U.S. Supreme Court Renders PA Election Ballot Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision Monday that will allow Pennsylvania to count mailed-in ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election. The justices were divided 4-4, an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that required county election officials to receive and count
Gov. Wolf Announces Changes to Rent Relief Program
Gov. Wolf announced a significant change to the CARES Rent Relief Program. Getting landlords to participate in the program has been one of the barriers to the program's success. Currently, renters only get up to $750 in rental aid and landlords must accept that as payment in full for that
Coalition Against Hate Urges PA House, Senate Leadership to Enact Hate Crime Legislation
As high profile incidents of bigotry continue to be reported in local communities, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) joins with other members of the Coalition Against Hate and state Rep. Dan Frankel calling for the PA House and Senate leadership to take action and to allow a vote on
USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids for Entire School Year
Thank you to advocates who urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. This unprecedented move helps ensure that all children across America have access to nutritious food as the
PUC Ending Moratorium on Utility Shut-offs
As the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) ends the moratorium on utility shut-offs, they have adopted a series of enhanced consumer protections intended to safeguard families and small businesses who are struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic – and also established a framework for future discussions about utility
Women of the ELCA Release Updated Resource: “Called to be Political (But I Don’t Want to be Political!)”
Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have released a new updated version of "Called to Be Political (but I don't want to be political!)". This resource, easily adapted for virtual use, is designed to be used with Faith Formation, Sunday School, young adult or small group
Gov. Wolf Issues Emergency Order Extending Deadline in COVID Relief-Mortgage and Rental Assistance Program
Governor Wolf issued an emergency order extending the deadline for the COVID Relief-Mortgage and Rental Assistance Grant Program. The deadline originally scheduled for Sept. 30 was extended by the governor, effective Oct. 5, for 30 days until Nov. 4, 2020, in order for the program to be able to
PA Partnerships for Children Releases 2020 State of the Child Report
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children has created county-based “State of the Child” profiles that provide a snapshot of each county’s data, alongside statewide data and information on counties with similar geographic profiles. Learn how your county compares to others in Pennsylvania when it comes to child welfare, health insurance coverage,
How Congregations Can Help Reduce Election Chaos, Increase Safety for Voters
Although some parts of Pennsylvania's election process are still being litigated, there are ways in which ELCA congregations and parishioners can offer assistance now to reduce stress and increase confidence in a system already dealing with existing and proposed changes in voting laws, significant election official turnover and glaring national
Help Eligible People Claim Stimulus Payments: Deadline is October 15
According to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, five million Americans who were hit hardest by the current health and economic crisis risk missing out on $6 billion in CARES Act stimulus payments if they don’t file the required online form before October 15. Many of our most