Food insecurity and poverty continue to affect families in the U.S. with young children who are the most vulnerable to hunger. A way to ensure children have the food they need to survive and thrive is to extend the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC).

“Again and again, speakers at the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, Scotland appealed to the need for solidarity between marginalized groups. “Our fight is your fight,” said Betty Billot, a member of the Houma nation on the U.S. Gulf Coast, speaking about the land loss faced by Indigenous communities.”

The House Build Back Better (BBB) legislation takes important steps to address racial disparities rooted in this nation’s long history of racism and discrimination, which has created large gaps in both opportunities and outcomes in education, employment, health, and housing.

While the details of President Joe Biden’s signature social-spending bill are still being haggled over, one big takeaway is clear: the $1.75 trillion package marks a dramatic shift toward boosting support for families with children after decades of government benefits being skewed toward the elderly.

As the administration announces a framework for its $1.75 Trillion “Human Infrastructure Package,” Lutheran Services in America continues to advocate for key provisions that would help address the acute workforce shortage and expand access to home and community-based services.

What’s on the ballot? Criminal justice and policing, access to utilities and quality education, local development and more - turning out in local elections is a meaningful way to move us toward a more just society. More at ELCA.org/votes

For those pushing for changes in society on race and other issues, words matter. They can also muddle.

Throughout the history of the United States, Black spirituality and faith has been the centerpiece of Black communities. And over that time, houses of worship have served as an organizing space for the fight for racial justice.

The Rev. Jim Wallis, founder and longtime editor of Sojourners, offers a faith-based perspective on the fight for social justice — explaining how religion, rescued from the deadly grip of the Christian right, can help counter the hatred and fear generated by social media.

Join a growing movement! Together, we achieve things on a scale and scope that we could never do otherwise. When we act as a coordinated network of advocates and reach out to officials on relevant, timely issues, we effectively impact public policies.

After caring for my ill son, my dying husband and my elderly mother, I’ve learned that you can fight only so hard to save a loved one.

In some ways, the messaging and themes used by some vaccine-hesitant members of wellness communities reflect those that have been documented in the broader anti-vaccine movement. But there are certain approaches, experts said, that especially key in on the interests and vulnerabilities of people who are invested in wellness culture.

91 percent of families with low incomes (less than $35,000) are using their monthly Child Tax Credit payments for the most basic household expenses — food, clothing, shelter, and utilities — or education.

In this 3.5-minute video, Set Free to Do Justice, the Rev. Amy Reumann and the ELCA Advocacy staff and community leaders describe this important ministry and how you can get involved.

It may seem as if every vaccine holdout thinks that Covid is a hoax, but the evidence shows there’s much more to it, NYT Opinion columnist Zeynep Tufekci writes.

New data from the Department of Agriculture suggests that families are increasingly losing access to nutritious meals. “The challenge here is deciding whether we are who we say we are,” said Cliff Johnson, the director of the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law. “It’s a matter of values, and personal and political will.”

Congregational resources offer communication guidance for faith leaders who want to talk about climate change. Two guides are available for download from ELCA Advocacy.

This 3.5-minute video from ELCA Advocacy offers six tips to engage your elected officials through the ministry of advocacy. An excellent resource for beginners!