The Vitalyst Health Foundation announced on Friday that Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) and its Arizona Hunger Policy Workgroup partners was awarded a 2022 SPARK Grant. The $20,000 grant was one of eleven SPARK Grants awarded by Vitalyst this year.

ELCA Social Message “Community Violence” urges us to become more involved in countering the reality and fear of violence in our communities and our neighbors’ communities, pursuing justice and seeking peace no matter how long the journey or complex the challenge.

ELCA Resources on gun violence include “A 60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence,” as well as an easy-to-use guide and appendix noting key documents and actions and a gun violence litany.

PURPLE: America, We Need to Talk tells the story of everyday Americans with opposing viewpoints confronting their disagreements head-on and discovering the humanity and concerns that lie behind each other’s positions.

The 2022-23 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 2022.

If you look back at a time you felt directionless, does that memory still present the same feelings in your current context? Reflect using this devotional from an ELCA World Hunger Advocacy Fellow Sandra Roper on how a "new thing" may be shaping in your life.

Faith Leaders Sign On by Friday, May 20: If Congress were to make the current $2,000 Child Tax Credit fully refundable and available to all low-income families, the number of children experiencing poverty would fall by an estimated 20 percent.

We once thought big about hunger. Can we do it again? Opinion by E. J. Dionne of The Washington Post.

Last spring, "Like many, my plans had been derailed, and the way forward seemed especially unclear," says ELCA World Hunger Fellow from Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry NJ. "It was during this time that my 'new thing' sprung forth..." Read #newthing devotional reflection at https://blogs.elca.org/.../devotional-first-learn-next-do/

The ELCA’s social statement entitled Abortion is grounded in the conviction that “Christians are united in Christ through faith with both the freedom and obligation to engage in serious moral deliberation.” It was adopted by the 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

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.

The ELCA Social Statement on Civic Engagement is underway. Let your voice be heard! What issues should be included in the ELCA’s next Social Statement on Church, State, and Civic Participation? What concerns do you have about where the church currently stands on civic engagement, and where should the church be headed?

Whether you are a seasoned activist or taking your first steps into civic engagement, join LAMA, Phoenix Fusion, the Capital Conference and the Rev. Katie Sexton-Wood for an informative and energizing evening of learning and action.

Approved participants invite their congregation, networks and friends to donate to their hunger program; then, to kickstart campaigns, the funds raised are matched by ELCA World Hunger with a grant of $500. 

Urge U.S. Reps Tom O’Halleran (LD 1), Paul Gosar (LD 4), Andy Biggs (LD 5), David Schweikert (LD 6) and Debbie Lesko (LD 8) to cosponsor H.R.4693. Reps Kirkpatrick (LD 2), Grijalva (LD 3), Gallego (LD 7) and Stanton (LD 9) have already signed on. Urge Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema to cosponsor S.2956.

New from ELCA Advocacy, a 2-page resource to get you started in advocacy!

From April 11-22, 2022, Congress will be in recess and legislators will most likely be returning to their home states. Your call has a greater chance of being effective and receiving attention. April 11-22 is the perfect time to call your Senators' and Representative's local offices!