Dear Rep./Sen. _______________________:

It’s wonderful that the Internal Revenue Service has just increased the mileage deduction to 58.5 cents a mile in recognition of the high cost of gas.  But do you realize that the charitable mileage deduction has remained at only 14 cents a mile for the last ten years?!

It requires Congressional legislation to raise this rate.  Please act now and recognize the enormous contribution of volunteers who use their cars to:

· Deliver meals to those who are homebound and otherwise might not eat.

· Drive seniors to necessary doctors’ appointments.

· Make sure people without the means to drive or without mass transit can get medical treatments, visit family members in custodial care, and other vital services.

· Empower people to read, write, and speak English.

Please introduce and support a bill that raises the deduction immediately, but that does not express a specific amount.  To avoid having to reintroduce legislation every few years, why not require the charitable deduction either to equal the business deduction or to always be equivalent to at least 50% of the business deduction?

Volunteers deserve this support and assistance.  Please change the law now.