By Pastor Betty Landis, member of Grace Lutheran Church, Evanston, IL

 

“The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Where do we go from Here: Chaos or Community?” (1967)

 

My excitement has caused me to wake up before dawn on a Monday morning. After months of meetings, training sessions, phone calls, rallies, social media posts and paperwork, I soon will board a bus from Evanston to Springfield, Illinois. It is the second week of an intensive six weeks leading up to the launch of the revived, reignited Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Last week, the 40 Days of Nonviolent Moral Fusion Direct Action began with a rallies and demonstrations in 39 states and the District of Columbia focused on Somebody’s Hurting Our People: Child Poverty, Women and People with Disabilities. National campaign co-chairs the Revs. William J. Barber II and Liz Theoharis were among hundreds arrested nationwide in the most expansive wave of nonviolent civil disobedience in U.S. history, kicking off six weeks of direct action demanding new programs to fight systemic poverty and racism, immediate attention to ecological devastation and measures to curb militarism and the war economy.

Today, our focus is on the connection between Systemic Racism, Poverty and Voter Suppression. We will visit our legislators to demand an end to racist gerrymandering and a reversal of state laws that prevent municipalities from raising minimum wages. Just days after our President referred to undocumented immigrants as “animals” who “aren’t people,” our protest will also demand a clear and just immigration system that strengthens our democracy and provides a timely citizenship process that guarantees the right to vote. We have been asked to accompany and be witnesses for the Illinois Fight for 15 coalition – the leaders of today’s nonviolent moral fusion direct action. One of our principles is always to follow the lead of those who are most affected. Another covenant reminds us that our political, economic and moral movement is not from above, but from below – building up the power of people and state-based movements.

Two years ago, I was invited by my colleague, now my pastor, Rev. Daniel Ruen, to participate in the Moral Mondays protests focused upon changing Illinois’ unjust tax structure in order to allow for a people- and planet-first state budget. After two arrests, multiple Kingian nonviolence training sessions, and significant faith-based community organizing efforts, I am more convinced that ever that this is a critical time for people of faith to put their bodies on the line for their neighbors in need. The PPC is a natural progression made even more necessary by the increasing incidents in racism, homophobia, xenophobia, gun violence/militarism, ecological destruction, wage disparities and white nationalism – often promoted by religious extremists.

It has been an honor to support Rev. Ruen’s leadership, my fellow Grace Lutheran members and Evanston’s interfaith community members in preparing trained, passionate and creative folks to join this movement in whatever way they are called by the Holy Spirit. I am grateful to be able to continue in the covenant God made with me in Holy Baptism which includes discipleship that “strive[s] for justice and peace in all the earth.” Like the on-going nature of discipleship, this is not just a finite moment. The PPC is a long-term, creative, non-partisan, nonviolent movement of faithful people intentionally opening themselves to God’s will done on earth as in heaven. Won’t you join us? It is my prayer that you will gladly share with your children and your grandchildren that you did!

 

The Farm Bill is an omnibus legislation that helps to fund our national and global food programs. Reauthorized every five years, the Farm Bill is among legislation that Congress needs to pass this year. To learn more, check out the Farm Bill Resource and ELCA Advocacy’s Farm Bill recommendations here. 

The House Agriculture Committee passed H.R. 2 – Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Farm Bill reauthorization bill) on April 25, 2018 by a vote of 26-20. This marks one of the first times that a Farm Bill passed out of committee on a party line vote. The Farm Bill is usually one of the most bi-partisan bills in Congress with the last vote being a 68 in favor, 32 in opposition result in the Senate, and a 251 in favor and 161 in opposition in the House of Representative. ELCA Advocacy opposes the House bill in its current form for several reasons detailed below.

Nutrition

The House bill includes new work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps). These requirements put many people at greater risk of hunger as they divert funding away from direct food assistance to pay for ineffective work mandates. There are already work requirements under current law and creating additional requirements will lead to unnecessary and complicated burdens, which come in the form of added bureaucracy and verification that ultimately reduce the effectiveness of SNAP. Mandating additional work requirements, education and job training will create more barriers for low income people who are already struggling to free themselves of the cycle of poverty. We urge Lutherans to advocate to their representatives for protection of SNAP programs without hidden cuts to benefits, to ensure our neighbors have access to food.

Environmental

The House Farm Bill appears to be a mixed bag: it creates positive changes to help farmers, but there are uncertainties that linger over some of the benefits of some changes. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is expected to be eliminated and some funding will instead be diverted to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). These programs help improve farming practices through reducing fertilizer use, better management of manure and building fences to manage livestock movement so as to keep them away from streams.

Additionally, the bill redesigns the structural funding of programs, and switches many of them from permanent to temporary or a one-time funding. These programs include the Conservation Stewardship Program which is rolled into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program; the Rural Energy for America Program; the Biomass Crop Assistance Program; and the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical & Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance.  Some of the benefits for the Farm Bill includes the way it boosts other items such as agricultural trade, crop insurance and creation of a national vaccine bank to fight foot-and-mouth disease.

The forest management provisions would be changed to allow for bigger and faster forest-thinning projects under the current exclusion from certain reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with the purpose being to reduce wildfire risk or address disease and insect infestation. This revision also includes the elimination of the requirement for a consultation under the Endangered Species Act as long as the listed species are deemed not to be harmed. It is too early to fully determine the impact of the changes. We must proceed cautiously, to provide the protections needed for our farmers and farms while doing these in an environmentally safe manner.

International Food Aid Programs

The House bill makes some important reforms to the international food programs, including authorizing the Food for Peace program to purchase food commodities from local and regional farmers, something we have advocated for a long time. Additionally, the bill removes the 15% requirement for monetization of food commodities, which will allow implementing organizations to utilize the appropriate range of tools and interventions depending on what’s needed and the context, such as food vouchers and cash transfers. These changes will increase efficiencies in international food aid programs. Unfortunately, the bill does not make any changes to the cargo preference requirement (a regulation that requires at least 50 percent of the nation’s overseas-bound food aid to be transported by U.S.-flag ships), something that we would like Congress to address in order to save on the cost of shipping and enable more food to reach the people who need it most.

What’s Next

The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to release a bi-partisan Farm Bill later this month that will build on the successes of the bill enacted in 2014. It is expected that this will be an improvement over its House companion. The House is expected to vote on their Farm Bill during the second week of May. We ask you to urge your members of Congress to write a bipartisan Farm Bill that will pass in both chambers.

Lutheran Presence

Christ taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray for our daily bread. Martin Luther’s expansive understanding of daily bread includes not only what nourishes our bodies, but also the natural resources, labor and the economy, including the food supply chain. Advocacy for good policies in the Farm Bill responds to God’s love for us through active love for neighbor by shaping policy that will provide daily bread for people, care for creation and contribute to a just world where all are fed.

By The Rev. Amy Reumann, Director of ELCAadvocacy

 

They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.

Dinos Christianopoulos

On Monday, May 14, 2018, thousands of people of faith and low-wage workers will gather in Washington, D.C. and more than 30 statehouses across the country to kick off the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. This initiative seeks to move poverty to the top of our national consciousness through energized grassroots organizing that will expose, confront and take aim at forces that keep people in poverty. At this moment of rising income inequality,this campaign brings together the moral power of organized people of faith, the voices of those living in poverty and the urgency of addressing our national priorities.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. planned the original Poor People’s Campaign of 1967-68 to build on the momentum and strategies of the civil rights movement to address the denial of human rights and dignity to Americans trapped in poverty. Moved by the struggles of people and communities he encountered in his journeys, he sought to bring together low-wage workers, faith leaders and activists to highlight inequities and demand our nation prioritize programs that support workers and jobs, access to housing and a war on poverty. The initiative lost momentum after the assassination of Dr. King.

Fifty years later, in 2018, a new Poor People’s Campaign is growing up from the seeds that Dr. King planted. The campaign will address the roles that systemic racism, ecological devastation, the war economy and militarism play in perpetuating generational poverty in the U.S. As a faith community initiative, it is bringing together religious leaders who will engage in mobilization, advocacy and civil disobedience to make their voices heard. Read more about the 2018 Poor People’s Campaign.

The Rev Dr. William Barber and the Rev Dr. Liz Theoharris, the campaign leaders, are at the fore of a multiracial and interreligious coalition that will launch 40 days of protests and direct action on May 14. Over the course of these 40 days, causes, concerns and solutions to persistent and generational poverty will be highlighted through marches, worship events and nonviolent direct action. The initiative seeks to change the moral narrative in our nation, from blaming poor people for their own poverty to involving them in solutions for it. The campaign highlights the role that entrenched systemic racism plays in perpetuating poverty and the result of a national budget that prioritizes military spending at the cost of anti-poverty programs. The renewed campaign also takes on environmental degradation and promotes sentencing reform as areas where our collective moral voice must break through for change.

The 2018 Poor People’s Campaign is bringing together Lutherans who are concerned about the increase in income inequality in our nation, the intersections of poverty, race and environment and the toll of cuts to anti-poverty programs on their communities and church members. As a new, faith-led grassroots movement by which to advocate on the local, state and federal level, it offers congregations a new way to act to address hunger and poverty. It highlights the urgency of this moment for action with and on behalf of our neighbor.

The ELCA Social Statement on Economic Life reminds us that God calls us to seek sufficiency and sustainability for all. “For all” refers to the whole household of God—all people and creation throughout the world. Therefore, our economic analysis cannot stop with our own wellbeing, but must assess how economic activities affect “all,” especially people living in poverty. Scripture gives voice to the circumstances that keep people poor, whether social status, oppression or because of the greed and injustice of the powerful. The statement urges this church to “address creatively and courageously the complex causes of poverty.” The Poor People’s Campaign is a vehicle to help us do that in our day.

Too often, advocacy is speaking for others who are perfectly able to speak for themselves. As the ELCA, we prioritize advocacy that supports people with lived experience of poverty or oppression to tell their own stories, using voices that are often the most powerful in creating change. The Poor People’s Campaign offers an opportunity to accompany others in solidarity and urgency, in advocacy as the church for the world.

ELCA Advocacy will be highlighting the reflections and experiences of Lutherans involved in the next 40 days of action. Look for coming blog posts, or send us your experience. How is your faith a catalyst for your participation? What outcomes do you hope for? Who are your partners and what are you learning? Please send to washingtonoffice@elca.org.

By Elena Robles, Hunger Advocacy Fellow

Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and mark the many ways in which those in a mothering role enrich and bless our lives. Mothers throughout the Bible were often strong and tenacious women who endured and sacrificed much to sustain and nourish the lives of their children and families.  As we celebrate mothers today, we are mindful of one of the major challenges that many low-income mothers face daily: hunger.

Through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP), many low-income mothers can bridge some of their financial gaps and guarantee access to the food their families need to survive and to thrive. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant program is one of our nation’s best defenses against hunger and poverty.

In 2016 SNAP helped to feed over 19 million children, almost half of SNAP recipients. SNAP serves children across all age groups. Across the country,  “32% of all children ages 0-4, 30% of children 5-11, and 21% of children ages 12-17 participate in SNAP”(Source: SNAP and Kids).  More than 80 percent of families on SNAP live below the poverty line, with an income at about about $20,000 for a household of three. SNAP is effective, in that kids from low income families who received SNAP benefits were 18% more likely to graduate from high school that low income kids who didn’t. SNAP recipients are members of our communities who are most vulnerable to experiencing hunger.

When our legislative system allocates funding and enforces a fair eligibility structure for SNAP, we as a country invest in the lives of mothers and kids who presently face challenging days, but seek futures full of opportunity.

Our country needs a SNAP program that is consistent, navigable, and contextual. We need strong funding for SNAP without any cuts, so all mothers who have been deemed eligible for benefits of this program will be allowed to continue to access it.  SNAP should maintain a structure that ensures that proposed job requirements do not serve as additional barriers for women in their work place or as bureaucratic burdens on overseeing states.  Broad base categorical eligibility is essential for an effective SNAP program, in that it allows states the flexibility to make adjustment to set standards that best fit the needs of their populations.

When we address hunger, we begin to address the worst symptoms of poverty. As you celebrate the mothers in your lives, be sure to consider how you can put your faith into action and advocate for policy that supports Mothers and children in your community and across the nation.

Click here for more information on SNAP and its impact on children.

Click here to write a customizable message to your legislators.

 

 

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On Friday, May 4th, 2018, the Administration announced that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 60,000 Hondurans. TPS is a legal immigration status that allows citizens from other countries who are present in the U.S. during a catastrophe in their country to remain in the U.S. until it is safe to return home. As a church that affirms that earthly peace requires safeguarding the dignity and well-being of every person, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is disappointed by the Administration’s decision that will separate families and harm communities.

Just this week, over 600 faith leaders and organizations delivered a letter in support of continuing TPS for Hondurans.

“Lutherans are blessed with the gifts that Hondurans bring to our communities throughout the United States and in Central America,” Mary Campbell, Program Director for AMMPARO, said in the letter. “Thanks to the programs we accompany in Honduras, we know that the vast majority of Hondurans that are deported have little to no long-term support despite returning to unsafe conditions, and facing trauma and stigma. Ending TPS would create a crisis in the face of an already challenging landscape in Honduras.”

Through the AMMPARO Strategy, the ELCA strengthened our commitment to walk alongside children and families who are forced to flee their homes in Central America. We did this to respond to the suffering of thousands of unaccompanied children and families that are displaced from their communities due to violence, lack of opportunities and environmental issues.

This marks the 7th time the Administration has rescinded an immigration status that provides protection to members of our communities. Children and family members of TPS or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders from El Salvador, Haiti, Sudan, Nicaragua, Liberia, Nepal, and Honduras, many of whom are U.S. citizens, will bear the brunt of these Administrative decisions.

We pray today for all who are suffering due to these decisions and ask members of our church to join us in prayer and action. At the same time, we urge Congress to pass timely legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship these important members of our communities.

 

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director                                                              ELCA.org/advocacy

May 21, PRAY. FAST. ACT

On Monday, May 21, we join with the Episcopal Church in our monthly commitment to #PrayFastAct. This month, we center to focus on assistance to veterans and their family members.

New investments and policies in recent years have helped to expand veteran access to education, labor opportunities, healthcare and housing. Yet too many veterans, active service members and their families still struggle with complex challenges, ranging from barriers to benefits and increased mental health risks, to the impacts of the opioid crisis and more. Each returning service member has unique needs—and this month’s action supports effective public policies to meet those needs.

Many ELCA rostered leaders have long served as chaplains in medical centers and on bases across the world. In addition to advocating with and for veterans, congregations can play very important roles in direct engagement. Hosting local events, such as 12-step recovery groups, are often an essential and much-needed service in communities. Training videos and resources for clergy and churches interested in engagement can be found on the Veterans Affairs webpage, and ELCA-specific resources for ministers and chaplains can be found at ELCAchaps.com.

FARM BILL TEXT RELEASED

The House Agriculture Committee marked up the first version of the 2018 farm bill in mid-April, sending it to the floor of the House of Representatives. The proposed bill, which would make significant changes to nutrition and anti-hunger programs such as SNAP, was cleared on a strict 26-20 party-line vote.

The farm bill covers a wide-encompassing set of policies, including rural development, international aid, conservation programs and more. Policies that curb hunger and malnutrition, support vibrant agricultural economies in rural communities, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources are critical values to the faith community. Interested advocates can learn more by reading the ELCA Farm Bill 101 fact sheet on the Advocacy Resource Page.

Numerous food banks, faith groups and service providers voiced concern over newly added work requirements and changes to SNAP eligibility in the bill, which could displace over a million people currently eligible for hunger assistance. ELCA Advocacy shared an action alert for advocates to take action on the Farm Bill shortly after the draft legislative text was released. Advocates are strongly encouraged to take action this month as Congress advances the bill.

EARTH DAY AND ADVOCACY BLOG SERIES

In celebration of Earth Day, ELCA Advocacy is pleased to share a blog series on faith and the environment. The series, written by Deacon Laura Heller of the Delaware-Maryland Synod, covers topical issues from relationships in our ecosystem, clean water, trees, lead pollution and more. Heller, a minister of Word and Service, serves as a Creation Care Ministry coordinator for the synod and makes compelling connections between faith, public policy, and God’s creation.

Interested advocates can take action today on environmental programs at the ELCA Action Center. As Heller observes, ‘Even Martin Luther, in his time, recognized the importance of our relationship with God through creation and he is quoted as saying, “God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”’

HUD RENT REQUIREMENTS 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development released a rent-reform bill in late April. The proposal would increase the amount low-income households pay for their rent, from 30 to 35 percent of their income, as well as add convoluted work requirements to various programs. For the lowest income people, the proposal would also triple the minimum monthly rent they must pay.

Nearly all faith traditions support policies that enhance dignity and economic opportunity for all. Increasing rents will do much more harm than good, and could make it even more difficult for millions of families to find good-paying jobs. ELCA Advocacy will send updates on the bill as it proceeds to Congress for approval.

Nearly all faith traditions support policies that enhance dignity and economic opportunity for all. Increasing rents will do much more harm than good and could make it even more difficult for millions of families to find good-paying jobs. ELCA Advocacy will send updates on the bill as it proceeds to Congress for approval.

 

 

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

CLIMATE JUSTICE DEMANDED: The 17th Session of the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was held in New York April 16-27 under the theme “Indigenous peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories and resources.” Lutherans were represented at the forum by Prairie Rose Seminole, ELCA program director for American Indian Alaska Native Ministries.

The Lutheran Office for World Community, together with the United Methodist Women, Inspiraction and the Southern Diaspora Research and Development Center, held a panel titled “Indigenous Women Demanding Climate Justice.” Prairie Rose joined this panel of indigenous women leaders from the United States, Ecuador and Kenya. The panel highlighted how “indigenous peoples protect 50 percent of the world’s land, but their territories, lands, sacred sites and resources continue to be stolen, seized, militarized and/or threatened without free, prior and informed consent.” The panel also highlighted how indigenous women are particularly affected by environmental pollution and climate change.

Read more about the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 2007.

 

 

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy                                                                  loppca.org

OVERCOMING SEVERE POVERTY: The Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California is part of an interfaith and wider anti-poverty coalition effort to reduce severe childhood poverty in California by supporting legislation and a budget request that the family grant levels for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)/CalWORKS be set at 50 percent of the federal poverty income level and indexed for future increases in the poverty level. Budget hearings have been held, and SB 982 passed the Senate Human Services Committee on April 24.  The evidence continues to mount that severe childhood poverty has long-lasting and costly consequences.

HEALTHY DEMOCRACY: LOPP-CA offered brief testimony in the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee in support of AB 2188 that would establish disclosure requirements for paid political ads on social media platforms. Supporters gathered in the Assembly chambers to celebrate success in committee and hear from the bill’s author, Kevin Mullin, and the leader of the Clean Money Campaign, Trent Lange. While the focus of LOPP-CA is on June ballot measures, the November ballot may contain several initiatives that promise to vex voters. As social media grows in influence and the potential for deception, especially by wealthy interests, bills like AB 2188 will help shed light and level the playing field.

LOOKING AHEAD:  We are thrilled that Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra, a legislative staffer with a compelling personal story of resilience, will be the LOPP-CA breakfast speaker at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly on June 2, meeting under the theme “We Are Church Together: These Are Our Neighborhoods.” With homelessness, the shooting of Stephon Clark and immigration on many people’s minds, it will be an informative and inspiring morning.

 

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado                                                   lam-co.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION NEARS END: The General Assembly has just two more weeks of session before adjourning for the year, with nearly 300 bills yet to be acted upon. Legislators will be meeting late into the evening for the remaining working days. We continue to support important bills that are still alive related to paid family leave (HB 1001), expanding the School Lunch Protection Act (SB 13), and extending the state’s civil rights division (HB 1256). We have also joined a coalition to support HCR 1002, which would add a question to our November ballot asking voters to abolish slavery in the Colorado Constitution. Finally, we are opposing an anti-sanctuary bill (SB 220).

CIVIL RIGHTS OP-ED: Pastor Daniel Smith, from Ascension Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, wrote an op-ed for Colorado Politics in support of the reauthorization of the Civil Rights Division. You can read the full op-ed here: coloradopolitics.com/religious-exemption-in-states-anti-discrmination-laws-only-would-add-injustice/.

BISHOP OFFERS PRAYERS: Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia offered prayers at two public events recently. On April 19, he joined students and faith leaders at Clement Park, next to Columbine High School, on the eve of the anniversary of the 1999 shooting and shared a prayer from Evangelical Lutheran Worship asking God to grant healing, peace and courage. The next morning, he prayed the same prayer in front of the Colorado House of Representatives. It was a powerful witness to two important groups in our state.

 

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota                                      tammy@lcppm.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Early pledges of bipartisanship have been replaced by political gamesmanship. Aligning Minnesota laws with recent federal tax changes is exacerbating divisions and will affect whether many Minnesotans pay the price through higher taxes or program cuts.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Kendrick and Tammy continue to build relationships with congregations, youth groups, pastors and lay leaders – resulting in many letters to legislators of specific districts. Appropriation requests for rental assistance for severely mentally ill people (Bridges) and one-time matching dollars for Local Housing Trust Funds have both died. Homework Starts at Home (to increase stability of families with school age children) still has a chance for increased base funding. However, there is still time to contact legislators about our $140 million Homes for All bonding request. See LutheranAdvocacyMN.org for talking points.

CLEAN ENERGY: We continue to work with several churches and attendees of our Faith & Clean Energy Campaign events to create clean energy legislative champions. Unfortunately, there are no longer any clear paths to improve Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard this year. We’ve been working with partners to prevent legislative efforts to diminish public voice in energy decisions while instead giving more power and voice to fossil fuel industries and power companies.

Join us May 21 at 11 a.m. (last day of session) to deliver our clean energy sign-on letter and generate momentum for 2019!

Watch Facebook for urgent action alerts!When the session ends, continue watching for ways to build toward the 2019 state legislative session and to address federal issues with our members of Congress!

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico                      lutheranadvocacynm.org

LAM-NM POLICY COMMITTEE MEETS: The LAM-NM Policy Committee met in April at All Saints Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. The Policy Committee is composed of members of ELCA congregations from around New Mexico, including Las Cruces, Los Alamos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The committee also includes a representative from the Presbytery of Santa Fe, which is in an advocacy partnership with LAM-NM. The committee reviewed the LAM-NM Bishop’s Legislative Luncheon and Issues Briefing, the successes and disappointments from the legislative session, worked on plans for the fall Advocacy Conference, elected new members and reviewed various reports. The Policy Committee members from southern New Mexico joined the meeting via Zoom to save traveling 450 miles roundtrip to attend. “Thanks” were given for technology!

 

Ohio

Nick Bates, Hunger Network Ohio                                                            Nick@HungerNetOhio.org

A busy April in Ohio!

UNITE TO END RACISM: The month began with many people from around the state traveling to the Unite to End Racism Rally in Washington, D.C., – including Samuel, age 8 of Columbus. “I think it is dumb that kids couldn’t go to school together because of their skin color,” Sammie said, “I am happy that we fixed that, but we have more to do to stop violence against people because of their skin color.”

Sammie stands with Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt from the Southern Ohio Synod (left) and Sammie and Pastor John Wallace (HNO Board member and a colleague in the United Methodist Church) watch as the silent march begins from the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial to the rally.

HUNGER LEADER FELLOWSHIP: Ohio will host a World Hunger Advocacy Leader Fellowship. This full-time, paid fellowship will begin in August and last for a year for interested individuals who are considering careers in advocacy, justice and ministry and are looking for professional experience. Some college is preferred. The chosen applicant will have the opportunity to learn and participate in advocating on important issues to reduce hunger in Ohio. Click here to apply!

 

PRIMARY ELECTION ON MAY 8: Click here for our resources on State Issue 1 to distribute to your congregations and encourage them to vote to end gerrymandering in Ohio. Issue 1 will allow elected public servants to focus on serving their community and not only special and partisan interests.

 

 

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy-Pennsylvania                             lutheranadvocacypa.org

 

STATE HUNGER COALITION: Staff attended the bi-annual meeting of the PA Hunger Action Coalition. Updates were provided by task force panels focused on:  SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and seniors; the farm bill; school breakfast; Summer Food Program; and the state and federal budget and SNAP.

ADVOCACY ALERTS: Advocacy Alerts opposing HB 1659 – SNAP work requirements and HB 2138 and HB 2024 Medicaid work requirements were shared with constituents. Each of these bills would harm Pennsylvanians by making it more difficult for them to qualify for and keep the health coverage and food assistance they need to stay healthy. Passage would require extensive new bureaucracies to administer these requirements, wasting state and federal Medicaid dollars on unnecessary administrative burdens and new red tape.

 LUTHERAN DAY 2018: Arrangements are being finalized for Lutheran Day, May 21. The day’s events will include learning, worship, recognition of advocacy honorees from across the state, legislative advocacy visits and a keynote address by Dr. Richard Alley, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, who was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Learn more.

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY: Staff attended the annual Holocaust Remembrance at the Capitol on April 11. Every year the PA Jewish Coalition sponsors a civic Holocaust Remembrance Day honoring the victims, children and grandchildren.

ELCA DOMESTIC MISSION STAFF TRAINING: LAMPa staff attended the training in Chicago networking, learning and worshiping with colleagues from across the country.

 

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network                                                                                             fanwa.org

ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS – A WORLD UPROOTED: Two members of the FAN staff and a few advocates joined the Washington delegation to Ecumenical Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., in April. The delegation brought personal stories to congressional staff and asked that Congress redirect funding away from deportation, detention and border militarization and reinvest in refugee resettlement and in addressing the root causes of migration around the world: conflict, corruption, poverty and the effects of climate change.

REGIONAL SPRING SUMMITS: Every year in May and June, FAN hosts spring summits around the state in order to connect with the network, share opportunities for advocacy and strategize for the upcoming year. Areas of focus include economic justice, health care, immigration, criminal justice, housing and homelessness, and the environment. Learn more on our website: fanwa.org/events-2/regional-spring-summits.

INITIATIVE 1631: FAN is one of two faith organizations joining a 150-member coalition called the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy, which is working on a ballot initiative that will reduce pollution and invest in clean air, clean energy, clean water, healthy forests and healthy communities by putting a price on carbon ($15 per ton of emissions). Advocates and faith communities are mobilizing to gather signatures; we have 10 weeks to gather 260,000 for the initiative to qualify for the ballot in November.

 

Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin                                              loppw.org

UNITE AGAINST RACISM: The director joined Wisconsinites organized by the Wisconsin Council of Churches to attend Unite Against Racism in Washington, D.C. The National Council of Churches event commemorated the anniversary of the death of the Martin Luther King Jr. The director was quoted in the Washington Post.

LOPPW Advisory Council Member Deb Martin from the East Central Synod walked in the silent march next to ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. The director also attended a bystanders-intervening training in Milwaukee.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW participated in an all-day Wisconsin Climate Table meeting that included strategizing on how to diversify our table and participating in an anti-racism training.

The director worked on a manual for the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin/LOPPW Care for God’s Creation team. Another team member will add to the draft. We made upcoming presentations known via our website and social media.

PUBLIC BENEFITS BILLS: LOPPW met with the public benefits coalition to strategize how to work with the organizations that are tasked with implementing the changes mandated in the six bills that passed and on a values statement. We are concerned changes will not adequately be made known to recipients and many will fall through the cracks.

LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES: The director met with Hector Colon, the director of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to discuss possibly working together to educate members about our efforts and do advocacy. With input from Greater Milwaukee Synod Bishop Paul Erickson, we also discussed a possible event in Milwaukee.

 

 

By Laura Heller, Minister of Word and Service and Creation Care Ministry Coordinator for the Delaware-Maryland Synod.

 

O Lord, how manifold are your works!     In wisdom you have made them all;     the earth is full of your creatures.  ²⁵ Yonder is the sea, great and wide,     creeping things innumerable are there,     living things both small and great.   (Psalm 104: 24,25)

On our planet earth, there is a vastness of creation. The diversity of life is one of the most striking aspects of our planet. It is estimated that there are 8.7 million species on earth. In a 2011 study it was suggested that some 86% of existing species on Earth and 91% of species in the ocean still await description, that is, they have not even been discovered.

Recent research is confirming that we are all interconnected, and that is by God’s design. I remember in high school science class we used to talk about the food chain; now we know it is actually an interconnected web of life. And each ocean has its own name, but we now understand that it is actually a world ocean so that things happening on one side of the world impact the waters on the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, trash has become a big problem in the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter, including land based trash that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex, spans waters from the West Coast of North America to Japan. These areas of spinning debris are linked together by the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, located a few hundred kilometers north of Hawaii. This convergence zone is where warm water from the South Pacific meets up with cooler water from the Arctic. The zone acts like a highway that moves debris from one patch to another.

The entire Great Pacific Garbage Patch is bounded by the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. An ocean gyre is a system of circular ocean currents formed by the Earth’s wind patterns and the forces created by the rotation of the planet. To illustrate, a plastic water bottle discarded off the coast of California can travel south toward Mexico cross the vast Pacific towards Japan, and end up in the vortex of the garbage patch.

The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces known as microplastics. Researchers have collected up to 750,000 bits of microplastic in a single square kilometer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Most of this debris comes from plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups.

These microplastics make up 94 percent of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch. But that only amounts to eight percent of the total tonnage. As it turns out, of the 79,000 metric tons of plastic in the patch, most of it is abandoned fishing gear. Microplastics can’t always be seen by the naked eye, but simply make the water look like a cloudy soup. This soup is intermixed with larger items, such as fishing gear and shoes. The seafloor beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch may also be an underwater trash heap. Researchers recently discovered that about 70% of marine debris actually sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

Marine debris can be very harmful to marine life in the gyre. For instance, loggerhead sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellies, their favorite food. Albatrosses mistake plastic resin pellets for fish eggs and feed them to chicks, which then die of starvation or ruptured organs.

Seals and other marine mammals are especially at risk. They can get entangled in abandoned plastic fishing nets, which are being discarded more often because of their low cost. Seals and other mammals often drown in these forgotten nets—a phenomenon known as “ghost fishing.”

Marine debris can also disturb marine food webs in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. As microplastics and other trash collect on or near the surface of the ocean, they block sunlight from reaching plankton and algae below. Algae and plankton are the most common autotrophs, or producers, in the marine food web. Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own nutrients from oxygen, carbon, and sunlight.

If algae and plankton communities are threatened, the entire food web may change. Animals that feed on algae and plankton, such as fish and turtles, will have less food. If populations of those animals decrease, there will be less food for apex predators such as tuna, sharks and whales. Eventually, seafood becomes less available and more expensive for people.

These dangers are compounded by the fact that plastics both leach out and absorb harmful pollutants. As plastics break down through photodegradation, they leach out colorants and chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), that have been linked to environmental and health problems. Conversely, plastics can also absorb pollutants, such as PCBs, from the seawater. These chemicals can then enter the food chain when consumed by marine life.

Cleaning up marine debris is not easy. Many microplastics are the same size as small sea animals, so nets designed to scoop up trash would catch these creatures as well. Even if we could design nets that would just catch garbage, the size of the oceans makes this job far too time-consuming to consider. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program has estimated that it would take 67 ships one year to clean up less than one percent of the North Pacific Ocean.

Limiting or eliminating our use of disposable plastics and increasing our use of biodegradable resources will be the best way to prevent the growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

There has been a shift from linear thinking to systems thinking and a holistic worldview. The world is an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts. This is an ecological view: deep ecological awareness that recognizes the fundamental interdependence of all living creatures and the fact that, as individuals and societies, we are all embedded in, and ultimately dependent on God’s creation.

In loving and obeying God and caring for our neighbor, we need to expand our horizons to consider the needs of all living things in our planet. All that God created and called good.

 

source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

 

By Laura Heller, Minister of Word and Service and Creation Care Ministry Coordinator for the Delaware-Maryland Synod.

Captured by hope, we dream dreams and look forward to a new creation. God does not just heal this creation wounded by human sin. God will one day consummate all things in “new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home” (2 Peter 3:13). Creation—now in captivity to disruption and death—will know the freedom it awaits.  (A Social Statement on: Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice )

In Delaware and Maryland we are blessed to live so close to the Chesapeake Bay, a truly remarkable gift given to us by God, but it has been subject to pollution from humanity. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, where fresh and salt water mix and support an amazing mix of plant and animal life.

The Bay itself is about 200 miles long, stretching from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Virginia Beach, but the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is the area from which water flows into the Bay, extends from Western New York State, though Pennsylvania, Maryland, the District of Columbia, parts of Delaware, West Virginia and central and northern Virginia. The Bay and its tidal tributaries have 11,684 miles of shoreline, more than the entire west coast of the United States, and it holds more than 18 trillion gallons of water.

The human population of the watershed is approximately 18 million. Every one of these people contributes in some way to the flow of water into the streams and rivers, and to the Bay itself.

Crisfield is one of many towns located along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Crisfield is a quaint little Eastern Shore town that was incorporated back in 1872. By 1904, the city of Crisfield was the second largest city in Maryland, just after Baltimore, and it had a population of 25,000. It had one of the finest seaports in Maryland and was boasted as being “The Seafood Capital of the World.” Crisfield has seen many years of decline in conjunction with the decline of the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As of the census of 2013, there were just 2,695 people, residing in the city and about a third of the population was living below the poverty line.  The city’s once-vibrant seafood industry has been severely impacted by the decline of the health of the Chesapeake Bay. For example,

The numbers for the blue crab catch, have fallen by 70% since the 1990s.

Furthermore, at one time, oysters were so abundant in the Chesapeake Bay that their reefs defined the major river channels. The reefs extended to near the water surface; and to stray out of the center channel often posed a navigational hazard to ships sailing up the Bay. Picture in your mind, tall sailing ships carefully navigating around these impressive reefs. The oyster population in the Bay is now less than 1% of what it once was. Oysters filter water in order to keep it clean and it has been estimated that oysters were once able to filter all the water in the Bay in about a week. The sharp decrease in the number of oysters means that it now takes the current oyster population about a year to filter the same amount of water.

But efforts by organizations such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) have been turning the tide on bay restoration. Efforts to reduce pollution and increase wetlands and underwater grasses are having a positive impact.

The CBF 2016 State of the Bay report presented news that the Chesapeake Bay is improving. The score rating the Bay was the highest since they issued the first State of the Bay report in 1998. Each of the three indicator categories—pollution, habitat, and fisheries—has improved. We are seeing the clearest water in decades, regrowth of acres of lush underwater grass beds, and the comeback of the Chesapeake’s native oysters, which were nearly eradicated by disease, pollution, and overfishing. The report provides hope and promise for the future.

God’s healing and restorative power is at work in the Chesapeake Bay.

 

By Laura Heller, Minister of Word and Service and Creation Care Ministry Coordinator for the Delaware-Maryland Synod.

Our symbiotic relationship with trees is no accident. It is the way in which God designed creation. As we expel carbon dioxide, the trees absorb it and, in return, provide us with oxygen, which is crucial for our existence. But that is not the only benefit of trees, sometimes referred to as “God’s cure all.”

Consider these facts:

• One hundred trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. (S. Forest Service)
• The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. (S. Forest Service)
• The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. (S. Department of Agriculture)
• If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%. ( E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research)
• Trees create an ecosystem to provide habitat and food for birds, animals and people. Wildlife use trees for food, shelter, nesting and mating. These habitats support the incredible variety of living things on the planet.
• In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension. ( Roger S. Ulrich Texas A&M University)

But we are removing trees from our planet at an alarming rate. According to the World Wildlife Fund, globally we are losing 18.7 million acres of forests annually, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute. Maryland alone lost 14,488 acres of forest to development over the past eight years, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. According to Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, “Since 2013, the faith community in Maryland has planted over 13,000 trees at their churches, synagogues and temples. However, for every 1 acre of forest planted by the faith community, Maryland lost 40 acres to development. Society cannot keep up with this pace of forest decimation without dire consequences.”

Forest Conservation Act amendments were introduced in Maryland during the 2018 legislative session to retain existing forests and mitigate forest loss. Under the bill, the definition of a priority forest would be broadened and developers would be required to replant trees they remove at a 1:1 ratio if they were in a priority forest area. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass this year, but a coalition of conservation groups and faith groups will fight to pass it next year.

While the Delaware-Maryland Synod Creation Care Ministry continues to advocate for this legislation, we have also been active in planting trees throughout our Synod. We received outreach grant funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust in 2017 and 2018 to plant at least 500 trees in church properties, camps, schools and retirement communities. To date, more than 300 trees have been planted and numerous outreach workshops have been held to share the message about the importance of trees in caring for God’s creation.

Even Martin Luther, in his time, recognized the importance of our relationship with God through creation and he is quoted as saying, “God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars” and “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”

 

By Laura Heller, Minister of Word and Service and Creation Care Ministry Coordinator for the Delaware-Maryland Synod.

Many different sources of pollutants such as pesticides, herbicides, excess nitrogen from fertilizers, industrial wastewater, and sewage continue to impact our supply of fresh water. One of the more insidious pollutants is lead. Lead can enter drinking water when service pipes that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures.

Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. (See https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html.)

Up to ten million homes across the country get water through lead pipes – called lead service lines – that connect the main drinking water line in the street to our homes. Corrosion control can help manage the risk of lead in water, but the only effective long-term fix is getting rid of the lead pipes. We need a strategy that addresses the root causes of lead exposure before a crisis hits, not after it.

The serious problems with lead in drinking water were highlighted recently when Flint, MI, changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River. Officials failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water and as a result, there was a series of problems that culminated with lead contamination, creating a serious public health disaster. The Flint River water that was treated improperly caused lead from aging pipes to leach into the water supply, leading to extremely elevated levels of lead. Between 6,000 and 12,000 children were likely exposed to this drinking water.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) the solution for removing lead in drinking water in our aging cities will take time, but we need to move as quickly as possible to replace outdated infrastructure:

• Accelerate replacement. As a nation, we need to remove the single largest source of lead in our water. Replacement of the entire lead service line must be an essential part of the solution, rather than a last resort. Water utilities, public health, environmental, and consumer organizations must collaborate to develop the programs communities need to drive service line removal.
• Make replacement affordable. Replacing lead service lines can be cost-prohibitive, especially for families who own their home and find they have lead pipes. A cooperative, community-based approach is needed to identify lead service lines and help finance removal.
• Update drinking water regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to overhaul portions of the Safe Drinking Water Act related to lead in drinking water. EPA also must finalize a risk-based household action level for lead in drinking water to help guide people as they decide on a course of action.
• Improve oversight of suppliers. Federal, state and local entities must also improve oversight to make sure utilities that supply water comply with the law.
• Disclose hazards earlier. When people buy or rent a home, they need to be told clearly and definitively about any lead pipes so that they can factor replacement costs into their decision making.

We need to make drinking water safe for all our neighbors, especially our youngest neighbors.