The Yute Box

Today's Children Are Our future

2008-12-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

In one week, we will close our books on 2008. For advocates of children and youth, it was a successful year. What can we look forward to in 2009?

In 2008, Promise the Children led a successful campaign to overhaul the federal No Child Left Behind Act. We enlisted the help of over 150 advocates to use their strong voices for equity in public education with their legislators.

We continually alerted our volunteer advocates of potential threats to programs such as SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), the Farm Bill and SNAP (food stamp program) and the Federal Unemployment Program; loss of these benefits would greatly impact family welfare.

We trained 30 youth in advocacy skills at our annual Legislative Action Day in Boston, and saw them walk to the State House and lobby their legislators, putting their new found social justice skills to work.

We maintained active relationships with CARE for Youth, the coalition to mandate health education in Massachusetts public schools, and Citizens for Public Schools, the coalition to maintain equity in education in Massachusetts public schools through MCAS, and ultimately, NCLB reform.

It was a great year. We could not have done it without your help.

Our success in 2009 is up to you. Please donate on line through Paypal at www.promisethechildrenuu.org by clicking on the "Donate" button or mail your gift to: Promise the Children, 58 Winter St., Nahant, MA, 01908.

Four Actions to Take in this Holiday Season to End Hunger in America

2008-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

Congress is on recess until December 8th, but more layoffs and pay cuts are happening every day, and hunger is growing every day. Here are four ways that you can act over the next few days to initiate meaningful solutions to eliminate hunger in our communities.

1. Click here to share your vision of a hunger-free America with President-elect Obama as he invites your input on his website. Enthusiastically support his commitment to end childhood hunger by 2015 and to cut poverty in half.

2. Call your Members of Congress toll-free at (800) 473-6711* and urge them to pass right away a temporary boost in SNAP/Food Stamp benefits as a key step in their economic stimulus/recovery work. Click here to view a letter signed by national organizations supporting a SNAP boost.

3. Write a letter to the editor highlighting the recent USDA Food Insecurity data that shows hunger on the rise through 2007 - - with worse in store for 2008. Click here and follow the steps to send a letter. For your state information, click here for the state profiles page on the FRAC Web site.

4. Although hunger may be a focus during this holiday season, remember it occurs year-round and peaks during the summer months when regular year school meals programs stop. Tell your members of Congress via e-mail or at meetings or forums while they are home, to expand and improve the federal child nutrition programs and WIC in the upcoming 2009 reauthorization. Sign up for FRAC's Child Nutrition Action Alerts by contacting Etienne Melcher at: emelcher@frac.org

Also, regularly visit FRAC's website for the latest information and sign up for the Weekly News Digest and FRAC's Action Alerts. Click here to sign up.

*This toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which works for economic justice and peace. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the number in support of non-partisan work for policies that benefit the common good and without linking it to a website soliciting donations or actions which support partisan lobbying or work.

Senators Must Vote to Prevent Hardship

2008-11-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

Next week, 60 Senators will be needed to prevent millions of people from losing their jobs, exhausting unemployment benefits, going without food, and becoming homeless.

Call your Senators. Tell them they must vote for an economic recovery package to prevent deepening hardship and to reverse the recession before they adjourn. If they fail to act now nothing will be done until at least January.
Call toll-free: 800-473-6711

Please call anytime between now and November 19 - the sooner the better.

Here's what you need to do:

Call the toll-free number; you'll be connected to the Capitol Switchboard. Ask to speak to one of your Senators. (Don't know their names? find out here,)

Tell them: I'm a constituent, and want Senator ___ to know that our state desperately needs an economic recovery package that includes help for people being hurt now, such as: unemployment benefits, food stamps, state aid to prevent health care and other cuts, jobs to allow energy efficient rebuilding, and help for people in danger of losing their homes. We need your vote for recovery that works - for our people and for the economy!

Then call back and ask to speak to your state's other Senator.

Your Senators need to hear that this is not the time for partisanship. Conservative and liberal economists alike are saying that the federal government must spend money to overcome the dangerous cycle of job losses and drastically reduced consumer spending. They also tell us that the most effective way to break that cycle targets aid to low-income people - such as unemployment benefits and food stamps (now called SNAP).

Congress will be in session during the week of November 17. They can act to prevent the recession from getting worse; they can provide for a shared recovery.

If they fail to act, precious time will be lost that will hurt in two serious ways:

* From now until January, people will face loss of all that is most basic: jobs, homes, food, health care. As always, people with the lowest incomes face the most serious threats.
* Failure to invest in rebuilding our infrastructure, preventing state cuts, creating needed jobs and preventing loss of homes will make the recession deeper and longer. Every week counts in getting our economy back on track.

There is more information about essential components for an effective recovery package in Towards Shared Recovery

But you don't have to be an expert about every aspect, or try to mention every item. Emphasize that helping people in need is long overdue.

This toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which works for economic justice and peace (www.afsc.org/EconomicJustice/US).

AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the number in support of non-partisan work for policies that benefit the common good and without linking it to a website soliciting donations or actions which support partisan lobbying or work.

*This information comes to you from our friends at Coalition on Human Needs

Example Letter to Your Senator

2008-11-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Senator

Promise the Children advocates for equitable, fair, and free public education for all children emphasizing a holistic perspective for their healthy development. Will you support this essential work on No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? Thank you.

* We support fully funded federal mandates and oppose the financial stress that NCLB now places on communities, schools, teachers, and students.
* We endorse well-rounded assessment tools rather than focusing solely on the use of test preparation and high-stakes testing.
* We support teacher education and development through ongoing training programs.
* We support funded tutorial programs for students rather than simply branding teachers and schools as “underperforming”.

Name __________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________ City, State, zip ____________________________________________ ____

Email _________________________ Phone _______________________

Take Action!

2008-11-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Take action in a few minutes

Study the issue and

sign up for emails at

www.promisethechildrenuu.org

Identify your elected officials

through our website

www.promisethechildrenuu.org

and at http://www.congress.org

Contact them

in Washington or

locally in person —

on the phone, or by email

Tell them:

I care about children and youth!

*********

Involve your church members:

your minister(s)

your Religious Educator

members of your

Religious Education Committee

or Social Action Committee

VOTE: How the Youth Can Get Involved

2008-10-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Vote on November Tuesday, November 4th! There are four more presidential candidates that we do not often hear about and one of them is a woman! There are several ways you can find more information on these presidential hopefuls. Here are their names: Charles O. Baldwin, Robert L. Barr Jr., Cynthia Ann Mckinney, and Ralph Nader. You can Google them. Your vote makes a difference! You can add your vote to a likely winner, or you can influence public policy by voting for those who may have fewer votes.

But vote! If you are at least 18 by the elections and have registered to vote, make sure you use your right to vote on November 4th. Sometimes long lines and other problems arise that day but keep in mind that every vote counts. If you are a newbie in voting, you can check out this Rock the Vote handout for first time voters. http://www.rockthevote.com/act-out/field-kit/handout-for-first-time-voters.pdf

Aside from showing up at the polls on November 4th, you can also encourage your friends, acquaintances or even random registered voters to go to the polls that day. To get more information on how to do this or how to make this a fun activity for you and your friends click on this link http://www.rockthevote.com/act-out/gotv/ Keep in mind that those who are not yet registered voters can also participate in election activities.

Voting DEADLINE!

2008-10-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

The deadline for voting registration in Massachusetts is October 14th! Don't be late in exercising your rights!

How to Register to Vote

2008-09-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the most up to date mail-in form that you may use to register to vote in any state.

You may also register in person at a registration office or DMV depending on your state. Check out eac.gov for further information.

How to register in Massachusetts

The government also posted a list of deadlines so you know the last possible date based on your state that you can register. Make sure you get your registration in on time!

Registered but unsure on where to vote? Check out google's voting booth map.

Questions to Ask Your Candidate

2008-09-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Children are 25% of our population and 100% of our future!

*****************

In this election year, please take the time to question your candidates regarding the welfare of children and youth.

*****************

Questions for Candidates

*The mandates of No Child Left Behind are currently unfunded and causing financial stress on many public school districts. What are your priorities for altering the funding patterns in public education?

*Are you committed to providing health care for ALL children in the U.S.A. through SCHP or other supplemental programs?

*Do you intend to fully fund early intervention programs such as Universal pre-k and Head Start to insure future student achievement and success?

*What actions should be taken to keep children engaged in and attending school resulting in a completed high school education and diploma?

*Will you call for a “cost of living” adjustment for the federal poverty level guidelines?

Have ideas for other questions? Post them here!
Speak up for children and youth!