October 28, 2020
The deadline for the Pennsylvania COVID-19 rental and mortgage assistance relief program is quickly approaching. The November 4 deadline will pass with the PA Senate failing to pass a bill (HB 2868) to make the application process more tenable. This inaction impacts thousands of Commonwealth residents who struggle daily to feed their families and determine...
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October 28, 2020
The Low-Income Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) opens November 2, 2020 and is scheduled to close on April 9, 2021. LIHEAP helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of a cash grant. Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify for crisis grants. It is important that those...
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October 20, 2020
Many of us feel pulled to prayer in the lead up to the election. The new ELCA Worship resource, “Worship Resources for a National Election” contains crafted prayers and suggestions for sacred music to guide worship, prayer, vigils, and devotions preceding or following the election. These resources are offered in PDF and Word formats, to...
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October 20, 2020
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 mailed-in ballots that arrive up until...
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October 16, 2020
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 month, even if the rent...
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October 9, 2020
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 nation recovers from the COVID-19...
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October 8, 2020
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 assistance and economic recovery. The PUC...
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October 7, 2020
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 gatherings. It may be downloaded from...
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October 5, 2020
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 continue accepting applications. All eligibility...
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September 29, 2020
ELCA World Hunger’s Daily Bread Matching Grants support congregations and their partners as they work toward a just world where all are fed. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregations with feeding ministries are eligible to participate. Submit your application today! As part of the ELCA’s continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this fall more than...
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