Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania ONE Members Matt Schaeffer and Nicole Miller share their experiences with ONE and why they feel the desire to raise awareness in their local community!

From Matt:

One of my personal favorite highlights in helping raise awareness for ONE came during ONE Vote ‘08. I had the opportunity to address Senator McCain at a town hall event. It was quite a thrill to speak in front of several hundred people in the audience about the importance of ONE!

The most important part of being active with ONE throughout my college career was learning how to convince people to raise awareness about global poverty and disease. Organizing ONE events at Lebanon Valley College taught me many things about conveying an important message in a compelling way. I think we were very successful with the number of people who were impacted at the events and became ONE members. ONE also teaches younger members like myself to be aware of important political issues and the international implications of our lifestyle at home.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet Congressman Tim Holden D-PA and some of the staff from both Senator Casey and Specter. Meeting with your elected officials is very important and gives ONE Members the ability to convey a sense of urgency concerning the dire need of the world’s poorest inhabitants. Leaving those meetings filled me with a sense of pride and responsibility that is hard to come by at a young age. I truly believe that when people become educated and made aware of what is happening every day in the developing world they say “stop it right there…how can we help?” I now live in the Philadelphia area and cannot wait to promote advocacy for ONE in my new surroundings!

…………

From Nicole:

With ONE I’ve been able to have direct contact with my Senator’s staffs to advocate for an end to global poverty and to thank them for their support so far. In November 2009 I had the opportunity to put a ONE wristband on Senator Arlen Specter during a town hall meeting. The Senator wore the ONE band and we talked about the importance of his co-sponsorship for the Water for the World Act.

In January, I was lucky enough to attend the ONE Campus Challenge’s Power 100 Summit and join fantastic ONE members from all over the country for meetings on Capitol Hill. Our meetings with both Senator Casey and Senator Specter’s offices showed me just how important each of our ONE voices can be. I am very excited about organizing a chapter of ONE Members that will advocate on behalf of the world’s poorest people. In fact, our chapter’s advocacy has already begun by making our voices heard to our respective members of Congress in support of the President’s request for the International Affairs Budget!

Senator Bob Casey (PA) just issued this press release in support of the International Affairs Budget. As he put it, while the issue might not get a lot of headlines, “it is important for American taxpayers to know what their investment in the International Affairs Budget means for improving the domestic job market and what benefits they reap from helping to build stable societies and markets overseas.”

Here’s the full press release:

Casey Highlights Export Help for PA Companies During Foreign Relations Budget Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC- During a Foreign Relations Committee hearing today on the State Department budget, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, highlighted funding in the budget that promotes U.S. exports and businesses abroad. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before the Committee.

“It may not receive a lot of headlines, but I think it is important for American taxpayers to know what their investment in the International Affairs budget means for improving the domestic job market and what benefits they reap from helping to build stable societies and markets overseas,” said Senator Casey. “The Export-Import Bank alone has financed $3 billion in exports from Pennsylvania since 2005. The International Affairs Budget funds are critical to promoting U.S. exports, protecting intellectual property rights and advocating for American businesses abroad. I am pleased that Secretary Clinton and President Obama realize the important assistance they can provide to promote U.S. companies and products overseas. And I appreciate Secretary Clinton’s remarks today supporting continued and expanded efforts to promote U.S. companies and products to create jobs in Pennsylvania and around the country.”

Since 2005, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which is funded through the international affairs budget, has financed $3.06 billion in exports from Pennsylvania supporting 223 companies in 112 communities.
Also funded under this budget, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency promotes economic growth in developing and middle-income countries, while simultaneously helping American businesses to export their products and services.

Additionally, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is an independent U.S. government agency that assists U.S. companies by providing financing (from large structured finance to small business loans), political risk insurance and investment funds. OPIC complements the private sector in managing risks associated with foreign direct investment and supports U.S. foreign policy.

The international affairs budget is economically beneficial in other ways as well. USAID has granted millions of dollars in funding to projects administered by 21 Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) in Pennsylvania.

This past weekend’s Power 100 concluded today with Campus Leaders from across the country meeting with their respective Members of Congress and their Staffs.

I had the opportunity to join students from Pennsylvania and meet with some of the Staff from Senator Robert Casey and Arlen Specter. We made sure both Staffs understood our appreciation for the Senators’ continued support of life-saving programs like the Global Fund and PEPFAR. We also thanked them for being Co-sponsors of S. 624 the Paul Simon Water for the World Act.

The highlight of the day without a doubt, however, was when the students passionately requested both Staff Members to urge their Senators to support the President’s request for the International Affairs Budget! I was thoroughly impressed and inspired to see these motivated ONE Members emphasize the importance of development and poverty reduction as vital components to our national security.

Today’s meetings went extremely well and I was very proud to have such well informed advocates for the world’s most vulnerable sitting next to me!

Yesterday Pastor Matt Staniz from Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown, PA and I met with several local faith leaders in the Philadelphia area to discuss opportunities for ONE Sabbath in their respective faith traditions. To learn more about ONE Sabbath please click here.

Faith leaders attending the meeting included members of the Haverford Township Clergy Association, a group committed to interfaith dialogue and civic involvement among all faith traditions. We discussed different ways congregations could get involved after viewing portions of this ONE Sabbath video. There was also discussion on ways that the different congregations could come together as ONE and fight poverty together. Pastor Staniz suggested that a weekend be chosen to have simultaneous ONE Sabbath events in multiple congregations followed with a joint effort to engage people in active partnership with ONE’s goals.

Everyone left the meeting energized about the possibilities of working together on a common goal. Leaders of several small to mid-size congregations agreed that they could accomplish more by joining together than by working separately. The group identified that the challenge in congregations is to move beyond concern for the poor and generosity toward justice a response that creates change. All were in agreement that caring for the poor is at the center of every major faith tradition.

More to come when the multiple ONE Sabbath Sunday is announced!

Recently, PA ONE Members’ Brian Thomas, Dan Kheloussi, and I met with Senator Robert Casey’s Pittsburgh, PA Staff. We began the meeting by thanking the Senator for cosponsoring S. 1524, the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009 introduced by Senator Kerry and Senator Lugar. S. 1524 would strengthen the capacity, transparency, and accountability of United States foreign assistance programs to effectively adapt and respond to new challenges of the 21st century.

We also thanked the Senator for adding his name to the November 2009 Senate letter authored by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), calling for a robust request for International Affairs in his FY’11 budget. to fund important poverty fighting programs such as global health, debt relief, agricultual development and basic education.

PA ONE Members requested that Senator Casey become a cosponsor S. 624, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Bob Corker (R-TN). S. 624, would provide 100,000,000 people with first-time access to safe drinking water and sanitation on a sustainable basis by 2015.

The meeting concluded with us thanking Senator Casey’s Staffs for his leadership on S.384, the Lugar-Casey ‘Global Food Security’ Act. The United States is a global leader in providing emergency food and disaster assistance. However, these interventions, while critical, are not sustainable solutions to improve the lives of millions that are vulnerable to food insecurity. Investment in sustainable agricultural development is necessary. Senator Casey’s Staff was very receptive to the information we discussed. PA ONE Members will be following up on the requests made during the meeting!

-Sarah Wonders, PA ONE Member

Yesterday, PA ONE Member Brenda Shattuck and I had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Allyson Schwartz’s Staff Member Karen Gurmankin in Philadelphia, PA. We made it a point to thank Congresswoman Schwartz for her leadership in cosponsoring the Berman-Kirk letter of November 2009 to President Obama calling for a robust request for International Affairs in his FY’11 budget. To underscore our gratitude and appreciation I publicly thanked Rep. Schwartz in this letter to the editor.

We also informed Ms. Gurmankin that ONE ran a nationwide campaign calling for 25,000 signatures in support of the Berman-Kirk letter and nearly 30,000 American’s signed our petition in one week. The petitions were dropped off in Washington and they are delivering scores of Members of Congress in support of the letter.

At the conclusion of the meeting, we requested that Rep. Schwartz please use her voice as Vice Chair of the House Budget Committee to urge Chairman John Spratt and other colleagues to uphold and fulfill the President’s FY’11 request for the international affairs (the 150 account) which funds life-saving programs such as PEPFAR, child survival, agricultural development and debt relief programs in the world’s poorest countries. We look forward to meeting with Rep. Schwartz’s Staff again soon in 2010!

-Bernie Wilke, PA ONE Member

Throughout middle and high school, my best friend Laura Whitman and I have been involved in PASC, the Pennsylvania Association of Student Councils. Each year, PASC hosts a state conference for student council members and their advisors to share ideas and communicate between schools. Last spring, Laura and I were fortunate enough to share our workshop, “Be ONE in a Million” with high school students at a District 8 Conference. We were ecstatic when we received word that our workshop had been accepted to states!
“Be ONE in a Million,” focused on ONE’s main priorities and growing ONE membership. The students also viewed numerous ONE videos which were all received very well. The students also participated in a pop quiz to learn about shocking malaria and TB statistics. At the end of the workshop, we even created our own video.

It was absolutely wonderful to speak to so many students about something we’re passionate about and to know that they were genuinely interested. In the spring, Northern Lebanon High School will be hosting the District 8 Conference for PASC. Our theme is “Making Connections” and will feature ONE! Being a senior, I’m sad to think that my last state conference is over; but I’m also very happy to know that Laura and I have made an impact on students who might not have known about ONE. We can’t wait to continue our advocacy through the ONE Campus Challenge in the future!

-Rebecca Guldin, Senior at Northern Lebanon High School Fredericksburg, PA

On Thursday evening ONE volunteers Brian Thomas and Sarah Wonders had the opportunity to get involved with the 3 Rivers Film Festival in Pittsburgh at the premier of Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love. This music documentary, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, opens with Senegalese activist and musician Youssou N’dour singing his anthem to Africa, Wake Up, in which he calls on the continent to unify itself. We follow him on tour at home and abroad, witnessing the power and charisma behind the music – with highlights by N’Dour, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Moustapha Mbaye, Kabou Guèye and Fathi Salama.

At the height of his career, N’dour composed Egypt, a deeply spiritual album dedicated to a more tolerant view of his Islam faith. It was embraced by Western audiences (and won a Grammy) but ignited serious religious controversy in his homeland. This inspiring film continues the call for tolerance.

-Sarah Wonders, PA ONE Member

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!

On Saturday I joined Pennsylvania ONE Members and volunteers from RESULTS to STAND UP against poverty in Philadelphia, PA.

On top of everyone STANDING UP, our day together focused on the challenges of extreme poverty, the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and publicly urging our elected officials to support proven successful life-saving programs like the Global Fund. There was also importance placed on several advocacy related functions that everyone can participate in including writing letters to your Member of Congress.

In addition to learning more about how we can be a part of the solution, everyone was fortunate enough to listen to Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health and subject of the book Mountains Beyond Mountains, speak live about what it takes to make a movement to end poverty.

People in attendance seemed inspired and ready to take an action – whether it be attending a meeting with a member of Congress or simply spreading the word to friends and colleagues about the importance of advocacy and demonstrating their commitment to fight for the poorest people in the world.