A Letter Writing Campaign for CRS with a Prize for Your Classroom
Dear Teachers, Ave Maria Press sponsors its own chapter of Catholic Relief Services. We have been blessed in the past two years to be involved with local initiatives in our community to help those in need, but primarily aiding CRS in its goals to procure help from the United States Congress in supporting ratification of the Farm Bill, a bipartisan bill that funds several food, clean water, and education programs that offer support to the most vulnerable people internationally. We are asking for your help in gaining support from your local congressional representative and US senators to support passage of the Farm Bill. The vote comes up in the house in September so the time for action is now. We suggest an assignment for your students to write letters to the editor of your local or regional newspapers. The letters can be written by • individual students • small groups of students • entire classes (e.g., Social Justice or any theology course, US Government or US History, English) The letters should contain a basic request about passage of the Farm Bill. You can share basic information on the Farm Bill from the handout linked here. This CRS video also provides orientation to the Farm Bill for your students to watch before writing their letters. The letters should be brief and personalized by the students; simply telling why the basic right for food, water, and education should be guaranteed for all people is personally important to them. As necessary, have parents sign a waiver that agrees to allowing their sons or daughters names to be published in a newspaper. Once completed, mail the letter(s) to the editor of a newspapers in your area and region. List yourself as a contact person. Ave Maria Press will award a classroom set of 30 books (book options below) to the first three classes that have an individual, small group, or entire class letter on Farm Bill ratification published in a newspaper. Send a photo of the articles (see sample) to me at mamodei@nd.edu. The deadline for publication is July 1, 2023. Any class that produces a published letter to the editor requesting passage of the Farm Bill can choose 30 books (mix and match okay!) from among these options. • Lift Up Your Heart • Go Bravely • Loved as I Am • Holy Grit We hope this will make for an uplifting and important addition to assignments in your final few weeks of school. Thank your for your interest in supporting this worthy initiative! Cordially, Michael Amodei Executive Editor, Curriculum https://avemariapress.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=1efa39bcaec6f3900149160693694536.1463&s=157f9c928e45a1dcf8de5fe04fccd130
