Why I chose this Topic…

I chose to write about unemployment benefits and how unemployed workers with families should continue to get benefits until they are able to find a job. I chose this topic because at the moment, unemployed workers who are both single and have families are equally eligible to receive benefits and for the same length of time. This is especially important to me because my mother is an unemployed worker, and is a single mother of 2 girls, my 3 year old sister and myself. It has a been a struggle to stay a float after she lost her job.

Who did I send my letter to?

I sent my letter to Michael Grimm, a New York Congressman whose job title is Financial Services. I chose to write my letter to him because after looking at his page and reading more about him, I got the feeling that he really cares about his job and his people. He writes about his goal to provide more jobs, which intertwines with my idea to extend benefits to families until a job is found because in this economy it is so hard to find a job.

What were some choices made and thought about when writing my letter?

When I was figuring out what to say in my letter, I had to think about a couple of things. I had to think about who I am writing to; this wasn't just a friend I knew from back at home, this is a congressman. I had to make sure I chose my words wisely because I knew that if he read it and didn't understand something or didn't believe it was a sophisticated letter, he probably wouldn't give to much thought to my letter or suggestions. I also knew that as a congressman, he is a pretty busy person so I couldn't make my letter to lengthly or else he wouldn't take the time to read it. When deciding what words to use, I had to make sure that I didn't say anything that would have offended him or have said anything that would upset him and immediately become closed-minded about what I want to change.

What can you do?

If you would like to help me make a change, you can also send letters. It is essential for people to know that the simplest of words can make a difference. In order to spread the word, we must first become aware ourselves of what the current situation is, what we want changed, and how the change can be made. Creating this blog was my way of spreading the word.

How did this idea begin?

Honestly, I never even gave this a thought until a couple of weeks ago when it was assigned to me by my english professor. Our assignment was to create a for and against paper about a topic of our choice. We had to write a for paper saying why what we want changed should be made and an against paper about why the change should not be made. We then had to write a letter to who ever is in charge of your topic and let them know why the change should be made, how it should be made, and include a counterargument about why someone would be against the idea. The last step of the assignment was to create a blogg and spread the word. :)

P.s. you can also find my classmates' blogs at studentprojectsmakechange.blogspot.com