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Tell the President to Remember the Most Vulnerable
 The devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita has again demonstrated that children are among the most vulnerable members of our communities. Send a message to President Bush asking him to respond to the special needs of children in this disaster.
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Subject: Remember the Most Vulnerable
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
The devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita has again demonstrated that children are among the most vulnerable members of our communities. As the Gulf region continues to recover rebuild, the special needs of children must not be overlooked.
The children who have survived these disasters will need our help. They have lost their schools, their homes, and in some instances, their loved ones. They are displaced from their communities and separated from their friends.
As a supporter of Save the Children, I ask that you commit a portion of recovery funds to helping children heal and continue their education in a safe, normal learning environment. Additionally, federal, state, and local governments should collaborate to designate a high level coordinator to ensure that the needs of children are being met at each stage of the recovery.
This is also an opportunity for America to imagine a brighter future for all children, not just those affected by the hurricanes. Katrina and Rita exposed the depth of persistent poverty in our nation. Twelve million children in United States live below the poverty line, and millions more live in low-income families.
Education is the key to escaping the cycle of poverty. Federal and state governments should increase funding for early childhood and educational programs, particularly in impoverished rural areas where literacy lags. Supplemental literacy programs have demonstrated that a bit of extra help in the classroom or after school can improve reading scores and graduation rates.
I call on you to increase funding for early childhood, after-school and other educational programs. In particular, rural areas need additional funding to address lags in literacy.
The issue of childhood poverty in our country is not new, but we should face it with renewed vigor. As the images of Katrina and Rita fade from our televisions screens and the front pages of newspapers, we must remember that there are children in every state who need our assistance.
Sincerely,
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