To the Editor:
On average, people estimate that 25 percent of the United States federal budget goes to foreign aid. In reality, it is less than 1 percent.

Even as our own issues seem highly pressing, we can take a step back and consider helping the world’s poorest communities. In the United States, we have an incredibly strong ability to help the world’s poor, even outside of our borders. I believe that, with this ability, we should help those who need it most.

I am a Project Ambassador with the Borgen Project, an organization using advocacy, mobilization, and education to achieve our ultimate goal, ending global poverty. As Americans, a huge way we can help is to contact our congressional leaders.

It is not uncommon for a leader to outwardly support a bill after just seven emails regarding an issue. With enough congressional support, these bills turn into laws, become implemented at the ground level, and can benefit millions of people in need.

Most Americans don’t realize how much a small group can influence our government. Just a handful of emails can help turn promising bills into constructive laws. Please, visit https://borgenproject.org/action-center/ to email Congress now. There are many bills to support that could help in various ways. 

Campbell Schoenfeld

The Borgen Project

Editor’s note: The Borgen Project, based in Tacoma, Washington, is a not-for-profit that works to make ending global poverty a focus of United States foreign policy.