March 1, 2013
Fighting Hunger through School Breakfast
by Tracey DePasquale, LAMPa Associate Director Breakfast. The name alone should tell us as Christians that it is important. It is, after all, breaking the fast to which we look forward all through Lent. In this season of fasting, the bounty of the Lord’s table and our need to be fed there become clearer. Even if the name itself did not underscore its significance, studies show breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. Research points to a healthy breakfast as essential in supporting educational success, fighting hunger and promoting lifelong health. Despite the research, many of our [...]
February 5, 2013
Creation Advocacy: A Voice for the Voiceless
Reflections on participation in Lutherans Restoring Creation Retreat and Training, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, January 25-26, 2013 By Ann Dentry, Gettysburg PA There are many ways to think about workshops; weekends when people convene from different parts of Pennsylvania to put the passions closest to their hearts into action. Over the past weekend, the group Lutherans Restoring Creation offered training at the seminary in Gettysburg. Purpose: To give Christians concerned for the fate of our earth tools for common effort. Those tools include knowing one another. In your mind’s eye, imagine small pieces of a puzzle scattered all over [...]
October 31, 2012
LAMPa Op-Ed: Stop Jailing So Many Immigrants
by the Rev. Paul Lubold, LAMPa Advocacy Developer Last August I attended a Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) “Lutheran Leader’s Summit” in Minneapolis. The “Summit” provided us with current information about the ministry of LIRS, as well as valuable insight into the everyday struggles of those who are seeking to become citizens. I went to this event feeling like rather well informed, but found out how naive I was. Linda Hartke, President and CEO of LIRS and Stacy Martin, VP for Mission Advancement, told us what LIRS was doing. And Jon Partee, LIRS Media Relations, helped us recognize what [...]
September 10, 2012
Payday Lending Update and Actions
The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee is holding a hearing on September 19th on HB 2191, the Payday Lending Bill. LAMPa, in partnership with the Center for Responsible Lending, is organizing a faith leader sign-on letter to share with committee members. The signing deadline is September 14. If you wish to sign on, send your name and title, Congregation/organization and address and send to rachel.anderson@responsiblelending.org (this address is not a link – please cut and paste into your email). The text of the joint letter is below: Dear Senator: Payday lending is modern-day usury – a scheme that robs the [...]
July 26, 2012
Payday lobbyists didn’t take a summer vacation
Although the General Assembly has been in recess since passing the budget, lobbyists are working hard in the districts to make sure their priorities are addressed when legislators come back in September/October for a short (just 8 session days in the Senate) fall session. Among the hardest working lobbyists this summer are those championing HB 2191, a bill that would allow payday lenders into Pennsylvania by removing our current 24% interest rate cap and instead allow lenders to charge more than 300% APR! Since they are hard at work, we must be too. Here are two important facts about payday [...]
July 10, 2012
A Lament for General Assistance
By Marissa Harris Krey, LAMPa Advocacy Developer I have to be honest. I’ve always found LAMPa’s mission statement to be a little long and a bit cumbersome. But when it comes down to it, there’s simply no better way to explain what the ministry of LAMPa is all about. As a reminder… The mission of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania is to advocate in both public and private sectors of society on behalf of, and in partnership with, those persons who are denied justice, dignity, reconciliation, peace, and access to basic human rights, and who lack adequate representation and voice [...]
May 11, 2012
Public Theologians Advocate on Behalf of General Assistance
By LAMPa Seminarian Dustin Wright Wow, I’m blogging from the start of Lutheran Day at the Capitol and it’s really exciting to see so many Lutherans from throughout Pennsylvania living out their baptismal call to do justice! In addition to working on issues such as combating a pay-day lending bill, protecting Pennsylvanians from a proposed food-stamp asset test and strengthening the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, another major issue we’re working on today is protection of PA’s General Assistance Program. The General Assistance program supports the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians who have no other income. It is truly a program of [...]
April 29, 2012
Toxic Charity and Human Service Cuts
by Amy Reumann, LAMPa Director Congregations do great things. We serve our neighbors and respond to local needs, often on a shoestring with a few dedicated volunteers. We hand out food, start support groups, and initiate new programs in our communities. We understand that charity is an essential response to the Gospel. Lawmakers have noticed this. As budget cuts slash government programs that serve the poor, the rhetoric justifying those cuts often includes the line, “The faith community can do it”. I’ve heard in proposed reductions to PA WorkWear (churches will give them clothes!) and food programs (churches can give [...]
April 24, 2012
In Search of Common Ground
By Marissa Harris Krey, LAMPa Advocacy Developer In February, hunger leaders from across the ELCA gathered in Florida to learn, network, and plan what types of ideas/events they might take back home to each of their synods. One of our distinguished speakers, Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla – Executive Director for ELCA Global Mission, mentioned a book by Jeffrey Sachs entitled “The Price of Civilization”. In an election year, this book has given me a LOT to think about! Sachs believes that we are a lot more united as a country than it seems. At a time when it is widely [...]
April 2, 2012
“Vulnerable”, “Poor” and “Safety Net”
by Amy Reumann, LAMPa Director At a recent meeting of our state budget coalition, a member objected to draft language describing the state budget as harmful to middle class families. He pointed out this budget will be much harsher on people of low income. “That’s true,” our convener said, “But we follow polling in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Words like ‘vulnerable’, ‘poor’ and ‘safety net’ do not resonate with legislators or with the general public. To get any traction, we must frame our message around what is good for the middle class.” I guess I knew this, but really?! I have [...]
