It is the mandate of elected officials to listen to the concerns of the people they represent. For this reason, elected officials welcome feedback and input from their constituents. It is important to let them know which issues are of particular importance to you. You may not have direct access to the elected official, but you can always leave comments with a staff person who will then take appropriate action.

The three best ways to deliver a message to Congress are sending e-mail, writing letters, and making phone calls.

An innovative letter-writing campaign is an effective way to ensure that issues such as global poverty and AIDS reach the eyes and ears of your member of Congress. The most compelling way to do this is to involve a large number of people and have them all send in the same kind of letter – whether an e-mail, a written letter, a form postcard, or a creative idea that can be easily replicated. The more creative and innovative you can be, the more likely you are to attract media attention, as well as the attention of your member of Congress.

Congressional offices are organized to listen to constituents and respond to their concerns. A member of Congress who does not support funding for children impacted by AIDS may justify this by reasoning that his or her constituents have not communicated their concern about the number of children who are orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

Just a few letters from constituents on a single topic will encourage the congressional office to pay more attention to that issue than to most of the 10,000 or more other bills and resolutions that are introduced every year. Letters and calls are logged and summarized for the member as a way to gauge the strength and direction of public opinion. By organizing your community or colleagues in a campaign, you can make a difference in the passing of legislation and policy change that will benefit vulnerable populations such as children orphaned by AIDS or trapped in war.