LAMPa

National Housing Trust IRA Bootcamp for Pennsylvania
2024-07-16 10:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York)
WHAT:
The National Housing Trust is offering Pennsylvania our very own Boot Camp | 4-5 virtual educational sessions beginning the week of July 15 and over the remainder of the summer to help affordable housing owners, developers, and asset managers in Pennsylvania to access Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to make property upgrades.
Program Approach:
The Bootcamp will help Pennsylvania multifamily affordable housing providers learn about and access IRA programs in the Commonwealth to make affordable housing more energy-efficient and climate resilient. Participants will also receive guidance on how to identify energy-saving and resiliency opportunities in their portfolio.
WHY Participate:
There are significant dollars available at the federal and state levels made available through the Inflation Reduction Act; Upwards of $40 billion in tax credits, rebates, loans, and grants that can be used to support investments in energy efficiency and climate resiliency of affordable housing.
You’re Busy! You may not have had the time to figure out all the opportunities yourself. This series will provide you with some dedicated time and help to understand how to prepare for applying and even if these opportunities are right for you.
WHAT You Will Receive By Participating:
For those participating in person, the 4-5 virtual educational sessions will provide you with:
• 4-5 virtual educational sessions.
• Access to resources (case studies, tools, etc.) that participants can share with their teams to promote broader awareness of decarbonization and funding opportunities.
• Opportunities to learn from peers.
• Support in developing a preliminary action plan for using decarbonization incentives to address portfolio challenges.
• Opportunities to help shape the Commonwealth’s IRA program design and implementation strategies that address the challenges of implementing energy/decarbonization retrofits in affordable housing, ensuring equitable IRA program rollouts in Pennsylvania.
For those listening to the on-demand recordings, you will receive:
• 4-5 virtual educational sessions
• Access to resources (case studies, tools, etc.) that participants can share with their teams to promote broader awareness of decarbonization and funding opportunities.
Also, to be offered is an optional in-person gathering for participants to connect with state program administrators and technical assistance providers (September, TBD).
Register here.
Sponsored by: Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania (LAMPa is a member), PULP, ACTION Housing, and New Ecology.
This program is offered by the National Housing Trust in close collaboration and partnership with the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, PULP (Public Utility Law Project), ACTION Housing, and New Ecology.
Our organizations jointly offered a virtual session on April 11, 2024. Click here for the slides and recording to get more information on the available resources.
About the National Housing Trust:
NHT is a team of passionate experts and advocates that brings resident services, lending, policy, sustainability, and development under one roof, giving us the tools to make real change possible for the people we serve. We equip communities for a sustainable, equitable future by preserving and modernizing existing homes—and building new homes that stand the test of time.
Over the last year, NHT’s Sustainability Policy team has led a capacity-building IRA Bootcamp that positions affordable housing owners and state housing finance agencies to best use Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) resources. IRA resources represent a critical opportunity to deliver more energy-efficient, resilient housing that lowers carbon emissions. NHT designed the Bootcamp program to ensure stakeholders understood the latest guidance and what these opportunities mean for their state, portfolio, and residents.

ELCA Youth Gathering and Young Adult Gathering 2024
2024-07-13 - 2024-07-20
Be a part of the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering or the Young Adult Gathering! The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble events will also be taking place as part of the Gathering’s ministries.
If you won’t be a participant, there are also opportunities to volunteer and lead at the gatherings.
Who: ELCA youth and young adults
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: July 13-16, 2024 – MYLE and the tAble; July 16-20, 2024 – ELCA Youth Gathering and Young Adult Gathering
Why: Gather with peers from across the ELCA for a week of faith formation spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship
The gathering takes place every three years and strives to be a space in which young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives.
This year’s theme is “Created to be.”
You can sign up for the ELCA Youth Gathering gNews here.
You can learn more about registration for the ELCA Youth Gathering here. You can register here.
You can learn more about registration for the ELCA Young Adult Gathering here. You can register here.
Let us know if you or other members of your congregation will be joining the Gathering. You can send us a message at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org. We are happy to walk alongside your participation in this faith-filled church event and connect the Gathering’s ministries to advocacy.
Find us at the Witness in Society Booth at the Interactive Center! Be entered in a drawing to win a free week at a PA Lutheran Camp!

SUN Bucks Program Info Session
2024-06-27 15:00 | Microsoft Teams
The PA Food Policy Council is excited to partner with the PA Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Education (PDE) to host an information session on the PA SUN Bucks program which will launch in 2024. SUN Bucks is Pennsylvania’s Summer EBT program–a new grocery benefits program that provides households with a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child to buy food while school is out. Benefits can be used at local participating retailers to purchase groceries.
PA SUN Bucks Informational Session
Thursday, June 27, 2024
3pm to 4pm
Virtual session held via Microsoft Teams or dialing in by phone
All are welcome! Join us via Microsoft Teams or phone. Details below:
________________________________________________________________________________
Join the meeting here
Meeting ID: 282 230 908 207
Passcode: [REDACTED]
________________________________
Dial in by phone
+1 267-332-8737,,362267244# United States, Philadelphia
Recording or transcribing this meeting, in any manner including through a third-party application, may not occur without the consent of all participants, as required by law, and must adhere to Commonwealth policies. For more info click the legal link.
Privacy and security
________________________________________________________________________________
Background information:
PA SUN BUCKS Program
Summer is a time when many children may not have access to the free and reduced-price meals they get during the school year, and households might need a little extra help putting meals on the table.
This year Pennsylvania will launch SUN Bucks, Pennsylvania’s Summer EBT program, a new grocery benefits program that provides households with a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child to buy food while school is out. Benefits can be used at local participating retailers to purchase groceries.
Many children will get these benefits automatically, but some households will need to apply. The benefits will be added to an existing SNAP/TANF EBT card or a newly issued Summer EBT card.
To learn more about SUN Bucks, read more here.
Note: For the first year of this program, paper applications for children that are not automatically eligible will become available in July 2024. Benefits will be issued to all eligible children by October 2024.
PA Food Policy Council
The Pennsylvania Food Policy Council, established in December 2022 by Executive Order 2022-05, is an important policy initiative of the Shapiro administration. Tasked with evaluating and advancing solutions to issues facing Pennsylvania’s food system, the council will develop and implement strategies to improve food and nutrition security, public health, environmental sustainability and stewardship, local food economies, and to reduce food waste. Learn more here!

Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Landlord Engagement Virtual Summit: Leveraging Funding Sources for Housing Solutions
2024-06-27 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual, PA, United States
Join our partners in the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania for the “Landlord Engagement Virtual Summit: Leveraging Funding Sources for Housing Solutions.” The 2024 summit will be held virtually on June 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
As rents, utilities, food, and other basic needs rise faster than incomes, the shortage of affordable housing is growing. Developing a landlord engagement strategy can be an important way to work to end homelessness and ensure all our neighbors live with dignity and a place to call home.
The insightful and interactive summit will focus on harnessing key funding sources to create a lasting landlord engagement strategy in your community. Leaders will be discussing:

Best practices in using HUD homelessness funding for landlord engagement.
Leveraging existing state resources like PHARE, the state housing trust fund, and Home4Good.
Getting the latest updates on HOME ARP administered by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development to fund housing location activities.
Getting creative with CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) to fund incentives like home repair programs.

Learn how these resources can be utilized to support effective engagement with landlords, leading to better housing solutions for families overcoming homelessness.
Speakers:

Amy Sechrist, Senior Policy Officer, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
Brenden Auman, Economic Development Consultant, PA Department of Community & Economic Development
Calan Charlton, Vice President, CRA Strategic Program Manager, Truist
Joe Savage, Senior Regional Advisor, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH)
Moderator: Gale Schwartz, Associate Director Policy & Programs, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania

LAMPa is a member of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania. Let us know if you plan to join! You can send us a message at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.
You can register for the event here.
You can find more resources from the Housing Alliance on landlord engagement here.

Lutherans Restoring Creation - June Connections Call
2024-06-25 20:00 - 21:00 | Online Webinar
Our Kairos Moment
Join LAMPa’s partners, Lutherans Restoring Creation, and Ryan Cumming, Program Director, Theological Ethics, Education, and Community Engagement to explore the ELCA’s brand new study guide, “Our Kairos Moment: A Study Guide on Earth’s Climate Crisis,” based on the ELCA’s 2023 social message. This is a four-session study guide for small groups and is available for Earth Day–or any day–to inspire learning and action. It uses videos, storytelling, bible studies, and interactive activities to help your group explore the effects of climate change on communities in the U.S. and around the world and inspire one another to effective action. Each session–which can be done independently or as part of an educational series–ends with suggested activities participants can take part in in the days or weeks following their time together.
Visit Faith and Society – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org) to download your copy today.
You can register here.

Kindling Faith - "Introduction to Social Teachings" with Dr. Roger Willer
2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:30 | Online Webinar
Join Kindling Faith for “Introduction to Social Teachings” with Dr. Roger Willer, Director of Theological Ethics for the ELCA.
The learning session will take place online via Zoom from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on June 25.
Participation costs $20 per individual or $80 per congregation with no limit to the number in attendance.
You can register here. Please contact Pastor Martin Otto-Zimmann or your synod office for possible support and payment options.
Please check out our event pages for each event in the Kindling Faith series, called “What does it mean to be Lutheran in a crucial election year?,” and let LAMPa know if you plan to join any of the sessions.
You can find a page with all programming in the series here.
Kindling Faith: Learning Never Ends is a program of United Lutheran Seminary (ULS), a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Juneteenth 2024
2024-06-19
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, a time to gather in community and commemorate the official, announced end of slavery in the U.S., even if the history of oppression, racism, and anti-Black violence that characterized it are still part of our story in church and in the United States.
As ELCA Lutherans set free in Christ to seek community and to seek justice, it is our duty to act against present injustices, speak to our shared witness of Christ and of injustice in this world, and join in the celebration of freedom that is Juneteenth.
Read an ELCA blog post from our ELCA Racial Justice Ministries director on reckoning with the legacy of slavery while moving forward here.
A Living Lutheran article on Juneteenth, freedom, and our common humanity, written by an ELCA pastor, is available here.
ELCA worship resources for Juneteenth can be found here.
LAMPa is happy to accompany ELCA communities in the pursuit of justice and to connect them with resources for advocacy. Let us know what you are doing for Juneteenth and how we can support you by sending us an email at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Commemoration of the Emmanuel Nine 2024
2024-06-17
Every year, the ELCA commemorates the Emmanuel Nine on June 17. The Emmanuel Nine are nine people who were shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Our relationship to the shooter, as well as two of the slain, reminds us of both our complicity and our calling. The commemoration calls for us to repent for the sins of racism and white supremacy—sins that too often are present in our lives and that too often harm those who are Black and indigenous—and to rededicate ourselves to the Christ who makes us one and makes us whole.
The ELCA offers resources for the commemoration here. Several resources are for worship and sharing in community.
You can sign the ELCA Anti-Racism Pledge here.
LAMPa is happy to accompany ELCA communities in the pursuit of justice and to connect them with resources for advocacy. Let us know how you are marking the commemoration of the Emmanuel Nine in your congregation or synod and how we can support you by sending us an email at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly 2024
2024-06-14 - 2024-06-15
Save the date for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be June 14-15, 2024.
It will be held at PennWest California.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Upper Susquehanna Synod Assembly 2024
2024-06-14 - 2024-06-15
Save the date for the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be June 14-15, 2024.
Synod assembly information can be found here, with more to come for 2024’s assembly.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Allegheny Synod Assembly 2024
2024-06-14 - 2024-06-15
Save the date for the Allegheny Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be June 14-15, 2024.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly 2024
2024-06-08 | Atonement Lutheran Church, 5 Wyomissing Blvd., Wyomissing, PA, 19610, United States
Save the date for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be June 8, 2024.
Assembly will be held on Zoom and at Atonement Lutheran Church in Wyomissing.
Synod assembly information can be found here, with more to come for 2024’s assembly.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Rural Pennsylvania Housing Summit 2024
2024-06-05 | Seven Springs Mountain Resort, 777 Water Wheel Drive, Seven Springs, PA, 15622, United States
Save the date for the Rural Pennsylvania Housing Summit, hosted by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.
The summit will be held at Seven Springs Mountain Resort on June 5.
For the second year, the summit will cover Housing Alliance priority topics to address the frustration over the lack of resources and affordable housing options that many rural communities face.
For specific questions about the summit, reach out to Alison at alison@housingalliancepa.org.
To connect with LAMPa about housing advocacy, send us a message at LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.
You can visit the website of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania here.

Lower Susquehanna Synod Assembly 2024
2024-05-31 - 2024-06-01
Save the date for the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be May 31 and June 1, 2024. Edification Day will be May 18, 2024.
Assembly will be held on Zoom and at Trinity Camp Hill.
Synod assembly information can be found here, with more to come for 2024’s assembly.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

Western Region Community of Practice Discussion
2024-05-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Online Webinar
Join Lutheran Disaster Response for training and engagement.
Join LDR’s Western Region Community of Practice Discussion to network with peers and colleagues. This is a recurring, quarterly online gathering.
Thursday, May 16
2:00 p.m. ET
1 hour | Online via Zoom
Convener: Sean Coffman
The event is free and open to the public.
You can register here.

Lutheran Day in the Capitol 2024
2024-05-09 | Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Camp Hill, 2000 Chestnut St., Camp Hill, PA, 17011, United States
Save the date for Lutheran Day in the Capitol and a celebration of LAMPa’s 45th anniversary!
Who: Lutheran advocates, leaders, and partners from around Pennsylvania
When: Thursday, May 9.
Where: Trinity Lutheran Church Camp Hill and the PA State Capitol in Harrisburg
Why: Education, inspiration, and advocacy on issues that matter
Celebrate LAMPa’s 45th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger at a gala celebration of advocates at the Harrisburg Hilton in the evening.
Continuing education certificates of attendance will be made available for ELCA rostered leaders.
Find out more and register here!

National VOAD Conference & CoP Dinner
2024-05-06 09:00 - 2024-05-09 16:00 | Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak, Phoenix, AZ, United States
Join Lutheran Disaster Response for training and engagement.
National VOAD is excited to announce the theme for the 2024 National VOAD Conference being held in Phoenix, Arizona, May 6-9 is “United in Service.” The conference aims to minimize and alleviate the effects of disasters, encourage cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration, and enhance service delivery to affected communities.
Throughout the conference, LDR will host a booth, so plan to stop by and say ‘hi’ to LDR national staff or regional partners.
You’re also invited to join LDR on Wednesday, May 8, for an evening dinner for informal networking with your Community of Practice peers. Keep your eyes out for an RSVP as we get closer to the conference.
Learn more about the conference at the NVOAD website.
Monday, May 6 through Thursday, May 9
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day
Lunch provided | Phoenix, Arizona
Conveners: Multiple LDR National Staff
The event is free and open to the public.
You can register here.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly 2024
2024-05-03 - 2024-05-04
Save the date for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA Assembly.
Synod Assembly will be May 3-4, 2024.
The event page can be found here.
More details will be shared as they are made available in the coming months.
Feel free to reach out to us with more information here: LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org.

What's Working to Help Tenants and Landlords Resolve Their Conflict Without an Eviction - Part Two
2024-05-01 11:30 - 12:00 | Online Webinar
Here in Pennsylvania, multiple communities are creating significant change for the way that tenants and landlords are resolving the conflict when a tenant is behind on rent without an eviction.
Programs with the strongest outcomes resolve landlord-tenant disputes, provide resource navigation to address the underlying causes of housing instability, and provide financial assistance. And this benefits both tenants and landlords and the larger community.
Join us on Wednesday, May 1st at 11:30am to learn about another successful eviction prevention programs operated by the Friends Association in Chester County.
The Eviction Prevention Case Resolution (EPCR) Program is a collaborative effort that involves three of Chester County’s Magisterial District Judges (MDJs) who preside over eviction cases. This program offers rental assistance, supportive services, and legal representation to tenants facing eviction proceedings. Learn about their success in mitigating evictions within the communities it serves!
Speakers:

Robin Senss, Chief Operating Officer, Friends Association
Loreen Kemps, Defense Attorney, Friends Association
Moderator: Phyllis Chamberlain, Executive Director, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania

When
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
11:30 AM – 12 PM
This is an online event. Register here.
Cost is $15 for non-members. LAMPa is a member of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.

Housing Network Launch
2024-04-24 12:00 - 13:00
Join leaders and advocates for just housing and homelessness policies from across the Commonwealth as for a time of connecting, sharing, and learning!
Why join a network?
The work of striving for justice and peace in all the earth can be lonely and exhausting – LAMPa hopes that by launching our networks we strengthen the bonds of our advocates across the Commonwealth and remind one another that we are not alone. It will also be a time to share our stories and best practices of our ministry and discipleship in these areas, and to dream together about how to best lift up our stories and hopes to those in power.

We hope you join us in this important work of connecting and inspiring one another!

Register HERE.

Lutherans Restoring Creation - April Connections Call
2024-04-23 20:00 - 21:00
Synods and Creation Care
8pm ET
Join LAMPa’s partners, Lutherans Restoring Creation, as we hear from a panel of guests who took their creation care to the next level and made change at the synod level. We will answer questions like: What is a synod? What is its role in caring for creation and how should it do so? How can an individual or congregation get involved with their synod to increase their social impact?
Register here!

2024 General Primary Election
2024-04-23 07:00 - 20:00
Make your voice heard and vote in the upcoming 2024 Pennsylvania primary election!
The primary election will take place Tuesday, April 23, 2024. You can vote in person at your polling place that day.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, is also the last day for County Boards of Election to receive completed mail-in and civilian absentee ballots. All ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. to be counted.
Polls are open on Election Day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
If you’re unsure whether or not you are currently registered to vote in PA or are unsure whether or not your voter registration is up to date, you can check your voter registration status here.
You can find your polling place here.
If you have any questions, you can call 1.877.VOTESPA (1.877.868.3772).
You can find contact information for your county election officials here.
This page from the Pennsylvania Department of State has more information about upcoming elections.
You can learn more about primary elections and other types of elections here.

Earth Day 2024
2024-04-22
Earth Day is a time to renew our commitment to be good stewards of God’s creation and to seek justice in relationship with neighbor and creation. There is a movement towards this commitment and relationship powered by people of faith taking action as advocates and as church.
Earth Day this year is Monday, April 22, 2024. Mark your calendars!
We encourage you to consider integrating creation care into your worship, faith formation programming, vigils, learning opportunities, and advocacy during this season and during all seasons.
LAMPa will provide education and advocacy resources for Earth Day Sunday 2024, including for hosting a vigil, so stay tuned for details.
Lutherans Restoring Creation has held Earth Day worship services in the past and facilitates relationships among Lutherans engaging in the work and practices of restoring creation. Check out their five ways to celebrate Earth Day as church here. You can also view materials, including video recordings of past Earth Day services, on their website.
In the spirit of continually reforming as Lutherans, loving and caring for all of creation, and living in the teachings of our Social Statement “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice,” Lutherans Restoring Creation has also created Five Theses for Earth Day.
Let us know what you are doing in your synod, congregation, and community by sending a note to LAMPa@lutheranadvocacypa.org. We at LAMPa would be happy to engage with you and to share advocacy resources to support our collective care for creation on Earth Day.

Human and Civil Rights Network Launch
2024-04-17 12:00 - 13:00
Join leaders and advocates who care for LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and care for all people made in God’s image from across the Commonwealth as for a time of connecting, sharing, and learning!
Why join a network?
The work of striving for justice and peace in all the earth can be lonely and exhausting – LAMPa hopes that by launching our networks we strengthen the bonds of our advocates across the Commonwealth and remind one another that we are not alone. It will also be a time to share our stories and best practices of our ministry and discipleship in these areas, and to dream together about how to best lift up our stories and hopes to those in power.

We hope you join us in this important work of connecting and inspiring one another!

Register HERE.

Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot for the primary election
2024-04-16
Don’t miss the deadline to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot before the upcoming Pennsylvania primary elections!
The last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot is Tuesday, April 16. Applications must be received by your county election board by this date.
Tuesday, April 23, is the primary election. Completed ballots must be received by your county election office by this date. Postmarks are not enough.
You can register to vote online and find more information about voter registration here. You can also find information about voter registration here.
You can find information about voting by mail-in or absentee ballot here.
You can apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot online here.
You can also apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot by submitting your completed physical application to your county election office, either by hand or by mail. Here are blank applications for mail-in ballots and absentee ballots. The Pennsylvania Department of State also has applications in some languages other than English (listed under “Option 2: Apply for a Mail Ballot by mail“). You can also request a physical application in person at your county voter office.
Information about becoming an annual mail voter can be found here.
Information about third party ballot delivery for mail voting and designating an agent, along with the form, can be found here.
Information about the accessible remote ballot marking solution for mail voting can be found here.
If you’re unsure whether or not you are currently registered to vote in PA or are unsure whether or not your voter registration is up to date, you can check your voter registration status here.
You can find your polling place here.
If you have any questions, you can call 1.877.VOTESPA (1.877.868.3772).
You can find contact information for your county election officials here.
This page from the Pennsylvania Department of State has more information about upcoming elections.

Creation Care Network Launch
2024-04-10 12:00 - 13:00
Join Creation Care leaders and advocates from across the Commonwealth as for a time of connecting, sharing, and learning!
Why join a network?
The work of striving for justice and peace in all the earth can be lonely and exhausting – LAMPa hopes that by launching our networks we strengthen the bonds of our advocates across the Commonwealth and remind one another that we are not alone. It will also be a time to share our stories and best practices of our ministry and discipleship in these areas, and to dream together about how to best lift up our stories and hopes to those in power.

We hope you join us in this important work of connecting and inspiring one another!

Register HERE.

Mid-Atlantic Regional VOAD Conference
2024-04-08 12:00 - 2024-04-09 12:00 | Cacapon State Park, Berkley Springs, WV, United States
Join Lutheran Disaster Response for training and engagement.
This regional VOAD conference is being sponsored by the state VOADs within FEMA Region 3 and include Maryland VOAD, Delaware VOAD, Pennsylvania VOAD, West Virginia VOAD, DC VOAD and Virginia VOAD. The event will focus on the science behind the increased intensity and frequency of storms, and other effects communities will continue to see as the result of global warming and climate change. This first regional annual conference will take place at Cacapon State Park, Berkley Springs, W. Va. Learn more about this regional VOAD conference by contacting Rev. Phil Huber at chairperson@marylandvoad.org
Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9
Noon Monday to noon Tuesday | Berkley Springs, W. Va.
The event is free and open to the public.
You can register here.

Mountain West Regional VOAD Conference
2024-04-08 - 2024-04-11 | Kent United Methodist Church, Kent, WA, United States
Join Lutheran Disaster Response for training and engagement.
The Mountain West VOAD bolsters relationships and capabilities between states that experience similar challenges in disaster response, including Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Learn more about the Mountain West VOAD here.
Monday, April 8, through Thursday, April 11
All day | Seattle, Wash.
The event is free and open to the public.
You can register here.

Last day to REGISTER to vote before the primary election
2024-04-08
Make sure you’re registered to vote before the upcoming Pennsylvania primary elections!
The last day to register to vote before the primary is Monday, April 8.
Tuesday, April 23, is the primary election.
You can register to vote online and find more information about voter registration here. You can also find information about voter registration here.
You can also register to vote by submitting your completed physical voter registration application to your county voter registration office, either by hand or by mail. You can access a blank application here.
If you are on active duty in the military or are a hospitalized or bedridden veteran or another type of overseas voter, you can register to vote and find more information here.
If you already registered to vote in PA but need to update something like your name or address, you can update your voter registration here.
If you’re unsure whether or not you are currently registered to vote in PA or are unsure whether or not your voter registration is up to date, you can check your voter registration status here.
If you are already registered to vote in PA, you can find your polling place here.
If you have any questions, you can call 1.877.VOTESPA (1.877.868.3772).
You can find contact information for your county election officials here.
This page from the Pennsylvania Department of State has more information about upcoming elections.

The Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fires of Freedom and Cloud of Witnesses
2024-04-07 14:00 - 20:00 | House of Prayer, Aliquippa, PA, United States
Join the SWPA Synod on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at House of Prayer Lutheran Church (2100 W Irwin St, Aliquippa) for The Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fires of Freedom and Cloud of Witnesses.
Schedule for Sunday, April 7
2pm – Pre-Event in Aliquippa – more information to follow
4pm – Education time / Panel Discussion
5:30pm – Dinner
6:30pm – Worship with Holy Communion, with the Rev. CeCee Mills preaching and Bishop Kurt Kusserow presiding
A livestream will be available for the worship service as well as for the panel discussion.
Childcare for children age 0-5 is available during this event. Please pre-register for childcare here.
