2019 Earth Month Write Here! Write Now! Letter-Writing Information

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Tell Your US Senators to Take Urgent Action to Address the Climate Crisis – Letter-Writing Documents & Resources

Following are all the letter-writing materials you’ll need for your letter-writing event and some issue resources to customize your message to your senators based on state data.

If you have questions, contact advocacy@uusj.org or call or text 703-786-5206.

1. Start here — Write Here! Write Now! “Dear Climate Justice Activists — Cover Letter & Instructions” – a summary of the letter-writing campaign and mailing instructions. (Link to return to the UUMFE letter-writing landing page. See #3 below for the WHWN handout.)

  • Conduct your Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) letter-writing event one or two times between Sunday April 7 – May 5. Consider offering letter writing on two Sundays (only about 25% of most congregation members attend on any given Sunday). Letters must be received on or before Thursday, May 9.
  • Download this Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) Letter-Writing Log Form and include it in your mailing packet.
  • Mail letters to be received on or before Thursday, May 9, 2019. The mailing address is in the Cover Letter & Instruction document above. Letters will be delivered by the UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps on May 14. If you are a current WHWN letter-writing partner, you can submit letters as you normally would. Please also use the Letter Log Form.

2. Get organized — Download the UUSJ Write Here! Write Now! Letter-Writing Toolkit for tips on organizing a WHWN letter-writing event.

3. “Tell Your Senators to Address the Climate Crisis” WHWN Handout for your writing tables – a one-page, two-sided handout. The handout includes: background on the issue and legislative update, talking points, suggested questions to ask and a sample letter. Make it intergenerational. See idea #6 below.

4. Get periodic updates by signing up HERE. We’ll send tips, answer questions, share ideas and provide additional resources and any legislative breaking news.

5.  Resources — Learn more about the issues and what’s happening in your state. Check back periodically for more resources and legislative updates. 

  • Fact Sheet with link to NOAA State-by-State information with specific messaging and information (customize your message for your state)
  • Green New Deal Faith Principles, March 1, 2019 organizational sign on document.
  • Americans are Increasingly “Alarmed” about global warming — Yale Program on Climate Change Communications and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communications survey data reported December 2018: six in ten are now “alarmed” or “concerned.” Based on data from 11 national surveys from Dec. 2013-2018.
  • Public Opinion Maps 2018 Report State-by-State — Yale Program on Climate Change Communications (customize your message for your state – you can cite the percentage in your state that want to see climate action.

6. Involve children and youth – teach them about living out our 5th and 7th Principles: Make this an intergenerational family friendly event. Set up letter-writing tables where the children and youth are. Ask your RE leaders to discuss issues on your letter-writing Sunday about protecting our environment with younger children, and climate change issues with the youth. Give them an opportunity to write letters or draw pictures. They can make a greeting card and everyone can sign it. They should print their names and include their mailing address – Hill staff will then know they are from the Senator’s state and they may get a response.