THIS WEEK’S BILLS: You can impact legislation this week by making your voice be heard via Request to Speak: HB2668 (Weds, 3/31 - Nutrition Assistance), HB2805 (Weds, 3/31 - Economic Security), SB1387 (Tues, 3/30 - Child & Youth Welfare), SB1411 (Tues, 3/30 - Economic Security).

“We will be feeling the effects of the pandemic for quite some time, and few will suffer more than people experiencing homelessness,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “These additional monies, invested in the city’s human services partners, will go a long way to easing that pain.”

Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us and Ezra Klein of New York Times Opinion discuss the terrible price of drained-pool politics. This is a transcript of their conversation first broadcast on February 16.

The recording of the Advocacy 101 training workshop sponsored by LAMA, Arizona Faith Network, and Bread for the World Southwest is now available online. Facilitated by Angie Burleson.

Food banks are a lifeline for Arizonans in need. That has never been more clear than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our food banks have seen 2–3 times as many people in their lines.

“Our faith traditions tell us that God, as understood in each of our traditions, is deeply concerned with the well-being of all in our communities and that when one person suffers we all suffer. That is why we gather together and pledge to do our part to care for our neighbor.”

“From the perspective of Black people, particularly many young ones, the government is not to be trusted.”

During Covid-19, food banks have been swamped, serving people who don't get SNAP benefits and millions more whose SNAP benefits don't provide enough food.

A big part of the administration’s coronavirus relief package is focused on children. The president says he wants to expand the federal child tax credit, which gives families money for each child they have — or at least reduces their taxes. This change could help lift nearly 10 million children above the poverty line or get them closer to it.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an important new tool at the end of January to help states implement Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), which provides federally funded grocery benefits to replace the meals that children are missing when they’re not attending school or child care.

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) represents both the ELCA and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at UN headquarters in New York. Advocacy through LOWC reflects the work of these bodies depending on whether the context is domestic or international.

The Senate version of the Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program Bill (SB1176) is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, February 2, 2021.

Today the Senate Education committee is hearing another bill that undermines the funding base of a still woefully underfunded public education system, and that will especially undermine the lowest income school districts. This drastic expansion of the ESA voucher program comes at a time when public schools have not been made whole after decades of defunding.

From Bread for the World comes this exceptional Special Report on COVID, hunger, and the racial disparities that have further deepened from it. It is well written, graphically interesting and worth reading.

The nominee for the U.S. federal housing agency lays out her plans to fulfill President Biden’s ambitious housing agenda.

The American Rescue Plan, the emergency relief proposal that President Biden announced in mid-January and that Congress will begin considering soon, includes key investments to mitigate high levels of hunger and hardship.

Clergy have an important role to play in messaging and communication about the vaccine and getting people access to it. “Focusing on trusted messengers such as religious leaders have been a part of every national public health strategy,” says Mimi Kiser, senior program director of the Interfaith Health Program.

In keeping with its mission to “joins with the most vulnerable of our society to voice our common needs in the public square, activating our faith in love,” LAMA announces its 2021 Legislative Priorities.