Newsletter/Bulletin Notice Project
Partners for Virginia’s Sake
Revised September 9, 2003
Purpose:
To inform people of faith and members of concerned
organizations about the concerns of Partners for Virginia’s Sake and
to offer them the opportunity to get involved.
Program Components:
1. Prepare brief notices that provide some information
on critical health and human service needs in Virginia. Each notice
would follow a similar format in order to convey a theme and heighten
public awareness of “For Virginia’s Sake” and a link to the
ForVirginiasSake.org website.
2. Have source information related to the topic of
each notice on our ForVirginiasSake.org website. The website would
also have links to organizations within Partners For Virginia’s Sake
that provided the factoid and can provide more information on the
issue and suggestions on how to make a difference.
3. Send a letter to religious leaders asking them to
request that their local congregations place weekly notices in
bulletins and newsletters.
4. Distribute secular version of the notices for
publication in newsletters of concerned civic and non-profit
organizations.
Format for Notices for Congreations:
“For God’s sake, people of faith are
called (specify action related to issue). Did you know that (brief fact
about Virginia’s budget AND the related unmet need). For Virginia’s
Sake, we need to ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.”
Format for Notices for Civic/Non-profit Organizations:
“Did you know that (brief fact about
Virginia’s budget AND the related unmet need). For Virginia’s
Sake, we need to ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.”
Format for information on Website:
1. “Did you know that (brief fact about Virginia’s
budget AND the related social need).” [Use same wording as
corresponding notice.]
2. Brief paragraph that provides additional
information and the sources/citations of the facts.
3. Name of Partners for Virginia’s Sake organization
that provided the information and a link to their website for more
information.
Sample Religious Bulletin Notices: Please run weekly or as often as
possible from mid-September through mid-December.
For God’s sake, people of faith are called to protect
children. Did you know that Virginia ranks 44th among the 50
states in per capita state funding on education? (Need to add brief
statement of unmet need.) For Virginia’s sake, we need to ask
questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
For God’s sake, people of faith are called to protect the
vulnerable. Did you know that Virginia ranks 47th among the 50 states
in per capita state funding for mental health services? (Need to add
brief statement of unmet need.) For Virginia’s sake, we need to ask
questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
For God’s sake, people of faith are called to work for the
common good. Did you know that Virginia ranks 42nd among the 50 states
in per capita state funding for human services? For Virginia’s
sake, we need to ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
For God’s sake, people of faith are called to care for the
sick. Did you know that…. (Need both a budget factoid on health care
and an unmet need). For Virginia’s sake, we need to ask
questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
For God’s sake, people of faith are called to care for the
elderly. Did you know that…. (Need both a budget factoid on elderly
and an unmet need). For Virginia’s sake, we need to ask
questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Sample Civic/Non-profit Notices: Please run as often as possible from
mid-September through mid-December.
Did you know that Virginia ranks 44th among the 50 states in
per capita state funding on education? (Need to add brief statement
of resultant unmet need.) For Virginia’s sake, we need to
ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Did you know that Virginia ranks 47th among the 50 states in
per capita state funding for mental health services? (Need to add
brief statement of unmet need.) For Virginia’s sake, we need to
ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Did you know that Virginia ranks 42nd among the 50 states in
per capita state funding for human services? For Virginia’s
sake, we need to ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Did you know that…. (Need both a budget factoid on health
care and an unmet need). For Virginia’s sake, we need to
ask questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Did you know that…. (Need both a budget factoid on elderly
and an unmet need). For Virginia’s sake, we need to ask
questions. For more information visit: www.ForVirginiasSake.org.
Sample Letter to Religious Leaders in Virginia:
(on stationery of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public
Policy)
Dear Religious Leaders:
People of faith have always been at the center of major
public debates. We bring values that can help guide policy makers in
charting a better future for all Virginians.
Partners for Virginia’s Sake seeks to raise awareness
among citizens and to improve the quality of life of Virginians who are
vulnerable because of the lack of critical health and human services. In the
past two years, Partners for Virginia’s Sake, a coalition of organizations
committed to health and human services, has been instrumental (and
successful) in advocating for state funding for services to the poorest and
most vulnerable of our citizens in a difficult budgetary climate. The
mission and membership of Partners for Virginia’s Sake is enclosed.
Our religious traditions call us to protect the poor and the
vulnerable. Please use the enclosed bulletin notices to raise basic
questions that people of faith need to ask about the priorities of our
state. We request that the brief notices run weekly (or as frequently as
possible) from mid-September through mid-December in congregational
bulletins, newsletters and judicatory publications.
For more information on this effort please visit our web
site at www.ForVirginiasSake.org or call
either of us. This initiative is endorsed by the Virginia Interfaith Center
for Public Policy.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. J. Fletcher Lowe, Jr. Dr. Stephen M. Colecchi
(Executive Director) (Board Member)
For the Steering Committee of Partners for Virginia’s Sake
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
For Virginia’s Sake Bulletin Project
1.
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (www.vicpp.org)
is the only non-profit, statewide organization advocating Judeo, Christian
and Islamic values. Members work together to improve Virginia’s state
laws and programs, guided by their vision of “a more just and
compassionate Commonwealth.”
Did you know that Virginia’s tax code, basically set in 1926, had
its last significant update thirty years ago AND that the lowest
20% of Virginians pay 10.4% of their income in state taxes, and the upper
1% only pay 4.6% (Center for Budget and Policy Priorities). For
Virginia’s Sake, we need to ask questions about equitable tax
distribution relative to the present time.
Information provided by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public
Policy (
www.vicpp.org).
For additional information, please visit www.ForVirginiasSake.org
Did you know that other than one 10% increase in 2000, temporary
assistance to needy families (TANF) payments have not increased since 1985
AND that 28% of Virginia families do not earn an income sufficient
to adequately provide for their families (Virginia Interfaith Center
for Public Policy). For Virginia’s Sake, we need to ask
questions about providing cash benefits (TANF), when combined with other
key benefits, that raises working families at least to the Federal
Poverty Level. Information provided by the Virginia
Interfaith Center for Public Policy (www.vicpp.org).
For additional information, please visit www.ForVirginiasSake.org
