Developing the Bond with Senator Kit Bond
Several ONE volunteers from Webster University recently came to DC during their fall break to meet with their Senator’s office and discuss issues relating to extreme poverty. Nick Stevens writes:
Fall break. A time for catching up on your soaps and sleep, right? Not for me and three other Webster University students. We decided to trek halfway across the country to lobby for ONE in DC.
On Tuesday, October 21 ONE Webster members Sandra Lemenaite, Dirk Bokeloh, Michelle Overington and I met with Joshua Kremer at Senator Bond’s office next to the nation’s capitol.
We told Joshua about the importance of development aid as part of a national security strategy and thanked Senator Bond for voting in favor of PEPFAR. In May, I delivered more than 700 letters to Senator Bond’s St. Louis office asking him to support the PEPFAR Reauthorization. This legislation has helped to put more than two million African people on life-saving anti-retroviral drugs.
The meeting was the first time I had lobbied in DC. Our meetings in St. Louis were effective, but it was great to meet someone in Bond’s foreign policy department. I look forward to building the relationship from here and hope that ONE’s presence will inspire Senator Bond to co-sponsor poverty ending legislation in the future.
-Nick Stevens, ONE Webster President
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Congrats Webster! I hope we can work together over the summer when I return to St. Louis.
November 4th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Nick and friends:
Congratulations on this very proactive approach to forwarding your cause. You are doing a note worthy job representing Webster University and the School of Communications. Keep up the good work! I’d enjoy meeting with you in my office to hear more about your ONE activities. Drop by anytime.
Debra Carpenter,
Dean, School of Communications