2014 Congressional Elections Advocacy 101 - Making a Difference in Congress | Page 8

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Visit Your Members of Congress

Visiting a member of Congress in person can have a lasting impact. Whether at local offices, during Bread’s annual Lobby Day
or other visits to Washington, D.C., or at public events, personal contact
is often persuasive. Although it is tempting to try to address many issues
during your conversation, focusing on one or two main
points to discuss is usually
more effective.
For example, Rev. Libby
Tedder Hugus of Caspar,
Wyo., attended a Bread for the
World Lobby Day in Washington during her training as a
Hunger Justice Leader. She
met with her senator, Dr. John
Barrasso, and shared not only
Bread’s policy perspectives
but also that she had served
him coffee at a café where
she worked as barista in Caspar. So he, in turn, served her
coffee in his office. Later, the
senator happened to be at the
Rick Reinhard for Bread for the World
church where he heard Libby
preach and conduct an OfferCONTACT CONGRESS
ing of Letters. Those connections laid the groundwork for
U.S. House of Representatives
Bread staff to have a successWashington, DC 20515
ful meeting with the senator, a
www.house.gov
top policy leader in the RepubU.S. Senate
lican party. All of this started
Washington, DC 20510
because a single activist met
www.senate.gov
face-to-face and developed a
800-826-3688
relationship with her senator.
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