliminated.

In response to the proliferation of slums worldwide, Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity wrote a letter to the public reminding us that, we can make a difference on behalf of poor people around the world by asking your members of Congress to support H.R. 2180, the Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011. In Jonathan Reckford’s letter, he highlighted the fact that reaching out to legislators will only take a minute of our time. Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity’s CEO asserts that the SLUM Act (H.R. 2180) simply is a smarter way to approach U.S. foreign aid policy — and it doesn’t require extra taxpayer dollars to make things better.

What the Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 does is help U.S. aid more effectively address the need for adequate shelter worldwide. This piece of legislation was reintroduced on in June 2011 by Representative Brad Miller? According to US Rep. Miller’s website, “he was inspired to pursue this issue by separate congressional delegation visits to the Kibera slum outside of Nairobi, Kenya.” U. S. Rep. Brad Miller said that, “the largest slum in Africa, Kibera represents many of the challenges associated with slums and urbanization: dilapidated and overcrowded housing, inadequate access to water and sanitation, limited electricity, poor health conditions, and increased risk of violence and instability”.

Today, we can help to create a better world for all. Toward that goal, please join Habitat for Humanity and contact your members of Congress to support the Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011 (H.R. 2180). For further information on this piece of legislation, you can visit the following websites: www.govtrack.us, www.opencongress.org, and U.S. Rep. Miller’s website.

Sources: http://www.govtrack.us, www.opencongress.org. U.S. Rep. Miller’s website. Habitat for Humanity. Shelter, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Posted in Press Releases|Tagged Africa, African children, African people, and increased risk of violence and instability, Chief Executive, Congress, dilapidated, H.R. 2180, Habitat for Humanity, HR 2180, inadequate access to water, inadequate access to water and sanitation, international, Jonathan Reckford, Kenya, Kibera, Land and Urban Management (SLUM) Assistance Act of 2011, legislation, limited electricity, Nairobi, Nichelle Mitchem, overcrowded housing, overcrowding, poor health conditions, population, population growth, poverty, sanitation, Shelter, slums, U.S. Representative Miller, urbanization, US House of Representatives, US Rep. Miller, US Representative Brad Miller, US Senate, water, world, www.govtrack.us. www.opencongress.org. U.S. Rep. Miller’s website. Habitat for|Comments Off| Edit

CIRCLE OF PROTECTION

Today, Bread for World sent out an Action Alert discussing the “Circle of Protection: A Statement on Why We Need to Protect Programs for the Poor” and encouraging supporters to take action to support funding for programs that serve the most vulnerable members of society. In Bread for World’s Action Alert, Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, states that, “Everything we have achieved for poor and hungry people in the last 35 years is under severe threat of budget cuts—nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and SNAP (formerly food stamps), as well as poverty-focused development assistance.”

This is not the time to be cutting very necessary programs for the most vulnerable members of our society. It has been reported that more than 49 million Americans lack reliable access to the food. Childhood hunger is a growing reality in America. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the prevalence of childhood hunger is a national travesty and for many a well-kept secret. Approximately, one in four children in America is food insecure.

Statistics on Childhood Hunger in the United States: According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2009. ii 20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food. (Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008. iii

• In 2009, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the
  national average included households with children (21.3 percent),
  especially households with children headed by single women (36.6 percent)
  or single men (27.8 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.9 percent)
  and Hispanic households (26.9 percent).v

These heartbreaking facts about the prevalence and the face of hunger in America and the proposed cuts to very necessary social service programs has drawn the attention of thousands of Christians, people of other faiths, heads of denominations, corporations, and nonprofit organizations and compelled them to take action. These groups have formed what has been termed a Circle of Protection around funding for programs that are vital to hungry and poor people both in the United States and abroad. It has been reported that in excess of thirteen thousand (13,000) Americans have signed a memorandum to their members of Congress, supporting the need to reduce deficits but not at the expense of hungry and poor people. The “Circle of Protection” statement reads as follows:

“In the face of historic deficits, the nation faces unavoidable choices about how to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices. These choices are economic, political—and moral.

As Christians, we believe the moral measure of the debate is how the most poor and
vulnerable people fare. We look at every budget proposal from the bottom up—how
it treats those Jesus called “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45). They do not
have powerful lobbies, but they have the most compelling claim on our consciences and common resources. The Christian community has an obligation to help them be heard, to join with others to insist that programs that serve the most vulnerable in our nation and around the world are protected. We know from our experience serving hungry and homeless people that these programs meet basic human needs and protect the lives and dignity of the most vulnerable. We believe that God is calling us to pray, fast, give alms and to speak out for justice.

As Christian leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people. Therefore, we join with others to form a Circle of Protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poor people at home and abroad.

1. The nation needs to substantially reduce future deficits, but not at the expense of hungry and poor people.

2. Funding focused on reducing poverty should not be cut. It should be made as effective as possible, but not cut.

3. We urge our leaders to protect and improve poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance to promote a better, safer world.

4. National leaders must review and consider tax revenues, military spending, and entitlements in the search for ways to share sacrifice and cut deficits.

5. A fundamental task is to create jobs and spur economic growth. Decent jobs at decent wages are the best path out of poverty, and restoring growth is a powerful way to
reduce deficits.

6. The budget debate has a central moral dimension. Christians are asking how we protect “the least of these.” “What would Jesus cut?” “How do we share sacrifice?”

7. As believers, we turn to God with prayer and fasting, to ask for guidance as our nation makes decisions about our priorities as a people.

8. God continues to shower our nation and the world with blessings. As Christians, we are rooted in the love of God in Jesus Christ. Our task is to share these blessings with love
and justice and with a special priority for those who are poor.

Budgets are moral documents, and how we reduce future deficits are historic and defining moral choices. As Christian leaders, we urge Congress and the administration to give moral priority to programs that protect the life and dignity of poor and vulnerable people in these difficult times, our broken economy, and our wounded world. It is the vocation and obligation of the church to speak and act on behalf of those Jesus called “the least of these.” This is our calling, and we
will strive to be faithful in carrying out this mission.”—Circle of Protection

This summer, Bread for the World supporters and others are encouraged to visit or call their senators and representatives at their local offices to urge them to protect funding for programs for hungry people. For further information about shared sacrifice or the “Circle of Protection” visit one of the sources listed below.

Source(s): www.bread.org/go/circle. www.circleofprotection.us. www.huffingtonpost.com/…/circle-of-protection-budget-cuts. www.christiannewswire.com/news/5693716844.html. www.uscatholic.org/…/christian-leaders-call-circle-protection. Sources: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; U.S. Census Bureau; Feeding America (online); Rhoda Cohen, J. Mabli, F., Potter,Z., Zhoa. Hunger in America 2010. Feeding America. February 2010; Nord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 and 2009; Cook, John. Feeding America. Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008; www.share.org; www.feedamerica.org; www.nokidhungry.org; and Food Research and Action Center.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

______________________________________________________

iBread for the World Action Alert.

iiRhoda Cohen, J. Mabli, F., Potter,Z., Zhoa. Hunger in America 2010. Feeding America.
February 2010.

iiiNord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of

Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008.

iv Cook, John. Feeding America. Child Food Insecurity in the United States:2006-2008.

vNord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the
United States, 2009.

National Hunger Awareness Month

National Hunger Awareness Month

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Administrator

National Hunger Awareness Month is held in the month of June. The overarching objective of National Hunger Awareness Month is to educate communities nationwide that hunger exists throughout the year, not just during the holiday season. Food security is necessary to lead a productive, healthy, and active life. It has been reported that more than forty-nine (49) million Americans lack reliable access to the food. Childhood hunger is a growing reality in America. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the prevalence of childhood hunger is a national travesty and for many a well kept secret.

For families in need, the summer months present special challenges for those families that rely on the free and reduced lunch programs at school to provide breakfast and lunch for their children during the school-year. These feeding programs are either not available during the summer months or offered only at select school locations making it challenging if not impossible for many families in need to access. With that said, it is important for us to remember to make donations to Food Banks where families in need often turn in these very difficult economic times not simply in during the holidays but year round.

Approximately, one in four children in America is food insecure. As is aptly stated in the materials by Share Our Strength i “No Hungry Kid”, “…their bodies may not be rail thin, nor their bellies bloated like their counterparts in other countries, but they’re at risk
of hunger all the same. They lack the energy to learn, grow, and thrive.” It is a well known fact that proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of healthy children.

Statistics on Childhood Hunger in the United States:

• According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food
  security and very low food security) households in 2009. ii
• 20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food
  insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas
  (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without
  consistent access to food. (Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in
  the United States: 2006-2008. iii
• In 2009, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (21.3 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (36.6 percent) or single men (27.8 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.9 percent) and Hispanic
  households (26.9 percent).v

These heartbreaking facts about the prevalence and the face of hunger in America have
drawn the attention of many people including but not limited to Oscar winning actor, Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges is serving as the national spokesperson for the “No Kid Hungry Campaign”. To ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve success, we must first ensure that their most basic needs are met.

To get involved in an anti-child hunger campaign or to gain further information on the prevalence of childhood hunger in America, visit www.share.org, www.feedamerica.org, and www.nokidhungry.org.

Sources: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; U.S. Census Bureau; Feeding America (online); Rhoda Cohen, J. Mabli, F., Potter,Z., Zhoa. Hunger in America 2010. Feeding America.
February 2010; Nord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson. United States Department of
Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 and 2009; Cook, John. Feeding America. Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008; www.share.org; www.feedamerica.org; www.nokidhungry.org; and Food Research and Action Center.

Photo credit Microsoft Clip Art

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iIn 1984, Share Our Strength, was started by the brother and sister team
of Bill and Debbie Shore started the organization with the belief that everyone has
strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty, and that in
these shared strengths lie sustainable solutions.

iiRhoda Cohen, J. Mabli, F., Potter,Z., Zhoa. Hunger in America 2010. Feeding America. February 2010.

iiiNord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson.
United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2008.

iv Cook, John. Feeding America. Child Food Insecurity in the United States:2006-2008.

vNord, Mark, M. Andrews, S. Carlson.
United States Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2009.

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