Take Action! Senators Support Needed - Economic Recovery Package

Next week, 60 Senators will be needed to prevent millions of people from losing their jobs, exhausting unemployment benefits, going without food, and becoming homeless.  Read more information about essential components for an economic recovery package in Towards Shared Recovery.  

Please contact our senators and encourage them to support the economic recovery package.  The nutrition elements could have positive impacts on those we serve.  Below you will see more details on how to take action and links to further information.  

An overview of the nutrition component is as follows: 

• $10 Billion - Food Stamps
  
• $450 Billion - Women, Infants and Children (WIC) 
  
• $30 Million - Commodity Supplemental Food Program 
  
• $165 Million - The Emergency Food Assistance Program - This is a program that provides food commodities to the Second Harvest Food Bank. 
  

Call your Senators toll-free at 800-473-6711.  

Congress will be in session during the week of November 17.  Call anytime between now and November 19.  

Here's what you need to do:

Call the toll-free number; you'll be connected to the Capitol Switchboard.  Ask to speak to one of your Senators.  

• Find your senators here, upper right corner:  http://www.senate.gov

Tell them:  I'm a constituent, and want Senator _____to know that our state desperately needs an economic recovery package that includes help for people being hurt now,such as:  food stamps,unemployment benefits,state aid to prevent health care and other cuts,jobs to allow energy efficient rebuilding, and help for people in danger of losing their homes.  We need your vote for recovery that works - for our people and for the economy!

Then call back and ask to speak to our other Senator.

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If they fail to act, time will be lost that could have broad impacts.  From now until January, people will face loss of all that is most basic:  jobs, homes, food, health care.  As always, people with the lowest incomes face the most serious threats.   Failure to invest in rebuilding our infrastructure, preventing state cuts, creating needed jobs and preventing loss of homes will make the recession deeper and longer.  Every week counts in getting our economy back on track.

Attention All Philanthropic Chess Enthusiasts!

Combine your love of chess with support for the Food Bank! We are pleased to announce that Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties has been selected as the beneficiary of a chess tournament hosted by Chess USA and Chess-For-Charity.com!

Chess-For-Charity.com has found a way to leverage very small individual entrance fees from thousands of people into enormous cash prizes for the players/donors and also into significant contributions to Second Harvest Food Bank. Based on participation, the prize money can be more than 6 figures.

TO ENTER
The entry fee is $2.00. You don't need a PayPal account to pay for this; you can pay with your credit or debit card as well. 

Click here to register at the site and optionally enter in the chess tournament.

First round pairing will be announced through the ChessForDollars.com website and via your email on or about 2008-11-25 12:07:27. Then you will have 7 days to use the on-line scheduler to agree on a start time with your opponent. This process will be repeated about every 7 days for each round until the winners are declared. Conveniently, you can pick a different start time for each round!

This tournament is also an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for most players in an on-line tournament. If you enter the tournament and make at least one move in the first round, we will notify you when you can download a personalized certificate attesting to your part in this achievement if the record is set.

Please visit the Chess USA Second Harvest Tournament site to learn more.

Community Support in the blogosphere!

There are many ways to help the Food Bank turn its mission into a reality - from the assorted volunteer opportunities we have, to running or participating in a food and fund drive, gathering excess office supplies to donate, joining the Monthly Harvest Club... the list goes on. But a new trend is one we are really excited about. Blogging is a way to share thoughts and ideas not only with your immediate community, but also with the world!

By writing about why you support Second Harvest Food Bank on your blog, you can reach many, many more people than we ever could on our own. One person really CAN make a difference!

Please read Rokin' Robot Lobster's post here. Along with a cool video about not stopping with your vote (her boss is in it!) she talks about why she donates monthly to Second Harvest to support her local community.

Little Field of Greens also is spreading the word about the Food Bank on her blog, and although she's stumping for us during our busiest (and most crucial) time of the year, she remembered our most important adage - "People need to eat year 'round!"

And an oldie but goodie, Rainmaker Properties posted a great blog about us last August.

So thank you to the bloggers - calls for assistance are up 55% from last year, most of those are people seeking help for the first time. We truly value and appreciate your support. May your words inspire many!