CARE USA Says Thanks

I have exciting news to share!

In 2007, you helped us educate Congress and President Bush about HIV and AIDS, and the earmark that requires one-third of all global HIV prevention funding to be spent on abstinence-until-marriage programs. This one-size-fits-all restriction ignores the daily reality of millions of women and weakens CARE's ability to help vulnerable people avoid HIV infection.

You played an important role by drawing attention to this issue and encouraging your representatives to support legislation to overturn this flawed policy.

On December 26, President Bush approved a provision that gives the president the flexibility to support effective HIV prevention programming and to ignore the abstinence-until-marriage restriction.

This is a significant victory and we want to thank you. Your voice made a difference.

While this is a step forward, we're not done yet. We will need your support later this year when Congress considers current legislation regarding HIV and AIDS. Help us hold Congress accountable for a strong new law that addresses the social, economic and cultural reasons that make people, especially women, vulnerable to HIV.

As a member of the CARE Action Network, you understand the importance of reaching out to legislators during critical times throughout the year to make your voice heard in Washington. Your vital outreach helps educate policymakers and the public about problems facing the world's poor and helps CARE communicate effective solutions that can give hope and health to millions.

We look forward to continuing to work with you in 2008. Together, we can raise our voices in support of policies that help people lift themselves out of poverty and claim a brighter future for their families.

Best wishes for a happy new year! We'll stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Giulia McPherson
Legislative Communications Coordinator
CARE USA