I just got off the phone with my Congressman’s office.  You see, Congress is in the midst of deciding spending levels for 2012, and I wanted to make sure my voice was heard.  Some members of Congress want to cut foreign assistance programs by as much as 30 percent, which would have devastating consequences for children and families around the globe.  I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen.

Not while so many children are going hungry in the Horn of Africa.  Not while millions of children still suffer from easily preventable causes. U.S. assistance is helping save lives every day, and without it, more children will surely die.

My voice alone might not be enough to turn the tide.  But together, we can make a difference.

That’s why Save the Children is joining forces with CARE, Oxfam America, Results, ONE, Bread for the World and many other organizations for an unprecedented effort to reach out to Congress.  Today, Monday, September 26, we are all asking our friends and supporters across the country to call Congress with a unified message: Protect poverty-focused foreign assistance.

Congress needs to hear from us, to know that we care about the children, women and families who benefit from U.S. foreign assistance.  While it’s only 1 percent of the U.S. budget, the generosity of the American people protects and improves millions of lives every year.

I called my member of Congress – will you call yours?