Celebrity chefs support food aid reform

Recently just under a dozen celebrity chefs from across the country flew to Washington DC to voice their support of food aid reform to Congress. The lobby visits by these chefs on behalf of Oxfam America was featured in Heard on the Hill. 

So, you may ask, what's the connect to the Oxfam Action Corps? First, our very own Clara helped organize this very successful chef summit. And, second, food aid reform remains an important issue for the Action Corps. For those of you who are incoming organizers, the upcoming training in Washington DC next month will have some similarities to this recent chef summit. Among many issues addressed during the training, you can expect to learn about food aid reform. And, of course, you get your own chance to lobby to your Senators and Representative. Just in case you missed it, check out a first-hand account of lobbying with the Action Corps in a post from last month.

What's it like to lobby?

The Oxfam Action Corps provides a unique opportunity for concerned citizens to share their concerns about global poverty and hunger to their elected officials. Action Corps organizers take part in lobby visits to their Senators and Representatives during the annual training in Washington DC, and lobbying efforts continue throughout the year in Action Corps cities by volunteers who share relevant information on policy positions or provide petition signatures.

A personal account of lobbying with the Oxfam Action Corps was recently posted on the Albuquerque blog by Kathy Chavez: 

To Right the Wrong of poverty we tackled Capitol Hill. That process turned into one of the most rewarding and exciting things I have ever done. Before becoming an Oxfam Action Corps Volunteer, meeting with members of Congress and the Senate seemed out of my reach.

Read more and see several photos on the Albuquerque OAC blog here.

Cutting Life Saving Foreign Aid? That's Lame!

The Philadelphia Action Corps gets ready to lobby!

Over the past two weeks, the Oxfam Action Corps have put their petition deliveries into motion! 31 visits and  8,000 signatures later, the Action Corps made their voices heard during this crucial Lame Duck session that could have a huge impact on the United States budget and the allocations to foreign aid.

Delivering fact sheets, duck candies proclaiming "Cutting Life-Saving Foreign Aid? That's Lame", and thousands of petition signatures, the Action Corps made quite a splash at the offices of their Congressional Representatives and Senators.  Take a look at the Oxfam Action Corps at work:

To get involved with the Oxfam Action Corps and see more of what they do around the country, click here! And to see more from lobby visits, check out the New Mexico Action Corps and Minnesota Action Corps special petition-delivery edition blog posts!

Austin

Austin Action Corps leaders at Senator Cornyn's office

Burlington

Oxfam Action Corps Vermont leader Heather Davis holds up some duck candies at Sen Leahy's office

Chicago

Chicago leader Adam Farag at with staff at Rep Jan Schakowsky's Chicago office

 New York City

The NYC Action Corps poses with their rubber duck prop outside Rep Lowey's office

Des Moines

The Iowa Action Corps and Oxfam staff Jim French meet with staff at Sen. Harkin and Sen. Grassley's office

San Francisco

The San Francisco Action Corps and Susan Godwin, Oxfam America Food Hero 2012 from Nigeria, pay a visit to Rep. Pelosi's office

New Mexico Action Corps Says NO to Cutting Foreign Aid

The New Mexico Action Corps has just completed lobby visits with Senator Udall and Senator Bingaman of New Mexico! Over the last month, Action Corps members have all participated in lobby visits to their Congressional Senators and Representatives, urging them to reconsider cutting the already small foreign aid budget. Together, the Action Corps has delivered over 13,000 signatures! Wow!  To see more of what's going on with the New Mexico Action Corps, click here to read their blog, or here to follow them on Facebook.  

Stay tuned for more photos and stories from lobby visits across the country!

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By Kalen Olson, New Mexico Action Corps

The days are winding down as Congress members exit office and we usher in new political leaders.

Yes, it’s the lame-duck session. “Lame-duck” originally referred to bankrupt businessmen in Britain who were considered “lame” because their position rendered them as vulnerable as injured birds. Now, the term describes Congress members who are on their way out of office. That’s why the lame-duck session is an important time to make advances in policy. Senators and Representatives aren’t up for reelection, so why not try and push policy they may have been hesitant on before?

Oxfam America has a clear agenda this lame-duck session: no more cuts to foreign aid. Voters lobbied on Capitol Hill, wrote letters to Congress, and signed petitions to illustrate why foreign aid is important to thousands of people around the country.

With just under 1% of the Federal budget going toward foreign aid, it seems reasonable that Congress would approve this request. Not only has foreign aid helped eradicate polio, but, according to Gregory Adams, Director of Aid Effectiveness for Oxfam America, it has also fueled the Green Revolution and rebuilt shattered economies. In the process, we’ve strengthened alliances with Turkey, South Korea, and Poland.

Perceived and Actual Foreign Aid Spending

Further cuts to life-saving programs would represent a step backwards, and mean the difference between life and death for many of the world’s poor. Since it’s a small investment with a large return, Congress would have to be quackers to cut aid.

Community members of New Mexico petitioned, wrote letters, and visited Senators Bingaman and Udall. Co-organizer Jasmine McBeath and I stopped by Senator Bingaman and Udall’s office with foreign aid info in hand.

What I’d pictured about lobbying was quite different from what actually took place. The illusion of corporate deals transpiring behind closed doors was shattered when we met with staff members. Sharing why investment in foreign aid is necessary allowed crucial information to get into the hands of decision makers.