This weekend I had the opportunity to join Pittsburgh PA ONE Members for their monthly meeting. It was really inspiring to listen to the ideas flowing out of this group! We discussed many different topics including the upcoming screening in Pittsburgh of the award-winning film Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love. The film chronicles the remarkable story of Youssou N’dour, Grammy-award winning artist and social activist who also serves as a member of ONE’s Policy Advisory Board.

We also discussed the importance of ONE Members engaging their elected officials. This group of PA ONE Members understands the importance of showing them how many of their constituents support them in their efforts to fight poverty and preventable disease around the world. Future plans for the group include more “Call Parties” and scheduling in-district meetings with their Representatives which is easy and very important. I was also able to help explain where we are in the legislative calendar and that ONE has already submitted its request to the Obama administration for 2011.

We will certainly need all ONE Members’ enthusiasm and advocacy to help secure the goals in the budget and thus continue to transform the lives of the world’s most vulnerable!