Last week, I, along with nine fellow Colorado Springs ONE members met with Annie Oatman-Gardner, staff member for Senator Michael Bennet, to discuss the efforts of Coloradans in the fight against extreme global poverty and preventable disease.

Ms. Gardner wanted to know about ONE’s presence in Colorado. We told her we’re over 30,000 strong in the state and have organized regionally in the major cities and college campuses. We also had a large presence at the Democratic National Convention last year. Like the 10 of us, ONE members come from all walks of life and are committed to non-partisanship.

During our meeting, we asked Sen. Bennet to lend his voice in the US Senate for the world’s poorest people by supporting proven, effective programs like the Global Fund, which directs resources to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to the neediest people in the world. We requested that he support the highest possible level of funding for the Global Fund as the House and Senate conference this fall.

We also asked that Sen. Bennet remember the world’s poorest as the Senate begins work on its climate change bill, by supporting a 5% allocation of any climate related revenue to go directly towards helping them adapt to the consequences of current and future climate change (i.e. frequent drought and floods, water scarcity and increased health challenges). After all, the world’s poorest are most adversely affected by changes in climate.

We thanked Annie for meeting with us, and expressed to her that we hope to work with Sen. Bennet in the future to ensure that the US implement smart, proven and effective programs to help raise the world’s poorest out of extreme poverty, creating a better, safer world for us all.

-Megan Marsh, ONE Member

Photo (L-R): Ida Zanmiller, Christie Garrison, Megan Marsh, Erin Swanson, Mark Hopewell, Annie Oatman-Gardner, Andrea Staebell, Kelly Hedgecock, Regina Hopewell, Lenore Swaim, Dave Swaim