The following guest post from Alaide Vilchis Ibarra, program director, migration policy, for ELCA Advocacy, describes a proposed rule change that will have a dramatic effect on some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

While my husband worked at a small nonprofit and I went to school, we used the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies to be able to afford his health insurance. Not having to choose between his health and other indispensable items made a difference for our family at a pivotal time when we needed support. As I write this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering proposing a rule change that would harm families that have accessed public benefits, just like my family once did.

This expected rule will raise barriers for people to obtain and maintain legal immigration status in the U.S. if they or their dependents access public benefits such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance subsidies, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Historically, the U.S. government has restricted immigration applications if they determined an immigrant would be a “public charge,” that is, if they would likely depend on cash assistance or long-term medical care. This rule change will greatly expand this definition to harm people whose dependents, including U.S. citizen children, have had to access public benefits.

As a church, the ELCA has long advocated for healthcare for vulnerable populations, SNAP, and WIC. As people of faith, we have ministries across the country that accompany people that will be hurt by this rule. Families that we worship alongside and minister to have to choose between accessing support for food security and good health or leaving their family vulnerable to separation, a choice no family should have to make.

Programs like WIC and SNAP are vital safety nets for families and often provide the short-term support they need to get through hard economic times. These programs have proven effective in ensuring that families and individuals can avoid long-term poverty and hunger. As people of faith in God’s promise of a world without hunger, Lutherans have long been at the frontlines of providing relief to people living in poverty and food insecurity. But we also believe that one of the core responsibilities of government is ensuring that all people have what they need for healthy lives. In the ELCA’s social statement on economic life, Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, our church calls for “scrutiny of how specific policies and practices affect people and nations that are the poorest, and changes to make policies of economic growth, trade, and investment more beneficial to those who are poor.”

Scrutiny of this proposed rule change clearly points to the negative impact it will have on people in our communities and congregations who are hungry and in need of assistance.

What can people of faith do?

After the rule is published, there will be a small period for the public to send comments to oppose this rule. The number and content of comments submitted during this period will impact whether the proposed rule is revised. We can make a difference.

If you are participate in a hungry-related ministry, think about how this proposed change might affect you or your community. Then, follow ELCA Advocacy and ELCA World Hunger on social media to receive instructions when the rule change is issued and the comment period begins.

ELCA Advocacy:

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Twitter: @ELCAAdvocacy

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ELCA World Hunger:

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Twitter: @ELCAWorldHunger

By speaking up, people of faith can work together toward a just world where all are fed.

Aware of the special challenges refugees, migrants, and displaced persons face, ELCA World Hunger has long supported companions and partners that work with people who have been forced to leave their homes for a variety of reasons.  Partners like Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are critical actors in this work.

Donald Trump’s recent executive order to halt refugee resettlement in the United States for 120 days has elicited concern, fear, anger, and confusion from members of the ELCA, our ecumenical partners and our international companions.  In response, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton released a statement reminding Lutherans and other Christians of our gospel call “to welcome the stranger and treat the sojourner as we would our own citizens.”  At this point in time, we may also be reminded of Martin Luther’s admonition to preachers:

“Those who are in the office [of ministry] and are called to do so shall rebuke their [rulers] boldly and openly…To rebuke rulers is not seditious, provided it is done in the way here described: namely, by the office by which God has committed that duty, and through God’s Word, spoken publicly, boldly, and honestly.”[1]

Below are some key resources that may be useful to those called to “speak publicly, boldly, and honestly” about the recent executive order and its effects.

1. ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton affirms the ELCA’s commitment “to continuing ministries of welcome that support and build communities around the country and stand firmly against any policies that result in scaling back the refugee resettlement program.”
2. The Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance jointly issued a statement, calling the ban “an abysmal failure of compassion and responsibility.” LWF also has a short video with a powerful reminder: “Refugees lose many things when they flee, but never their human rights.”
3.  ELCA’s Social Message on Immigration (1998)
4. ELCA World Hunger offers some food for thought in this blog post on Lutheran faith and refugees.
5. Hear the story of the Kafley family resettling in Chicago, Illinois, thanks to support from ELCA World Hunger and RefugeeOne.
6. Learn how  St. Andrew’s Refugee Service in Cairo, Egypt, accompanies refugee youth with warm meals, psychosocial support and education.
7. Hear the reactions of refugees awaiting resettlement as they get news of the ban in Dadaab, the largest cluster of refugee camps in the world.
8. Advocate for change. Join ELCA Advocacy in lifting your voice in support of refugees and migrants by participating in this critical advocacy action. Visit Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), a long-time partner of ELCA World Hunger, and learn steps you can take to advocate for refugees and migrants.
9. The intercessory prayer for February 5, 2017, from Sundays and Seasons is particularly timely and scripturally relevant, for those with a subscription. For those without a subscription, LIRS offers some great resources for remembering refugees in your worship and prayers.
10. Support the ongoing accompaniment of refugees and many other programs made possible by gifts to ELCA World Hunger. Through ELCA World Hunger, this church supports needed programs in refugee camps, protection and advocacy for migrants and refugees, and resettlement efforts through our network of companions and partners. Consider ELCA Good Gifts, such as feeding a refugee family for one week or for one month.

[1] Luther’s “Commentary on Psalm 82,” Luther’s Works vol. 13, pages 49-51. Quoted in Carter Lindberg, “Luther and the Common Chest,” in Carter Lindberg and Paul Wee, eds., The Forgotten Luther: Reclaiming the Social-Economic Dimension of the Reformation (Minneapolis: Lutheran University Press, 2016.)

I had the good fortune to attend the Region 3 Hunger Retreat in Alexandria, Minnesota this week. I admit that the deep interior of Minnesota is not my dream destination in January, but I was told it would be lovely in a bleak, wintry sort of way. I was not disappointed! The air was crisp and the snow was pleasantly crunchy underfoot. But best of all, I got to spend time with some really phenomenal people.

 The content of the event was wide ranging, but one of the presenters was Tammy Walhof from Bread for the World. She spent some time talking about advocacy, and she shared a couple of things that I’m anxious to pass on, since they seem so helpful.

 The question arose about whether or not sending those email form letters to your elected officials is helpful. In response, Tammy shared some research. What makes the most difference in influencing your politicians?

1.  Visits from constituents. Nothing makes an impact like showing up in person – or persons! Consider taking a delegation from your congregation. Or organize delegations from several congregations in your community.
2.  Individualized postal letters. And hand-written are best.  If, however, your handwriting is illegible, individualized email are third on the influence list. The key is individualized! If your letter starts with the same sentence as 100 other letters they’ve received, it will be dismissed. You may be saying the same thing as others, but be sure to say it in your own words if you want to make sure it’s carefully read.
3. Of medium influence are phone calls. On a daily basis, there was a pretty even split between political staff who thought they were made a difference and those who thought they didn’t. But Tammy was clear to point out that at key moments, they are incredibly important. When time is of the essence, call! But otherwise, your time is probably better spent writing.

In the category of “no influence at all” were form letters. Whether email or postal, there’s a decent chance that if you send these, they will be discounted and make no difference. 

 One final tip: Tammy said to never underestimate your elected officials desire to be compassionate. It struck me as not only true of our politicians, but probably most people, and probably something we don’t acknowledge often enough.

 Now let’s go advocate!

 -Nancy Michaelis

Go in Peace. Remember the Poor.

Yesterday, at the end of our church service, the worship assistant sent us out with “Go in Peace. Remember the Poor.” More commonly, I hear, “Go in Peace. Serve the Lord,” so the poignant statement hit me a little more clearly. Instead of just saying serve the Lord, it gave a way to do so. Ever since yesterday morning, I have been thinking about what this means to me.

During my undergraduate years of study I completed a number of projects and papers on issues surrounding the Middle East and Islamic-Christian relations. The topics fascinated me. I think what caught my interest the most was my own need for peace and my inability to fully digest how we become so at odds with each other when we are continually summoned to peaceful ways. So I dove into the topics to learn more. It was, and is, enlightening. So today, when I think about going in peace, I think about our call to act peaceably to others. Our neighbors with whom we may have disputes, those we agree to disagree with, those who are a different color, religion or race than us, and those who seek to provoke anger or violence. We can respond in peace. My favorite Old Testament passage comes from Isaiah 2:3-5…

“³ Many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
⁴ He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

I love the imagery of nation not taking up sword against nation, disputes being settled and resources being used to produce food instead of weapons. This makes me think about how peace can lead to food; to a decrease in poverty.

“Remember the Poor,” the worship assistant said.

I think it is rather easy to forget the poor when we, ourselves, struggle daily to pay our bills and make ends meet. Sometimes, it is hard to remember the poor when we see the same man with an “out of work” sign standing by the traffic light month after month. It is easy to wonder why he has not gotten some kind of work yet. So this is when I remember the work of ELCA World Hunger. This probably sounds like a marketing plug, but it is true. When I do my best to remember the poor I remember the projects we support around the world, the goats that change lives, the school meal programs we advocate for and the food desert I visited as a World Hunger intern two summers ago. “Poor” is such a general category that encompasses so many life experiences. So often, we think of those in our immediate sight, people on the street corners asking for money, and so often we forget those just beyond our vision. Families like those with a roof over their head but not enough food to go around the table. The little kids I saw walking to school a couple of weeks ago wearing shorts in the snow…those who can only afford winter gloves if they come from the clothing bank…those with beautiful hearts, positive attitudes, undying faiths and empty pocketbooks. Likewise, those with sad hearts, negative attitudes, dying faiths and pocketbooks which stream unendingly.  There are many types of “Poor.”

Who will you remember this Christmas? How will your peaceful call decrease poverty? How can we, as Christians, “Go in Peace. Remember the Poor,” this season?

~Lana Lile

It’s late and I just got home from a City Planning Commission meeting. Admittedly, I stayed late chatting with Commission members. I went as a member of the public as I was interested in their topic of the evening: housing. What I really got out of the meeting, however, had less to do with housing – although historic preservation and urban sprawl was rather intriguing – and more to do with the strategies of development. It made me think about advocacy, education, relief and development. Here’s why…

The town in which I currently reside is also the town that I grew up in. It was once a roaring 1920’s timber town and currently is in need of some development and economic upswing. Charmed by tall evergreens and a winding river, its environmental aspects keep your enjoyment, but it’s development is essential to the well being of its inhabitants. So there I sat, attending a government commission meeting (made up of volunteers) and thought: this, in a way, is like advocacy. This is where the public comes to voice their opinions and where the recommendations are made to generally plan the city. The Planning Commission affects things like housing, zoning, traffic and commercial/industrial/residential development to name a few. Then there was me. The local sitting in, fascinated, learning all about ordinances and stakeholders and all of the small things that go into making downtowns pretty and housing affordable that I would have never thought about. I was being educated. After the meeting we chatted about jobs, local skills and the economy. My town is on track for being awarded a large state project, but really, this project’s designated end (it is slated to last about five years) makes it more so a relief to the area than a true development. So that’s why we were at the Planning Commission meeting; to talk about the future, and ways that the area can develop in the long term while the relief strategies are aiding us in the mean time. The real kicker was realizing that none of this happens without money. Grants, developers willing to spend good amounts of hard-earned cash, city taxes and more are needed to revitalize a community. It’s the same idea in my community as it is in places around the world.

There, staring me in the face, were the four things that ELCA World Hunger also uses to make development happen at home and around the world. Sitting in that living example, it became very clear to me that each part of the process is key to the end goal. I will continue to learn more and more each day about the root causes of hunger and poverty, advocate on behalf of those who need my voice, help in necessary relief efforts and opt for sustainable development whenever possible. I’ve also realized just how vital any donation that I can give is to getting the job done.

I really appreciated Mark Goetz’s June 11 post, “Ziplock Bags and Deliberated Choices” about decisions that we don’t make ourselves but let the dominant cultural “flow” determine for us.

Swimming upstream is hard work. Ridicule is usually involved, as Mark has discovered as a washer and reuser of plastic bags. But take heart, Mark! Your commitment can help turn around a culture.

Mr. and Mrs. Barham were the parents of my best friend Janet. Today they would be Abe and Val, but in 1970, one didn’t address one’s friends’ parents by their first names. One also took for granted that smokers could light up whenever and wherever they pleased: grocery stores, movie theaters, offices, everywhere but church!

In California in 1970, it was more acceptable to march against the Vietnam War than to ask someone to extinguish a cigarette. When a dinner guest drew out a pack and asked my anti-war, non-smoking parents, “mind if I smoke?” they were too polite to refuse.

The Barhams weren’t. Early members of GASP—the Group Against Smoking in Public—they put up signs, passed out fliers, and lobbied city hall and state government to begin considering the rights of non-smokers. For teens like Janet and me, trying to fit in with the prevailing culture, their passion and commitment were really embarrassing. I would shrink down low in the car whenever they stopped to pick up a new batch of supplies.

Forty years later, the clouds of smoke that once fogged restaurants and church social halls have been banished forever. And the Barhams did this! Their willingness not just to resist but be considered wackos invited others to question and eventually dismantle one huge cultural assumption and replace it with a new one. Now the rights of non-smokers are upheld by a whole system of laws and customs and behaviors that relieve shy people of the need to say, “why yes, I do mind.”

Val Barham died a year ago; Abe Barham died in May. I wonder how many old GASP posters and bumper stickers are turning up this week, as Janet and her sisters clean out the house where they lived for 55 years.

When people feel discouraged about whether we’ll ever stop driving, ever stop polluting, ever stop throwing things away, ever stop doing whatever dismays them and start doing something healthier and fairer, I bring up the Barhams. To me, they’re proof that when individual commitment links to a larger process of advocacy, the fringe becomes the vanguard becomes the status quo.

Keep washing those plastic bags, Mark!

Anne Basye,  Sustaining Simplicity

Join Bread for the World members on June 14-16 in Washington, DC, for Bread for the World’s Gathering 2009. There will be worship, workshops, meals, music, visits to Congress, and of course, a celebration! Learn more about the event by visiting http://www.bread.org/.

Are you in need of financial assistance to attend this gathering? The ELCA Washington Office is offering a limited number of scholarships for this event. Applications are being accepted now until May 29, 2009. Go to www.elca.org/advocacy to download the application.

Scholarships will be awarded immediately until June 8, funds permitting, and be processed as a reimbursement. The amount reimbursed will be for both the “2009 Gathering that includes 35th Anniversary Dinner and Lobby Day” option and three nights housing on the American University campus.

Questions? Contact Jodi Deike, ELCA Director for Grassroots Advocacy and Communication, at jodi.deike@elca.org or 202-626-7947. David Creech

For those of you who have been reading my posts for awhile, you probably are well aware of my proclivity towards idealism. Working for ELCA World Hunger has tempered that tendency a bit but I still find myself drifting too frequently towards the ideal (fortunately my colleague Nancy Michaelis balances me out a bit!).

At Ecumenical Advocacy Days I realized how the ideal could be a real hindrance to addressing hunger and poverty. Our ask to Congress was threefold: 1) To follow the recommendations of the scientific community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (20-40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050); 2) To protect those who are living in poverty, here and abroad, from the impacts of climate change; and 3) To consider the impacts of climate change on migration when drafting the legislation.

In all of these requests, idealism can be hindrance to movement forward. For example, if I understand correctly, cap and trade legislation is not the ideal solution to climate change. Europe has had a cap and trade system in place for a number of years and it has not yielded the results promised. One of my companions from the Nicaragua study trip, Peter Metcalf (who is studying the environment in a graduate program at the University of Montana), suggested that a carbon tax would be more effective. In the U.S., however, cap and trade has some political legs, and if anything is going to get done, it will probably be cap and trade. So do we aim for the ideal or do we just try to get something (anything!) done?

When I met with my congressman’s staffer, I could tell that she was not interested in the last two components of the ask. I know that climate change legislation will help those who are vulnerable, but I would like to see more efforts to help them. So do I support my congressman who will get something (anything!) done or do I pressure for more?

At Senator Durbin’s office, his legislative director was very amenable to our ask. “But,” he said, “you know we’ll need to get at least five or six Republicans on board with us?” Compromise. Bleck.

Now, I realize that I have very limited power when it comes to the workings of Congress. In reality, my opinion about things matters very little when it comes to decisions our government makes. I can support my congressman or not, he will still make his vote that does not take into account those who are poor and vulnerable. My senator, who is the number two man in the Senate, is subject to forces beyond his control. The ideal must be sacrificed for something (anything!) to be enacted.

I think this can happen in our attempts to be responsible citizens and compassionate people as well. I know it happens in my life all the time (I just had a great discussion with my wife about how we could conserve more water–strangely, I was all about the little things and she was pushing for drastic changes).

The real question I’m learning to ask is what is the balance between the ideal and what already is. What can a realistically seek to accomplish without setting the bar too low? How can I make sure that the ideal does not keep me from being an advocate with and on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable? Any thoughts?

David Creech

So it’s been awhile since my last post. Last weekend I was in Washington D.C. participating in Ecumenical Advocacy Days. From their Web site,

“Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Our goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.”

The theme this year centered on issues of climate change and poverty. Many of us who went to Nicaragua back in January reunited to give a presentation on what we saw on our visit. I also had the chance to meet with some of the folks from the Advocacy office in D.C. and see how they do their work. They are such valuable partners. While our individual decisions matter (yes, I’m still not eating meat), public policy is a key component to addressing global justice issues. Our Advocacy folks in D.C. and New York (as well as those in Pittsburgh and numerous State Public Policy Offices) are essential allies in our struggle against global and domestic hunger.

On the last day of the conference, I got to meet with the legislative assistant to my congressman (Mark Kirk) and the legislative director to Senator Dick Durbin. I told both of them that climate change is a pressing issue and that we need to start acting now. I expressed that my hope is that whatever legislation is proposed takes into account those who are most vulnerable, both here and abroad. I was told that both the House and the Senate aim to have a bill this year. Here’s hoping!

It was good for me to see how the process works and to better understand my role in advocating on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable. On Monday I will have more to say on the specific lessons (I think) I learned.

On a totally unrelated note, for those of you who missed me or wish in general that you heard more from me, I am now on Twitter with the user name “hungerbites” (yes, the name is intended to have multiple meanings; three, to be exact). I will be updating my status 2-3 times a day, letting people who are passionate about working against hunger know what I am reading and writing. Feel free to follow!

David Creech

It is easy and effective to be an e-advocate. When it comes to voicing concern for our neighbors in Zimbabwe, e-advocacy is also urgently needed. Visit http://tinyurl.com/ZimbabweAdvocacy to find suggested text to e-mail to your senators and representatives. Don’t know who they are? Don’t worry. All you need to know is your home address!

One Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe pastor told an ELCA colleague “I thought we had hit bottom, so it couldn’t get worse; but it seems a hole can be dug in the bottom.”

Don’t be tempted to put this off. What else can you do in the next five minutes that will be as important? E-advocate for our neighbors in Zimbabwe and urge at least one other to do the same.

Questions? Visit www.elca.org/advocacy , www.elca.org/disaster, or contact Jodi Deike, Director for Grassroots Advocacy and Communication, ELCA Washington Office.

Advocating blessings,
Sue-s