ONE » Samantha Meyer

ONE members host screenings of malaria film ‘Mary and Martha’

Samantha Meyer — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000

Since World Malaria Day on April 25, local ONE volunteers have been working hard to raise awareness for malaria by hosting more than 50 screenings across the US of “Mary and Martha,” a heartbreaking, inspiring film about two malaria activists, starring Hilary Swank. While many of the screenings were held in small theaters or private rooms, some of our volunteers, like George Houk in Nashville, opened up his home to local ONE members. And some members, like Vanessa Avila, even scored a radio interview on malaria.

The screenings aren’t over yet (email volunteer@one.org to see if there’s a screening near you!), but here are some highlights of how the event has been going so far.

From Meagan Ramirez’s event, ONE Congressional District leader (CDL) from El Paso:
The first Mary and Martha screening in El Paso was held at The University of Texas-El Paso. The film was preceded with a discussion on foreign aid with Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who promised to continue supporting our issues. He reminded us that our presence and persistence do have a tremendous impact.

From Elaine Van Cleave, CDL from Nashville:
On Saturday April 20, 10 ONE members gathered at Congressional District Leader George Houk’s home to view HBO’s Mary and Martha. There wasn’t a dry eye when the film ended. Immediately following the film, everyone was asked to call his/her congressmen about protecting international poverty focused development assistance. Twenty-six total calls were made to Senators Alexander and Corker and to Representative Cooper.

From Kyle Deming, CDL from Chicago:
Our Mary and Martha event held at DePaul University was a great success. The movie itself was very powerful and had a big impact on the people that attended. At the end of the movie, everyone was encouraged to take a real action and make a call to his/her senator. I think we’ll see a real lasting impact from the many people who attended the film and learned more about how they can use their voice to make real change that affects lives around the globe.

An awesome photo from CDL Andrew Garretson’s event in Santa Monica, Calif.:

And here are some great photos of screenings from Florida to Illinois to Iowa from Instagram!

Great job, ONE members – we’re proud of you. Keep up the great work!

To find a ‘Mary and Martha’ screening in your area or to get involved locally with ONE, please email volunteer@one.org.

ONE at the 2013 Inauguration

Samantha Meyer — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:37:16 +0000

The past two days have been hustling and bustling in Washington, D.C. As usual, ONE was along for the ride.

Fresh off a busy election season, ONE members and staff gathered on the National Mall to celebrate and congratulate President Obama on a hard-fought election victory at the 2013 Inauguration ceremony. Our favorite quote of the day: “And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice –- not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice.”

Here are a few pictures from our big day out.

The view from the crowdONE staff Charlie Harris and Meredith Horowski representing in ONE gear at the Inauguration.

In addition to attending the ceremony, ONE members took to the frigid streets to camp out and wait to see the taping of Morning Joe. Frozen fingers and toes were well worth it. Here’s why:

ONE members hanging with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski of Morning Joe

Thanking Reverend Al Sharpton for his dedicated support of ONE throughout the years

Meeting Mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro, and letting him know we’re looking forward to service and support for ONE.

ONE Act a Week: Make noise for global poverty on Thanksgiving

Samantha Meyer — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:21 +0000

Action: 67. Time: However much you need. Difficulty: Challenging

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this year’s holiday season is about to kick into high gear. Does the idea of upcoming holiday cheer leave you in the “giving” mood? It certainly does for us here at ONE HQ!

Here are a few great ways to raise awareness for global hunger during Thanksgiving week and through the holiday season. We’d love to see all our volunteers do something for their local communities and beyond.

1. Host a Holiday Banquet with Oxfam America. Download Oxfam’s planning toolkit to help you plan an interactive, educational holiday dinner that mimics real-life hunger situations. Everything from the place you sit to the meal you eat is determined by the luck of the draw.

2. Pre-register for Global Poverty Project’s Live Below the Line challenge. Experience what it’s like to live on the poverty line by only eating $1.50 worth of food per day. Encourage family and friends to donate to Global Poverty Project while you teach them just how difficult poverty is. Tackle this challenge individually or in teams.

3. Hold a bead party with Bead for Life. Help invest in programs that empower Ugandan women, and take home some beautiful jewelry! Host a bead party in your home, community center, office or school to give your family and friends a fantastic cause to support while they holiday shop.

4. Visit volunteermatch.org or feedingamerica.org to find hunger-related volunteering opportunities in your community. Make sure to wear your ONE shirt and talk to fellow volunteers about ONE’s mission and cause.

5. Get your Thanksgiving guests to tell Congress to protect our US international affairs budget. Why? Because those taxpayer dollars go to reducing world poverty, and our members of Congress need to know that their constituents care about protecting it. Take action by signing the petition below:

What volunteer work do you plan to do for Thanksgiving? Tell us in a comment below.