Organizing a CSMG District Visit in Your Diocese

Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG) District Visits are meetings set up by Catholic social ministry leaders with U.S. Senators and Representatives, or their staffs, in their district offices during congressional recesses, and following our main gathering in Washington, D.C.

These visits amplify our national message for maximum effectiveness and provide a way for Catholic social ministry leaders, in coordination with CSMG state captains, to connect our national efforts with the voices of local partner organizations, parishioners, and dedicated volunteers in support of our CSMG 2013 legislative priorities.

District Visits are another way of establishing an ongoing relationship with your members of Congress that can help to advance the effect of your advocacy throughout the year.

Getting Started

Find out if a CSMG district visit is already being organized in your diocese by contacting Rachael Holmes of Catholic Relief Services at rachael.holmes@crs.org or 1-866-608-5978. If no district visit is yet scheduled then you may be invited to begin coordinating with your CSMG State Captain, or possibly even to serve as the CSMG District Visit Captain in your area.

Coordinating your CSMG District Visits Team

Whether you've agreed to serve as a District Visit Captain or want to be part of a team, make sure that you know who else in your diocese has agreed to participate in CSMG District Visits. Rachael Holmes of Catholic Relief Services will be able to share that information with you. Her e-mail address is rachael.holmes@crs.org or call 1-866-608-5978.

Get in touch with your team members to discuss plans for your district visits, brainstorm ideas and decide on what type of district visit you would like to pursue. Identify dates and times that would work for all or most of your district visit team members.

Options for CSMG District Visits

Arranging to meet your members of Congress at a Catholic social service center or the offices of an appropriate local community group can be an excellent way to showcase the work that your diocese is doing in the area of social ministry. Consider inviting your members of Congress to visit a CCHD-funded anti-poverty group, a diocesan-supported homeless shelter, soup kitchen, refugee resettlement program or immigration and anti-human trafficking program. These "site visits" can bring to life the issues for which CSMG District Visit participants are advocating and highlight how members of Congress can make a concrete difference in the lives of poor and vulnerable people in our communities.

If a site visit is not possible, meeting with your members of Congress or their district directors in a district office closest to you is another great option. Visit this USCCB Capwiz Action Center and enter your zip code to find your Senators and your Representative. Click on the "Info" link under your members' photos and then click on the "Contact" tab at the top of the page. A list of your members' district offices will appear there.

If you're still unsure of who your member is or how to find their district office, please contact Rachael Holmes of Catholic Relief Services at rachael.holmes@crs.org or 1-866-608-5978.

Planning Your CSMG District Visit as a "Site Visit"

Before arranging to meet your members of Congress at a social service center or the offices of a community group, make sure you are aware of any policies the agency, group, or service provider might have in place for "site visits".Then meet in advance with the affected staff, partners and beneficiaries to discuss what the site visit should accomplish. Share with them the CSMG 2013 advocacy messages you will be delivering. Create an agenda for the visit to ensure that the member will see the care and work of our Catholic community in action.

Scheduling a CSMG District Visit

Arrange your District Visit when your member of Congress is home in his or her district. Members of Congress are usually in their home districts Friday through Monday as well as during congressional recesses such as the week immediately following CSMG. Check the House of Representatives and Senate schedules for details on congressional recesses.

Contact the district scheduler for your member of Congress several weeks in advance of the proposed visit. Explain that you are a participant in the efforts of the 2013 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, why you're seeking a visit with the member of Congress, and what the CSMG 2013 advocacy issues are. Include specific information such as proposed date, time, location, others who may be invited (including media if you are seeking a site visit), and what activities are planned for the visit. Be prepared to be as flexible as possible with your schedule to accommodate the member. Once a visit is scheduled, please communicate the details to Rachael Holmes of Catholic Relief Services at  rachael.holmes@crs.org or 1-866-608-5978.

Alerting the Media to an Upcoming CSMG District Visit

District Visits conducted at community service centers/offices will be most effective if you reach out to the media in cooperation with the staff at the intended site as well as the press secretary or communications director for your member of Congress. Invite local and diocesan media outlets, including TV, newspapers, and radio stations to cover the event. Send a media advisory or press release to local and diocesan media outlets alerting them to the time, date and purpose of the site visit. If the media is unable to be present, take pictures and include them with a summary of the activities that can be sent to local and diocesan media outlets afterwards.

How to Conduct a CSMG District Visit

1. Introduce yourself and all those participating in your group for this District Visit.
2. Present the CSMG 2013 advocacy issues. Then allow each member of your District Visit team some time to explain their personal connection to these CSMG advocacy issues.
3. If you are conducting this visit as a "site visit" you can also explain how the CSMG 2013 advocacy issues relate to the particular community or work of the service center or office you are visiting.
4. If questions arise that you're unable to answer or if the meeting gets off track, remain positive and follow up with more information later.

Important Steps After a CSMG District Visit

1. Send a thank you letter, including any photos and media stories to the members of Congress you met.
2. In the letter recap the highlights of your visit and restate the CSMG 2013 advocacy messages with the specific request that your members of Congress endorse the CSMG positions.
3. Use this form to report news from your District Visit to CSMG staff. This is an important final step in making sure District Visits are effective, coordinated, and hopefully continuing from year to year.

Resource Materials for CSMG District Visits

• The CSMG District Visits brochure is a handy way to invite others to participate in this effort (and will be linked here in January 2013).
  
  
• The USCCB web site provides useful general tips concerning Visiting Your Congressional Representative.  In addition, the Getting to Know Your Member of Congress webinar will help you do the research to make your visit more effective.
  
  
• Though designed for CSMG's Capitol Hill Visits in Washington D.C., the Getting to Know your Member of Congress webinar provides helpful tips on legislative advocacy visits in general.
  
  
  
• Copies of Global Solidarity in Action: A Guide for International Issue Advocacy in the United States are available at no cost from Catholic Relief Services at 1-866-608-5978.
  
  
• Printed copies of the U.S. Bishops' statement Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (reissued in 2011) are available through USCCB Publishing by phoning 1-800-235-8722.
  
  Templates for District Visits media advisory and press release.

Additional materials may be added here occasionally, so please check back.