Faith in Action

Postcard campaign will encourage members of Congress to take steps to keep families together during the holiday season.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society is urging people to take part in the Interfaith Immigration Coalition’s “Holiday Postcard Campaign.” The campaign will run from October through December and involves sending postcards to members of Congress urging them to take steps to “keep families together this Christmas.”

The postcards are free, and carry two messages:

My faith tradition teaches me to welcome the stranger with love and compassion.

There is also room on the postcard for a personal note from the sender.

End separation of families

“This separation of families through Immigration & Customs Enforcement raids must stop,” declares Bill Mefford, director of GBCS’s Civil and Human Rights work area. “This Christmas, we must see to it that every member of Congress supports comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants, reunifies families and protects the rights of workers.”

Participating in the Holiday Postcard Campaign can help make the abuses stop.

Mefford emphasized that participating in the Holiday Postcard Campaign can help make the abuses stop. He urged people to get their church, Sunday school class, Wesley Foundation, and friends and family to participate also.

It is easy to participate, according to Mefford. “Let me know how many postcards you need and will actually use,” he said, “and we will send them to you at no cost.” Participants are encouraged to fill out three postcards: one for each of their two U.S. Senators, and one for their Representative in Congress.

Mefford encouraged to think about how the postcard campaign can be incorporated into a community’s weekly services, classes or other activities. If the campaign is carried out over several weeks, he said there should be ample time to work with the leaders in your faith community to lift up postcards through special prayers or presentations during services. He suggested setting up writing stations with plenty of postcards and pens, and information sheets with the names and addresses of your members of Congress and a map of congressional districts in your area.

“Make sure you collect all of the postcards,” Mefford said, “and be sure to thank all who participated, announce how many postcards you’ve collected, and tell people where the postcards are going next. You might also during a worship service bless the postcards and the messages they hold.”

2 actions

Mefford said the postcards can be delivered to the local office of each member of Congress by scheduling an appointment with a staff person. He said you might invite other members of your faith community or other immigrant advocates to go with you to the meeting, deliver the postcards, and “emphasize in person the heart of the messages written on the postcards.”

Postcards can also be sent to Mefford at the GBCS offices, 100 Maryland Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20002. He asks to receive them by Jan. 4.

“I will make sure all of the postcards are delivered to the correct offices in January,” Mefford said. “In coordination with other faith communities, we will also hold a press event before we deliver the postcards to highlight all the work of faith groups across the United States and their deep commitment to comprehensive immigration reform.”

Civil and Human Rights Advocacy

GBCS advocates for the preservation of civil and human rights for all people throughout the world. The civil and human rights of all people are upheld by The United Methodist Church according to the 2008 Book of Discipline (¶164A).

GBCS has a web page dedicated to “Civil and Human Rights.”

Action Network

Bill Mefford, GBCS director of Civil and Human Rights, supervises an “action network” that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues involving immigration reform, refugees, criminal justice reform, abolition of torture, religious freedom and racial justice. He issues “action alerts” periodically through e-mail.

Joining the Civil and Human Rights Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church & Society website, www.umc-gbcs.org. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.

Bill Mefford can be reached at (202) 488-5657.