Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home, and abroad. By changing policies, programs and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities in which we live.

The Millennium Development Goals Committee encourages all congregations in the Diocese of North Carolina take part in the Bread for the World 2008 Offering of Letters. If your congregation is a regular participant in BFW's letter writing campaign, you will definitely want to take part again this year. If your congregation is engaged with the MDGs, you will want to have a letter writing campaign as well. If your congregation has never done this, before, what a great opportunity awaits you!

Each spring at Bread for the World's direction, church members all over the country engage in advocacy by writing letters to their members of Congress on a different aspect of hunger alleviation. This year's campaign is centered on the MDGs and BFW is urging our nation's leaders to keep the promise of the MDGs by providing more funding for anti-poverty assistance - an increase of at least $5 billion to be invested in agriculture, education and health care.

Bread for the World is also seeking poverty-focused development assistance through passage of the Global Poverty Act which would:

• Make MDG #1, "eradicate extreme poverty and hunger," an official part of U.S. policy.
• Require a coordinated strategy to achieve this goal through U.S. aid, debt relief, and trade policies.

This historic legislation would coordinate U.S. assistance so that the greatest possible benefit is most effectively reaching those in greatest need. By joining our voice with other people of faith, we can be a powerful witness to the decision makers in Washington in the fight against extreme poverty.

You can find out more about Bread for the World and order the 2008 Offering of Letters packet through their website: www.bread.org. The cost of the handbook and video is $10, and includes complete instructions, a 9-minute DVD, bulletin inserts, poster and resource cards, statistics, charts and graphs, and membership information. Once you order a packet, BFW will send you next year's packet at no cost.

You will find suggestions for different ways your congregation can participate from a letter writing table in the parish hall to a full blown effort reflected in services and Christian education. The letters themselves only take a few minutes to write and yet it is proven that handwritten letters do have an impact on members of Congress.

A portion of Bread for the World's credo reads, God is moving in our time to end hunger and we are part of this great liberation. We Episcopalians are called to help create and shape public policy which is life-giving and life-enriching for people throughout the world. Let us join with other faith communities across our diocese, our state and our country - the simple act of letter writing can translate our concerns into policies that help the hungry and poor improve their lives.