News
July 16, 2019
After working for 36 years as a journalist at several Pennsylvania newspapers, the Rev. Brenda Martin left journalism in Advent 2018 to take a full-time call as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Greenville, Mercer County. As a journalist, she could never advocate for public policy or use her voice to talk about current...
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July 15, 2019
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Summer Nutrition Status Report measures the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2018, nationally and in each state. A companion piece, FRAC’s Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Breakfast Status Report, focuses on summer breakfast participation. Pennsylvania saw a slight increase in the number of Summer...
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July 9, 2019
ELCA Advocacy recently shared a host of new resources that are posted on our LAMPa website under Creation Care. The materials were introduced at the ELCA Advocacy Convening. The theme this year was “Prepared to Care: Our Advocacy in Light of Disasters Intensified by Climate Change”. The rubric of the convening was shaped deeply by...
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July 9, 2019
The Pennsylvania Council of Churches recently released a new Civic Engagement Primer and Study Guide providing an enlightening resource for faith communities to utilize in Sunday School and Faith Formation classes. The Pennsylvania Council of Churches has long believed in our call as Christians to be faithful citizens, participating in the public square in ways...
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July 8, 2019
Recent news stories of appalling conditions at immigrant detention centers and of deep human sorrow on our country’s southern border have many of us desperate to be part of change. Mary Campbell, ELCA’s Director of AMMPARO (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities) invites any faith leader (not just ELCA – rostered and...
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July 2, 2019
Free certified legal translations for asylees are available through global wordsmiths. Global wordsmiths is a Social Enterprise that provides language translation and interpretation services, as well as language access consulting and training. Every dollar of profit they earn is used to finance their innovative Social Impact Initiatives. The cost of certified translations is a...
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July 1, 2019
A decades-long General Assistance (GA) program that had been re-instated by the state Supreme Court last year was eliminated last week, affecting more than 11,000 Pennsylvanians reported to be relying on the small, temporary program targeted to the most vulnerable as a bridge in times of crisis. LAMPa staff and other advocates had accompanied recipients,...
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July 1, 2019
On June 28, Pennsylvania adopted a $34 billion budget that includes no new taxes but socks $330 million away in a rainy day fund. Highlights include increases for housing, education (basic, pre-k and special education), election security and help for a struggling agricultural industry. Funding for the state’s two major anti-hunger programs was held level....
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June 20, 2019
On June 19, Lutheran advocates from around the Commonwealth joined more than 300 rallying in the Capitol for a plan to get Pennsylvania to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 in an attempt to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Advocates visited lawmakers to thank them for their support or to urge them to...
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June 19, 2019
In 2017, 1,856,785 households in Pennsylvania — 37 percent — could not afford basic needs such as housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology. A new report from the United Way of Pennsylvania shows that economic recovery reported since the Great Recession has been uneven, and more Pennsylvania households could not afford to...
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