PA 2024-25 Budget Passed; Hunger Remains Underfunded
Late Thursday, July 11, the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted on a $47.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25. The final compromise was about $860 million below what Governor Josh Shapiro had initially proposed in February but maintained commitments to key programs Lutherans in Pennsylvania have diligently advocated for this cycle
Bishop Eaton Expresses Disappointment in Grants Pass Supreme Court Decision
June 28, 2024 I am disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which clears the way for onerous civil and criminal penalties for unsheltered neighbors forced to sleep in parks or on other public property. This could jeopardize the work of Lutheran ministries and organizations dedicated
Affordable Housing is “Out of Reach” for Many PA Workers
To afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Pennsylvania, full-time workers need to earn $26.26 per hour. This is Pennsylvania’s “2024 Housing Wage” according to Out of Reach, a report published jointly today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
PA Advocates Can Celebrate National School Breakfast Week With a Win and a Challenge
LAMPa hunger advocates and students can celebrate National School Breakfast Week (March 4-8) with a win and a challenge this year. In December, universal free school breakfast, which had been implemented during the pandemic, was made permanent with enactment in the Pennsylvania School Code. For years, LAMPa has been
LAMPa’s Period Poverty Postcard Campaign
Join LAMPa in supporting measures to end period poverty in Pennsylvania, beginning March 8, International Women’s Day!* Period poverty – the inability to afford menstrual hygiene products – has gained more and more attention in recent years, though the issue is nothing new. For generations, those who experience menstruation
New Policy Brief on Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness
The "State-Level Brief Update - A Call for Action: Participation of Young Children Experiencing Homelessness and Young Children in Foster Care in Early Childhood Programs in Pennsylvania" was released by the Pennsylvania Head Start State Collaboration Office (PA HSSCO) and HopePHL in February. The brief update "highlights key state-level
Housing Alliance Releases Interactive Report on Post-Pandemic Evictions
LAMPa's coalition partners, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, released an interactive web report on the rise of eviction filings in Pennsylvania post-pandemic. As people of faith, we grieve the ways in which so many of our neighbors are turned out of their homes and are called to work for policies
Legislature enacts budget with childcare tax credit, indigent defense; addressing medical debt and whole-home repairs delayed
The General Assembly ended 2023 with passage of code bills that enact the budget. After months of stalled negotiations, and almost halfway through the fiscal year, the final bill passed with significant bipartisan support and was signed immediately by Gov. Shapiro. “I think it's important to note that we learned
Driving PA Forward Day in the Capitol Recognizes Agricultural Workers
Days ahead of Thanksgiving, LAMPa joined coalition partners in the state Capitol to recognize the contributions of immigrant farmworkers to our holiday tables and to advance protections for those workers and their families. Watch the video "Blessed Be." “A driver's license is needed in order to take kids to school, medical
Heating Assistance Grant Applications Now Open
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (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. The cash grant is a one-time payment sent directly to the utility
