CARE Spurs Thousands to Act on World Poverty Day

In living rooms, Starbucks stores, schools, and libraries around the country, CARE supporters gathered to take action on October 17^th, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. “Instead of mourning those who die of hunger and preventable diseases every day, let's celebrate those who are making positive changes in their communities,” said Justine Miley to her Bay Area crowd, in a sentiment that was echoed across the country.
CARE asked its supporters to take action on this day to empower their friends, families and colleagues to stand up and speak out on global poverty issues. Volunteers were provided with materials for a short program about CARE including information on our basic and girls’ education programs and the Education for All Act of 2007, a bill which will raise the profile of this important issue in the U.S. We asked participants to help us educate and engage new people, and to provide those new people concrete and meaningful steps they can take to end global poverty.

More than 200 people took us up on this offer to host small events.  From Ms. Miley’s 40 people at a San Francisco art gallery to 15 people in an Atlanta living room sipping wine, people gathered in 32 states to learn what they can do to spread educational opportunities to the farthest reaches of the developing world. Starbucks stores across New England also took part, designing a “Round the World Coffee Tasting” in which customers tasted java from Kenya, Guatemala, and Indonesia, learned about the CARE projects funded by Starbucks in those countries, and wrote letters to Congress.

The Education for All Act of 2007, the bill being discussed at these events, will establish the United States as a leader in driving for universal basic education by allocating funds and requiring the US State Department to make education a foreign policy priority. At each event, participants wrote to their Senators and Representatives to urge their support of the Act. In a signal of what we can do when we act together, CARE has learned that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has already signed on to co-sponsor the bill, and suspect that many more will follow suit.

“I think we’ve given people an opportunity today to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and that was reflected in the response at my event,” said Jenny Holzaepfel of Stafford, TX.