Launching ONE’s Thrive campaign last week gave ONE member Alicia Lowe the perfect platform to highlight smart agriculture investments at an event called the Great American Write-In. Organized by Women For: Orange County, this annual event invites the local community to raise awareness and take action together around a number of local, state, national and international issues, particularly those addressing basic human needs and empowerment.
“So, I arrived at this event very early, much earlier than I expected, and was able to help set up meet some wonderful people, like Felicity Figueroa, the event coordinator. The Great American Write-In is a wonderful event filled with Southern Californians to raise awareness and take action. Donna Jacobs and I were able to get more than 70 people to write postcards to President Obama asking him to please make robust Agriculture commitments at the G8. With smart agriculture Investments –- in basic seeds, farming techniques, irrigation, etc – 50 million can earn their way out of poverty, 100 million can address malnutrition, and we can address stunting in 15 million children. So many people came to our booth and learned about ONE and I got to meet several wonderful people, like Pauline E. Merry, president of the grassroots organization Woman For: Orange County. It was incredible!”
-Alicia Lowe, ONE Orange County
“It was a wonderful event; after 27 years, it’s great to know that the pen is still mightier than the sword! We were very glad to welcome ONE to the Write-In, along with some other first-time groups reflecting new directions in participatory democracy; and it was particularly gratifying to see so many students there writing letters to their representatives and congress people with such marked enthusiasm: it gives one hope for the future!”
-Felicity Figueroa, Great American Write-In Chair
Thanks to Alicia and Felicity for bring the community to the writing table to take action around urgent issues of justice, particularly extreme poverty. A special thanks to Peggy Thompson for continuing to find great ways for ONE members to get more involved.
