Nebraska
Sep 1st, 2011 4:42 PM UTC
By Field
ONE members in Omaha, Nebraska are very excited about a successful summer of awareness and advocacy. Recently we got to spend some time talking to Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., while he was home for August recess about the foreign aid budget and proposed cuts by the House.
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Aug 31st, 2011 10:24 AM UTC
By Field
Recently, ONE members in Omaha, Neb. got to sit down and talk in person with Senator Mike Johanns, R-Neb., and Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., to discuss the budget and how it will affect foreign aid.
Our first meeting was with Sen. Johanns himself. Sen. Johanns was already very familiar with ONE. The senator told us frankly that we have our work cut out for us, as the mood in DC is to cut all areas of the budget drastically. He assured us that since ONE “has a great presence” in Washington and is well-organized and well-led, we may have an opportunity to change some minds. Sen. Johanns also shared with us some experiences he had in his many visits to Africa when he was secretary of agriculture, where he saw firsthand the life saving benefits of foreign aid and sustainable agricultural programs.
Next, we met with Rep. Terry. Rep. Terry was also familiar with ONE and expressed his pleasure in meeting with us. The congressman says he supports bipartisan efforts, which is one of the reasons he appreciates ONE’s work. He currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and agreed that we are living in an increasingly interconnected world, and that what happens on the other side of the globe can affect us in our own communities. The congressman is fiscally conservative but does understand the importance of foreign aid and the role that the US plays.
Rep. Terry also said he was very interested in our local ONE chapter and wanted us to keep him updated on our work in the community, then, within a couple weeks of our meeting ONE members talked to him twice more at local events!
We appreciate Sen. Johanns and Rep. Terry for taking time out of their busy schedules to talk to Nebraskans about smart programs that are saving lives and giving people opportunities to lift themselves out of extreme poverty, while keeping us safer at home — all for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
-Steve White and Sarah Lewis, Congressional District leaders, Nebraska
In Kansas City…
Last week, several ONE members, led by ONE congressional district leader Leslie Scott, volunteered at Switchfoot’s concert in Kansas City. Despite the fact that it was homecoming weekend at my university and I had a literature review to work on, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to volunteer for ONE, so I drove two hours to the concert. It’s fitting that I got to be a ONE volunteer at a Switchfoot concert because it’s through them that I found out about the HIV/AIDS crisis and the advocacy organization DATA — which has since merged and become ONE.
![Switchfoot volunteers Kansas City[1]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1143/5115645136_9667830126.jpg)
ONE volunteers at the Switchfoot show in Kansas City
At the concert, we talked with concertgoers individually and invited them to join ONE. To those who signed up, we gave ONE pins, stickers and ONE bands so they could represent ONE and our efforts to rally Americans in the fight against extreme poverty and global disease. I personally encountered a few friends of mine and got them all to join, too. As I was about to invite one girl to join ONE, she beat me to the punch and told me how interested she was in getting involved locally with ONE. I was all too happy to hand her my clipboard to sign up. We ended up gaining dozens of new ONE members that night!
Switchfoot has been a long-time supporter of ONE, and they continued showing ONE some love that night during their show. Bassist Tim Foreman wore a ONE T-shirt, and frontman Jon Foreman thanked ONE from the stage toward the end of the concert.
Overall, it was a great night and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to volunteer at the concert with ONE!
-William Payne, ONE member, Kansas
…And in Omaha
We had a great group of about nine ONE volunteers — some new to ONE, some old pros — who all did a super job! We talked to concertgoers and ended up recruiting more than 140 new members!
ONE Volunteers at the Switchfoot show in Omaha
The concert was also great. Lead singer Jon Foreman gave a shout out to the ONE campaign from stage and thanked us for coming. Later, I was holding up a ONE shirt and he pointed and smiled.
It was a really great experience and I look forward to working with these volunteers and new members soon!
- Steve White, congressional district leader, Omaha
Jul 6th, 2010 2:58 PM UTC
By Field
ONE members in Nebraska gathered recently for a viewing of “The Lazarus Effect”. The group met at a branch of the Omaha Public Library. Members received the viewing well. They were very impressed by the progress that has been made fighting AIDS in Africa.
After the film, we discussed future meetings and ways of advancing our cause in Nebraska. Each member was given the challenge to find 10 new members before the next meeting at the end of July.
We were happy to see 6 new members join us at our meeting. This was the first ONE event that they had ever attended. It’s great to see fresh faces that are enthusiastic about helping ONE in Nebraska.
-Steve White, ONE Congressional District Leader, Nebraska
………………..
One day after the 4th of July, we had our fist ONE Illinois Workshop in Chicago, to get people excited about helping everyone around the world gain independence from poverty and preventable disease. Although the event was right after the holiday, at the end of a 3-day weekend, we had great attendance – over 40 people.
The workshop, led by our Regional Field Director Maura Daley, included an introduction to ONE and the Global Fund, a screening of “The Lazarus Effect” (a documentary about the transforming effect of ARVs in Africa) and a discussion on the best ways for us to help. it was inspiring to see so many people ask thoughtful questions and participate in an active conversation. At the end of the event, everyone was given pen and paper, to take action by writing a letter to an IL Senator in support of the President’s foreign affairs budget proposal. This creative, easy way to make a difference in as little as five minutes was a powerful closure to the meeting, which excited people about what they can do next. Many of them stayed after the workshop was over, eager to discuss upcoming events to help affect global positive change through local action.
As a Congressional District Leader (CDL) in IL, I am further motivated by the energy and enthusiasm in the room and I am excited to work with my fellow Illinoisans in the fight against global poverty and preventable disease.
-Tzviatko Chiderov, CDL from Glenview, Illinois
Apr 30th, 2009 2:53 PM UTC
By Field
Yesterday, a couple ONE members and I met with a top aide at Senator Ben Nelson’s office in Omaha. We had a very good meeting.; the Senator’s staff was really receptive to us. We all sat down together and talked for a good 20 minutes. We presented him with information on ONE and answered any questions that he had. He was very impressed by the number of ONE members in our state, and we plan to meet with Senator Nelson when he returns to Omaha. Myself and the other ONE members had a good time and enjoyed the opportunity to play a role in the ONE organization and its fight against global poverty.
-Steve White, ONE Volunteer- Valley, NE
This week, volunteers across the country are delivering thousands of letters from ONE supporters to their members of Congress for the Global Child Survival Act. Nebraska ONE volunteer Steve White was one of the first volunteers to deliver letters and took them to Senator Hagel’s Omaha district office on Friday. Here is what he had to say:
Mission accomplished! I picked up the letters and delivered them to Senator Hagel’s office. I have attached a photo of me at Sen. Hagel’s office with one of his aids. They were very receptive and thanked me for bringing the issue to their attention. I think they were impressed that so many people across Nebraska had participated. They said they would forward the letters to Sen. Hagel in Washington.
Thanks.
Steve
