Dear Ohio Colleagues,

Governor Strickland has indicated that he intends to slash all federal funds coming to Ohio for abstinence education (known as Title V abstinence funds). He has also removed all abstinence education funding from Ohio's biennial budget. An overview of the need for this funding is contained in an attachment to this email.

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Immediately:
1. We need a minimum of 25,000 letters of support for abstinence education to reach the governor's desk within the next 30 days. That means that each person on this email list needs to ask every student, teacher, parent, and supporter in your community to write a brief but  personal letter of support. A copy of the letter should then be sent to their respective legislator in Columbus and Washington DC.
    - to locate your State Representative, go to    http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp       
       - to locate your US Congressman, go to    http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
    - to write to Gov Strickland, send correspondence to: Riffe Center, 30th Floor; 77 South High Street; Columbus OH  43215

2. Forward this email on to every supportive individual or organization you can identify and ask them to help.

This total activity may take 30 minutes out of your day, but the future of what is taught in Ohio classrooms depends on your action at that time.


3. Linda Theis is organizing/coordinating testimony for the hearings next week (April 12 and 13th).She is seeking current and past recipients of Abstinence Education as well as project directors and concerned parents/teachers from across Ohio.  Please contact her by 5:00PM Monday if you are interested.  Also please help her identify students (past and present) who are passionate and articulate and willing to testify. If you are interested in going to Columbus to offer testimony in support of abstinence education, please contact Linda:
ljtheis@yahoo.com
419.957.6632

Mark your calendars for these TENTATIVE Activities and more details will come soon:

1. Abstinence EDUCATION day at the capitol in Columbus.
      Education Day: April 17.  OFAE will be taking the lead on this effort

2. Call in date to call the governor's office, representatives and senators' offices. Call in Date: April 24

3. Abstinence Lobby Day: April 25

In collaboration with the Ohio Federation for Abstinence Education (OFAE), the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), is assisting in distributing information to our friends who support abstinence education in Ohio. If you have already received this information, please delete. In these critical times, we'd rather you receive the information twice rather than not at all. If you have not already received this email, please read carefully and then forward it on to anyone in Ohio who may be supportive of abstinence education.

Information that may be helpful in drafting letters is attached to this email. A sample letter is also attached, but feel free to make it as short or individual as you desire. The key is that each person write a letter immediately.


Feel free to send any questions or offers to help to OFAE at takeamoment2002@yahoo.com
You may also contact NAEA at:   info@AbstinenceAssociation.org

 If the preservation of abstinence education in Ohio is important to you, you absolutely CANNOT AFFORD to do nothing.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Valerie Huber
National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA)
1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006

202 248 5420
www.AbstinenceAssociation.org

PS- please let us know if you received this but are not from Ohio.