March 3, 2021
Plastic pollution is everywhere. A report released today by PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center found that in the 53 Pennsylvania waterways tested, covering the entirety of the commonwealth, all of them returned evidence of microplastic pollution. These findings underscore the severity of the plastic crisis in our communities and ecosystems. The sampling of Pennsylvania’s waterways was broad in scope, testing...
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March 2, 2021
On February 26th Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced the opening of the 2020-21 PA Farm Bill’s $500,000 Urban Agriculture Grant Program to address food deserts in urban areas through the expansion of agricultural infrastructure. The program has the added intention of creating opportunities for hands-on learning and community building through the shared...
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February 26, 2021
In February 2021 the USDA shared important updates regarding student eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), due to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This act temporarily expands SNAP eligibility to students in higher education enrolled at least part time. The new requirements now extend eligibility to students who: “are eligible to participate in state or federally financed work study...
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February 26, 2021
On January 13th Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller announced the selection of a vendor (Aunt Bertha) for Resource Information and Services Enterprise – or RISE PA – an upcoming statewide resource and referral tool. RISE PA is a “collaborative effort between multiple state agencies, counties, and local non-profits and community organizations, health...
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February 22, 2021
Did you know that, currently, ONLY 6 out of the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania have explicit policies or resolutions in place that welcome and support immigrant and refugee students? The Welcoming Schools Campaign, a program of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), aims to educate and empower immigrant and refugee students and parents about how they can...
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February 19, 2021
On February 17th the Lower Susquehanna Synod partnered with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) in honor of United Nations World Day of Social Justice for a special panel discussion, in association with Worship & Wonder Wednesdays, on our baptismal call to labor for justice, examining what it means to be public church for the...
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February 4, 2021
On March 31, 2021 the utility shutoff moratorium protecting vulnerable Pennsylvanians from service termination will expire. With moratoria in place since the beginning of the pandemic, customers had been protected from losing their utility services. With many if not more Pennsylvanians still suffering from the economic downturn, the prospect of an unrenewed moratorium is daunting. When the initial moratorium began in March 2020,...
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January 22, 2021
On January 21st Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services released its first Racial Equity Report. The report highlights the departments ongoing efforts to “promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through this work in order to be a partner in correcting systemic racism and inequities.” “After the last year, we’ve learned more than ever that it is not...
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January 20, 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on across Pennsylvania and the nation, an increasing number of senior citizens in the commonwealth are struggling to secure the food they need. Sheila Christopher, of Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, is working to ensure that all seniors have access to food programs so that their needs are met. The organization is looking to expand...
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December 4, 2020
“God heard the cry of a homeless people and delivered them out of oppression in Egypt. Jesus, “who [had] nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58), ministered with compassion to the poor and vulnerable. In practicing hospitality, we are promised to encounter the living Lord: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). ...
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