The 2023-24 Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with LAMA will serve as a member of the staff of this ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy Office as a full-time contract employee. This is a paid position, including health insurance. The position begins in September 2023.

The Interior Department last summer dropped a bomb on the seven states that depend upon the Colorado River for water. By Bruce Babbitt for New York Times Opinion. Mr. Babbitt, the secretary of the Interior Department from 1993 to 2001 in the Clinton administration, is a former governor of Arizona (1978 to 1987).

What can we do to join Apache Stronghold and protect Oak Flat today? Watch this 7-minute video created TODAY for the latest update.

As homelessness overwhelms downtown Phoenix, a small business wonders how long it can hang on. By Eli Saslow for The New York Times.

For the first time in the program’s history, the No Borders No Limits Produce Program is assuming a role in produce sourcing through activities in Nogales, Arizona, which is a hub for produce coming in to the US from Mexico. Watch video!

Fabric patches and invitations to members of Congress ~ including two from Arizona ~ to visit ministries addressing homelessness and housing in their districts were delivered by ELCA advocates on Capitol Hill last week.

Have you seen this license plate when driving around Arizona? The Hunger Relief license plate costs $25 (plus postage and handling) and benefits LAMA and Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance coalition partner, the Arizona Food Bank Network.

A pictorial recap of Lutheran Day at the Legislature on Monday, January 30, 2023. The Lutherans (and friends) are here!

This new 12-page resource from Arizona Food Bank Network is created each year to help educate state legislators about hunger in Arizona. Contains helpful and up-to-date information for Arizona hunger advocates.

Over 40% of Arizona's water supply comes from groundwater. Outside of the central populous portions of the state, there has been little regulation governing its use. This affects the water future of more than 1.5 million Arizonans.

Governor-Elect Katie Hobbs has appointed Angie Rodgers to take over DES. The agency says thousands of Arizonans were overpaid unemployment benefits in the pandemic.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced last month that the Arizona Department of Education will allocate $6.75 million in pandemic relief funds to waive fees for students who qualify for reduced-price school meals starting in January.

January 24 Update: Click to view who’s booked to speak, list of legislators committed to attend and who’s taking appointments to meet their constituents during Lutheran Day at the Legislature on Monday, January 30 from 9:30 am - 11:00 am.

An update on the voter integrity bills we tracked through the 2022 legislative session. The bill tracker and analysis on civic engagement and voter integrity is courtesy of Arizona Faith Network and their team of legislative analysts.

We are called to conversation and prayer around our role as U.S. residents and as people of faith in ensuring our election systems promote dignity and respect for all. We are called to act by speaking out as advocates and engaging in local efforts to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.

Join Arizona Faith Network and partners from their Voting Rights Coalition across Arizona for their Summer Signature Kickoff to save Democracy. We bring the petitions and train you!

The Arizona Fair Elections Act will take down barriers to voting for all Arizona citizens, make the vote-by-mail list permanent again, reduce the influence of money on our elections and bar legislators from overriding election results.

Sign the Democracy Pledge to support policies that ensure all Arizonans can cast a ballot that counts.