Across the US, people are connecting with Oxfam America’s global reach and impact through the Oxfam Action Corps. Members of the Action Corps are leading a charge to improve
national legislation and deepen local community resources to fight poverty and injustice.
THE CHALLENGE OF WIDESPREAD POVERTY
Our global community
Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Poverty affects all aspects of people’s lives. For example, global climate change puts poor people at greater risk. Their homes are often least prepared to withstand the destructive force of an earthquake or a hurricane, and they have the fewest resources for recovery. In fact, 97 percent of all natural disaster-related deaths take place in developing countries.
An American perspective
Poverty is not just a crisis in the developing world. Although the US is one of the wealthiest countries, almost 37 million Americans live in poverty. When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, it exposed how inequitable life is right here at home. Like other poor people, Americans living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The Oxfam Action Corps is working to change that.
The Oxfafam Action Corps
Creating solutions
The Oxfam Action Corps is a nonpartisan volunteer initiative. Active in more than a dozen cities nationwide, the Action Corps’s purpose is to inform, inspire, and mobilize public support for policies to end hunger, poverty, and social injustice in the US
and globally.
Solutions are within reach. As an influential nation with the one of world’s largest economies, the US is in a position where even small changes here can have a global impact. The Action Corps aims to organize those who are concerned and generate the political will for local and global solutions. We all have a part to play in resolving the crises of our time.
Making poverty reduction a priority
The Oxfam Action Corps aims to make poverty reduction a national priority. Members organize in their communities and meet with elected representatives to advocate for policy solutions. Their work is informed by Oxfam’s experience and insight in development and anti-poverty efforts in the US and overseas.
What NM Oxfam Action Corps Do:• Raise public awareness through house parties and other events;
• Organize delegations of concerned people to visit with elected officials;
• Recruit Oxfam supporters at events and concerts;
• Work together with allied organization;
• Conduct petition drives and letter-writing campaigns.
For more information, please come to our next volunteer meeting--July 14th at 7pm at the Flying Star in Nob Hill (near the corner of Amherst and Central) or email us. We look forward to meeting you soon!
