A trustworthy group to help victims of Hurricane Harvey

 

Catholic Charities is a trustworthy group to whom contributions to help victims of Hurricane Harvey are being accepted.  Their work continues from their local offices long after other helping groups have left.  Share this information far and wide.

 

August 28, 2017Inside this issue• CCUSA Presents The Washington Weekly  CCUSA Presents The Washington Weekly   With Washington in recess, our nation joins in prayer and solidarity with those impacted

August 28, 2017

Inside this issue ·         • CCUSA Presents The Washington Weekly CCUSA Presents The Washington Weekly With Washington in recess, our nation joins in prayer and solidarity with those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. While the threat continues, please pray for those still in danger and those doing the heroic work of helping those in need. Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the official domestic relief agency of the Catholic Church, is working in conjunction with the local Catholic Charities agencies to assist families and individuals impacted by the hurricane. Here is how you can help: Pray: God of hope and mercy, we lift up to you all victims of Hurricane Harvey, and those responding with assistance and aid. Protect all who are in any form of danger; provide practical help to all those in need; strengthen the weary; console the grieving and heal the suffering; and bless those engaged in disaster relief efforts with safety and courage. Help all people of goodwill to respond with compassion and generous hearts. Amen. Give: Help relief efforts in wake of Hurricane Harvey by texting CCUSADISASTER to 71777 or click below. You can also give by calling 1-800-919-9338 or by mail: PO Box 17066 Baltimore, MD 21297-1066 and put "Hurricane Harvey" in the memo line of the check. Funds raised will go towards Catholic Charities agencies' efforts to assist families and individuals with shelter, food, and other immediate and long-term recovery needs. We thank you for your time and generosity. Faith and the Common Good

 

Write letters to Speaker Ryan about the need for a fair and moral 2018 Federal Budget

NETWORK is looking forward to bringing at least 2,000 letters to Speaker Ryan! 

Our goal is to deliver 2,000 letters to his office in December. 

To join the campaign and ask Speaker Ryan to pass a faithful budget, please visit our website, where you will find a letter writing tool kit, including helpful talking points!

Letters are due to the NETWORK office, 25 E Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001 by November 10 and will be delivered to Speaker Ryan’s office on Capitol Hill at the most strategic moment in budget negotiations.

Thank you for continuing to be a voice for justice and advocating for people at the economic margins.
 

The Sisters of St. Agnes Publicly Condemn Racism

In the wake of the tragedy in Charlottesville and the face of growing violent acts the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, and White Supremacist groups, the Sisters of Saint Agnes publicly condemn racism and to recommit to pray for our country.

The Sisters of St Agnes join with women religious throughout the nation in condemning racism in all its harmful forms whether the violent acts of the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazis, and White Supremacist groups or the daily acts of hate and discrimination that diminish us all.

We grieve with the citizens of Charlottesville and all people of goodwill. We mourn with all who have lost loved ones, with all who live in fear, with all whose dignity is threatened by hate and violence. We lament the racism that continues to afflict our communities. 

We pray for our country and look forward to the day when all truly live in equality and unity. 

Peace,

Sister Ruth Battaglia, CSA
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation  

Ways to Stand against Racism and Bigotry

Please see activities below, compiled by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Actions That You Can Take To Stop White Supremacy And Stand Up For Civil And Human Rights 1. Demand President Trump fire Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka. Sign The Leadership Conference petition here: http://bit.ly/2uGTRkk 2. Stop credit card companies from allowing white supremacists to sell their hate-based products and message online. Learn more about the #NoBloodMoney campaign here: http://bit.ly/2uGAzMj 3. Take ‘Em All Down. Symbols of hate and oppression are naming our schools and scattered throughout parks, capitol buildings and public places. This campaign seeks to remove Confederate monuments and symbols: http://bit.ly/2wc64wX 4. Call your state legislator (if you live in FL, MA, MO, NC, ND, RI, NT, or TX) and tell them to protect the protesters. Free speech and the right to peaceably assemble are among the cornerstones of our democracy. Several states recently introduced legislation that harms protesters by protecting the terrorists who attack protesters. 5. Find your state legislator here: https://openstates.org  5. Join a solidarity event near you. Check out Indivisible’s event guide here: http://bit.ly/2vxhXLR 6. Participate in the Movement for Black Lives (#MB4L) August 19th Day of Action. Check out more information about the upcoming day of action here: https://policy.m4bl.org/. 7. Share your story through Communities Against Hate. If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed a hate incident, please encourage them to share their story with www.CommunitiesAgainstHate.org or the hotline (1-844-9-NO-HATE or 1-844-966-4283). .

Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons

For the first time in history, a treaty to ban nuclear weapons was negotiated at the United Nations. A solid majority of world governments have taken a huge step in eliminating nuclear weapons this July 7, 2017. One hundred and twenty-two nations who do not possess nuclear weapons or maintain a stockpile of nuclear weapons completed negotiations and formally adopted a treaty called the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The United States and other countries possessing nuclear weapons boycotted the conference. It is hoped that the United States and others will sign this treaty over time. Our task is to pressure our country so that our government will move toward the elimination of our weapons of mass destruction. We urge you to contact our UN representative, Nikki Haley, to re-consider signing this important treaty. And, we urge you to contact your congressional representatives to encourage Ms. Nikki Haley to sign on to the treaty as well.

How to Connect With Your Representative

Greetings! 
This is intended for anyone who needs to know how to get a message to your senators, representative, or the president.  I found this helpful information in a communication from National Priorities Project 

Phone Calls
Call your representative directly or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
One way to save time and help you make calling Congress a habit is to save legislators' phone numbers in your cell phone. 

Writing a Letter or Email
Personal messages from constituents can be a very effective way of communicating with your legislators. Always be sure to include your name and address to make it clear that you live in the relevant district or state. All letters should start with Dear Senator/Representative, and they can be just a few paragraphs about a single issue.

While you can always use information you have found through various sources, you should write your letter in your own words. Include specific information about the bill or program about which you're writing. Details about personal or local impact are very effective. Always be courteous, and be very clear about what action you'd like your legislator to take.

Address your letter as follows:
For Senators
The Honorable (Full Name)
[Room #] [Building Name] Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

For Representatives
The Honorable (Full Name)
[Room #] [Building Name] House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
When writing to the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House, it is appropriate to begin letters with “Dear Mr./Madam Chairman/woman” or “Dear Mr./Madam Speaker.”

For the President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov

Due to security concerns, mail delivery to Capitol Hill or the White House can be slow. If you are writing a letter about a pressing issue or upcoming vote, be sure to leave extra time for delivery or send it to their local office. You can also send a letter by email through your legislator’s website. 

Social Media
The newest and easiest method of contacting your representatives is through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. While phone calls and letters may still carry more weight in the eyes of lawmakers and congressional aides, speaking to your legislators through social media has the advantage of occurring in the public eye. When you comment on your legislator’s Facebook page or send a tweet, other constituents can read your message. This may spark a dialogue. It could also help increase awareness about the issue you’re raising and build support for your cause.

Through social media sites you can ask questions, respond to legislators’ posts or Tweets, encourage them to take action, thank them when they do something you support, and much more. Always be respectful and never use offensive language.