ELCA Advocacy Cafes Bring Conversation, Education, to Election Season
Our Christian faith compels us to attend to the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. Sometimes, we may echo the sentiment: The world’s so big and I’m so small. Yet there is much we can do act for greater justice, and we are
Housing, Education and Creation Care Get Boost in State Budget
The 2022-23 Pennsylvania budget includes significant gains for education, housing and creation care, but only a modest increase for anti-hunger programs. A $1.8 billion increase in education funding makes strides toward decreasing the funding gap in what has been one of the least equitable school funding systems in the country.
New Report Shows Impact of School Nutrition Waivers, Calls for Extension
Student participation in school breakfast and lunch dropped dramatically across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, and child hunger would have spiked even more dramatically without waivers that allowed schools and community organizations to creatively adapt to keep feeding programs going, according to a new report by the Food Research &
Funding for Hunger, Education Equity Make Gains in State Budget
As the General Assembly passed an on-time budget before recessing in late June, LAMPa celebrated a 15 percent increase in the state’s major anti-hunger programs and an extra $300 million in basic education funding, $100 million of which is targeted to the poorest schools. “Our hunger advocates did a tremendous
LAMPa Welcomes Donna Skinner Echols to Policy Council
LAMPa is very happy to welcome Donna Skinner Echols to Policy Council as a representative of Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod! Donna has 42 years of experience in the development, management, monitoring and administration of family services programs for at-risk children and families. She has worked in the urban settings of Houston,
Level Up Announces Campaign for Education Funding
Level Up, a coalition of more than a dozen education advocacy organizations from across the commonwealth, launched a campaign on April 15th to increase state funding for the 100 most underfunded school districts in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania ranks 44th in the nation for state share of funding for K-12 education and has
Pennsylvania Seminary and Synods Mark Rogation
“Lord, let me heart be good soil.” - ELW, Hymn 512 Across Pennsylvania synods and seminary campuses have been marking the season of rogation. “Rogation days” are a historic way of connecting Christian faith to soil. As the ELCA resource “What are Rogation Days?” explains, they were celebrated during the fifty days of Easter on the Monday, Tuesday, and
LAMPa Staff Participate in Creation Care Events
On Thursday, April 22nd, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light (PA IPL) hosted an Interfaith Prayer Vigil for Earth Day in Lewisburg. Larry Herrold, Jr., LAMPa’s Hunger Advocacy Fellow, attended the event with several other leaders in the central Susquehanna Valley faith community, offering prayers to mark the occasion. The event was held in conjunction with Lewisburg
New Data Reveals Extent of Students Experiencing Homelessness
More and more of Pennsylvania’s school-age children were experiencing homelessness even before the pandemic, according to a newly released report by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The study accumulates the locally reported totals of homeless children under five and those enrolled in pre-K through twelfth grade across eight regions of
New Applications are LIVE for Lutheran Volunteer Corps
The Application is LIVE for Volunteering: Next Round, April 15! The first group of Lutheran Volunteer Corps applicants jumped into the Placement interviewing process this month. Sign up, or forward the application to prospective Volunteers you know. And remember, service is not just for college grads, and you need not have
