Write a letter to Congress over winter break!



Finals are over, snow is on the ground. You know what that means... time to write letters to Congress!

 I’ve fallen out of the habit of regularly contacting my two senators and U.S. representative because studying for exams took over my life for a while, but I’m excited to get back into it.
If you've outgrown letters to Santa (or never had that tradition),
write to Congress instead!
Writing letters is an easy way to get your voice heard. Congressional staff keeps track of how many people speak up about each issue, and what side they are on. For controversial issues that are big in the news, you probably already know which way your elected officials will vote (for example… impeachment). But for lesser-known or bipartisan issues like global health, it doesn’t take many letters to sway a member of Congress, or at least get their attention.
Writing a letter shows that you care enough to put in the time and effort, rather than signing an online petition in a matter of seconds. That doesn’t mean it has to be difficult! Today, I’m going to share how I write letters to Congress.
My friend and I asking Congress to support global education for kids

 Now, some general tips-- Your letter can be any length, but between half a page and one full page is standard. You can write about a personal story, include some statistics, reference a current event, or anything else you want to say. 

 My letters usually follow an outline called EPIC format, which goes like this:

 E stands for “engage”. This is the part where you explain why the issue matters to you.

 Dear Senator Blunt,

 I’m a high school student in your state, and I am fortunate that my family has always been able to provide proper nutrition for me to grow up healthy and do my best in school. I’m writing to you because worldwide, too many kids are not getting the same chance they deserve.
P stands for “problem”.

Today, 22% of the world’s children under five years old are chronically stunted or malnourished.


 I stands for “inform”, which is where you will present your solution and how it will help.

The good news is, we have the potential to beat childhood malnutrition and save millions of lives, lifting families out of poverty and stabilizing countries. In December 2020, Japan will host a Nutrition for Growth Summit. U.S. leadership is critical.


 C is the “call to action”.

What do you actually need your member of Congress to do? How should they vote? Is there a bill they should sponsor? It's okay if you don't know about an exact bill or its code, but try to make it as specific as you can.

Will you help create momentum in Congress for this issue? Please cosponsor S. Res. 260, a bipartisan global nutrition bill.

Sincerely,
[name and address]




Make sure you sign with your name and address so they can confirm you have the right member of Congress. When you’re done, I usually just google the closest office location for my senator/representative and send it there. You can google who your state’s senators are, and find your representative here. 

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