BREAD FOR THE WORLD:
​OFFERING OF LETTERS
JUSTICE, PEACE, AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION (JPIC)

March 29-30, 2025
​After All Masses, Church Gathering Space

Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) once again is proud to support the annual “Bread for the World: Offering of Letters” to our Congressional representatives in the gathering space after all masses the weekend of March 29-30, 2025.
This year we are asking our representatives to fully fund and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) so that more eligible families can enroll and stay enrolled. We also are asking Congress to provide funding for global nutrition programs, so that we can reach millions of children with lifesaving assistance. It is critical to ending hunger at home and abroad. All the supplies to write and mail a handwritten letter to your representatives will be provided for you.

​Please join your fellow parishioners as we follow Jesus’ call to put our faith into action by helping those most in need. 
Included below you can find information on Immaculate Conception's Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) "Bread for the World: Offering of Letters" and resources to help you write and submit your letter. If you have any questions, please contact:
Mike Eberst, Parishioner Leader, JPIC ​Bread for the World: Offering of Letters
Ken Chiha, Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)

WRITING YOUR LETTER!

In addition to writing your letter in the gathering space after all masses the weekend of March 29-30, you also can mail a letter on your own or online through the link provided below. A listing of our Senators and our local Representative, "quick tips for an effective letter," and a "sample letter" are also listed in the following sections.

NC CONGRESS MEMBERS

Senator Ted Budd
304 Russell Senate Office Building 
Washington, D. C. 20510
Senator Thom Tillis
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building 
Washington, DC 20510
Rep. Valerie P. Foushee   
2452 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC, 20515-3304 ​

QUICK TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE LETTER

1) Ask for a specific action, using your own words or this sentence:
  • I urge you to fully fund and strengthen WIC and provide robust funding for global nutrition programs.

2) Give reasons for your request and make it personal.
  • Share a personal reason or story that motivated you to write.
  • Show your own organization's/church's commitment: “Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is helping by (example), but I also urge you to fully fund and strengthen these pro-family, life-affirming nutrition programs.”​​
3) Write your name and address at the end of your letter (and/or on the envelope), so your members of Congress know you are one of their constituents.
  • Immaculate Conception's letters will be delivered together by our JPIC Bread for the World parishioner leaders. Interested parishioners can contact our Bread for the World team about scheduling a meeting at our representatives' offices (or online) with a delegation from our parish.
  • Please do not mail letters to Bread for the World. If you are mailing your letter, put each letter in a separate envelope and address it. To send a personalized email, go to bread.org/farmbill.
Find addresses here:
​https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm

OFFERING OF LETTERS
​SAMPLE

[Date] 

Rep.  U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 
Sen.  U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator, / Dear Representative, 
 
I urge you to Nourish Our Future by protecting and strengthening nutrition programs that help children reach their full potential. Specifically, I ask you to fully fund and strengthen the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) so that more eligible families can enroll and stay enrolled. I also encourage you to provide robust funding for global nutrition programs, so that we can reach millions of children with lifesaving assistance.
 
As a person of faith, I am moved to help and advocate for people experiencing hunger and poverty, no matter where they live. From both a fiscal and a moral standpoint, the investment in children is more than worth it. It is critical to end hunger here and abroad. This is why I urge you to support Special Supplemental Nutrition Program and global nutrition programs.

Sincerely, 
[Your name]
[Your address]

HELPFUL INFORMATION YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR LETTER
  • Add a sentence or two about why this is important to you.
​
HELPFUL FACTS
  • WIC serves almost 40 percent of all infants born in the United States.
  • Participation in WIC is associated with reduced risk of premature birth, low birthweight, and infant mortality.
  • Globally, almost half of all deaths of children under five are attributable to malnutrition. 
 
HELPFUL SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
  • Genesis 1:27 reminds us that every person is created in God’s image, and we honor God when we love our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable among us.
  • In the Gospels, Jesus opens his arms and welcomes children, saying “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14).

OFRENDA DE CARTAS
MUESTRA

[Fecha]
 
Cámara de Representantes de los Estados Unidos Washington, DC 20515
Senado de los Estados Unidos Washington, DC 20510
 
Estimado Senador, / Estimado Representante,

Le insto a Nutrir Nuestro Futuro protegiendo y fortaleciendo los programas de nutrición que ayudan a los niños a alcanzar su potencial. Específicamente, le pido que financie plenamente y fortalezca el Programa Especial de Nutrición Suplementaria para Mujeres, Bebés y Niños (WIC, por sus siglas en inglés) para que más familias elegibles puedan inscribirse y permanecer inscritas. También les animo a que proporcionen una financiación sólida a los programas globales de nutrición, para que podamos llegar a millones de niños con una ayuda que les salve la vida.
 
Como creyente, me mueve ayudar y defender a las personas que pasan hambre y pobreza, vivan donde vivan. Tanto desde el punto de vista fiscal como moral, la inversión en la infancia merece la pena. Es fundamental acabar con el hambre aquí y en el extranjero. Por eso les insto a que apoyen el Programa Especial de Nutrición Suplementaria y los programas globales de nutrición.
 
Atentamente,
[Su nombre]

​RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

WIC HELPS INFANTS AND TODDLERS GET OFF TO A HEALTHY START

WHY GLOBAL NUTRITION NEEDS ROBUST FUNDING

2024 BREAD FOR THE WORLD: 
OFFERING OF LETTERS
ANOTHER PARISH RECORD!

Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and Bread for the World’s Durham team would like to thank all our parishioners who made this year’s “Offering of Letters” to Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill a success! For the second year in a row, our “JPIC Bread for the World: Offering of Letters” campaign has broken a parish record! After our masses over the weekend, we collected the highest number of handwritten letters in our parish's history, with over 366 handwritten letters, far surpassing last year's record! This is in addition to all the letters our parishioners submitted online or mailed personally.
 
We appreciate you taking the time to put your faith into action! It is not too late for you to help end food insecurity and hunger in the U.S. and save the lives of millions abroad by sending a letter to Congress in support of the Farm Bill by mailing a letter on your own or online through the link provided below. 

The Bread for the World Durham team also wants to thank Father Manuel, Ken Chiha, Isabel Kovaliki, and Katushka Olave for their support. We look forward to doing it again next year.

​I have asked our JPIC Bread for the World team to keep our parishioners updated on the status of the Farm Bill as we continue to advocate for healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems.
The Farm Bill deals with much more than just farming. The Farm Bill is one of the nation's oldest, ever-evolving, and most important pieces of national food system legislation. It is also the single largest piece of legislation that addresses hunger in our country. It determines policy and funding levels for agriculture and food assistance programs through the Department of Agriculture. The Farm Bill covers jobs/workers’ rights, nutrition, research, infrastructure, conservation, and innovation to create a food system that is equitable and sustainable focusing on the needs of those who are poor as well as the needs of our Common Home. It is a bedrock policy for US and global food security, our farmers’ and ranchers’ well-being and relationship with the environment and markets, and nutrition assistance. It is updated every five years, but if the latest version does not pass Congress it will default to the 1949 version, which is outdated and would threaten the sustainability of our food security system.  

The impact of the farm bill is significant. It not only affects the agriculture and food sectors - but it can also play a huge role in ending food insecurity and hunger in the U.S. and save the lives of millions abroad. Among the measures that should be included are strengthening nutrition security in domestic and international food aid programs, increasing food systems sustainability, and creating a more equitable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance SNAP (aka Food Stamps) program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program. It provides benefits for low-paid working families, low-income older adults (60 years and older), and people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, among others.  In 2022, almost 1.6 million people in North Carolina received SNAP benefits. These benefits helped the 18% of children in North Carolina who live below the poverty line and face hunger issues. In Durham County alone, this means about 15,000 children in our community were aided by SNAP benefits in 2022.

Please join your fellow Immaculate Conception parishioners at our “Bread for the World: Offering of Letters” and tell your senators and representatives to support the reauthorization of the farm bill in order to build healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. 

2024 BREAD FOR THE WORLD: 
OFFERING OF LETTERS SLIDESHOW

2023 EATER’S GUIDE TO THE FARM BILL

This comprehensive guide explains the bill in easy-to-understand pictures, details the current food and farming situation in the U.S., and includes questions for local, state, or federal candidates. ​
© All rights reserved.
If you have questions regarding our various JPIC ministries, please contact:
Kennith M. Chiha, Director of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church - 901-A West Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701
(919) 682-3449 Ext. 293 - [email protected]
​
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH   |  810 W CHAPEL HILL STREET, DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA 27701  |  919-682-3449


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