Advocacy and Social Justice
Quick Links
Grand Canyon Synod Partnering with Statewide Hunger Advisory Council
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Raise Your Voice in Washington
NEW THIS WEEK
One in seven people go hungry in the world every day. That is 925 million people.
Does your congregation host a meal before Lenten services? Why not gather for a meal and help fight hunger at the same time? Enjoy global cuisine while learning about the world and how our church is making a difference. Instead of charging for the meal, collect donations to support ELCA World Hunger. Visit www.elca.org/hunger/lent for complete instructions on 12 different global meals - complete with recipes, table prayers, printable placemats, table tents, dramas, discussion starters and more.
“Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work”
An in-depth look at how organizations of all types, acting in diverse settings, are implementing a collective impact approach to solve large-scale social problems. Written by Fay Hanleybrown, John Kania, & Mark Kramer. Provided courtesy of AZ Faith Based & Community Initiatives.
Center for Women with Vision courses begin February 2012
Phoenix Seminary’s Center for Women with Vision is a safe gathering place where women are valued and launched for Kingdom work in their personal, spiritual and vocational lives. The primary focus is to equip and connect spiritually intentional Christian women (individuals as well as ministries), empowering them to live out their vision and God’s calling upon their lives; ultimately creating greater spiritual influence on the culture of our community. For more information about the Center or register for a course click here.
ArizonaSERVES Task Force Meeting, February 23 (Yuma)
Join ArizonaSERVES Task Force members at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 23 for a brief informational meeting regarding Foster Care Participation and community support of CPS visitation efforts. The meeting will be at:
Yuma First Assembly of God
3000 S. Avenue B
Yuma, AZ 85364
Leaders of all faith communities and faith organizations are welcome. To learn more about this meeting, please contact Susan 602.577.8150.
Spring Semester - 2012
Spiritual Awareness Month, February
Devils in Disguise, March 10
Alternative Spring Break Trips, Spring Break, 2012
Cesar Chavez Day of Service, March 31
National Volunteer Week, April 15 – 21
Connecting Communities for the Common Good Conference, April 23
HopeFest Phoenix (Health and Human Services), March 2012
Arizona Impact Summit, April 23, 2012
Convening community leaders to share ideas, discuss best practices and develop solutions for the good of our communities and state. We believe it takes all of us doing our part to make the community whole and healthy. Event will be held at ASU, Tempe Campus. To view a flyer for this event click here. For more information, please email info@acfbci.org.
DES - Grand Canyon Synod Partnering with Statewide Hunger Advisory Council
It is a pleasure for the Grand Canyon Synod Advocacy office to participate in an ongoing partnership with the Department of Economic Security Statewide Hunger Advisory Council. This group is comprised of a myriad of stakeholders whose professional roles serve to dedicate them to the eradication of hunger in every location in Arizona. Please note the ongoing meeting minutes provided from each monthly meeting of this group. Meetings are held monthly at the East Jefferson location of the Department of Economic Security in Phoenix. Follow-up on any agenda item that is listed or discussion recorded in the meeting minutes may be accomplished through contacting the meeting chair Linda Hamman, Hunger Relief Program Manager, Department of Economic Security.
Arizona Food Policy Task Force Contacts
NEW ADVOCACY RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Phoenix, AZ
Click here to view new food pantry and thrift store hours of operation.
AZ Faith Based & Community Initiatives
The purpose of this initiative is to develop leaders and advocates to foster collective community efficacy so that every child, adult and family in the state of Arizona will be safe and economically secure. To encourage and foster dialogue between faith-based and community organizations, and existing systems of care.
December 2011 Meeting Minutes
January 2012 Meeting Agenda
January 2012 Meeting Minutes
February 2012 Meeting Agenda
For more information or sign-up to receive their monthly e-newsletter visit the AZ Faith Based & Community Initiatives website.
The Society for Nonprofit Organizations is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
with members throughout the world.
Go and Do News, the "occasional" e-newsletter publication for ELCA Hunger Leaders, is now available. The August 30, 2011, edition includes:
- Updates on ELCA Good Gifts
- The newest ELCA World Hunger Resource Packet
- An opportunity to grow your food pantry ministry through AmpleHarvest.org
- An update on the ELCA Malaria Campaign
- Updates on the East Africa drought situation
- Quick links to ELCA Churchwide Assembly related resources
AZ 2-1-1 Update
Community Information & Referral (CIR), an Arizona 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has recently been designated as lead entity and the provider of 2-1-1 services in Arizona. Persons in need will be able to call this easy-to-remember number, 2-1-1, to access information on shelter and food emergencies, and all health and human service resources. To read more about this important resource click here. To download the 2-1-1 brochure click here.
AZ Coalition for Military Families - Guidelines for Care Project
The concept behind this cross‐sector effort is to bring together key stakeholders from the military, government and community to establish guidelines for the care and support of the military and veteran population. As far as is known, this is the first such effort to undertake this type of process. The end result will be that service members, veterans and families will be connected to the right program, resource and/or benefit at the right time. For more information on how you can help click here.
AZ Roster of Human Services Program Contacts
Click here for the current roster of Human Services Program contacts with the Arizona Department of Economic Security. These individuals and programs may be of specific help to your congregation in its current and future outreach work and to individuals who approach your congregation for specific assistance. The AZ DES team has identified individuals in their service units who are readily available to answer questions and to help connect Arizona citizens to services that may be critical for their ongoing health and well being. Please do not hesitate to use these resources as you deem appropriate.
The Association of Arizona Food Banks has released the Arizona Highlights of the 2010 Hunger in America Report. This report is the largest, most comprehensive study of domestic emergency food assistance ever conducted and provides data on the emergency response to hunger and the people served by food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in the Feeding America network. The report is a valuable tool for our congregations in understanding the "least of these" in our midst we are called to minister to. For information on food banks in Arizona please visit the Association of Arizona Food Banks' website.
AZ WIC Information
The federally funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) teaches Arizona families about nutrition. To learn more about this program click here.
Budget Debate in America
Would you like to know how the latest congressional work will affect those struggling with poverty/hunger, etc., as well as the long term impacts on our social programs? To help explain the implications of these actions the Interreligious Group on Domestic Human Needs conducted a webinar entitled “An Update on a Faithful Response to the Budget Debate” on August 3, 2011. Click this link to view the webinar: http://umc.adobeconnect.com/p52l9dkkrln/ .
The Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA is very proud to support the social statements of our faith denomination through specific Advocacy work. We encourage you to view the Churchwide website at ELCA for easy reference to these materials on our denomination’s Social Statements and to frequently visit this website for updates on specific activities in the Advocacy arena. In addition, we ask you to consider the following questions in terms of your own personal commitment to advocacy beyond the pew as well as in the daily work of your own Lutheran congregation.
Are you an ‘advocating congregation’? This means your congregation is:
- One that, amid our diversity of opinions, uses our voices to communicate to elected officials regarding the critical social issues of the day.
- One that believes that striving for justice and peace is part of our baptismal vocation.
- One that makes the connection between acts of charity and acts of justice.
Has your congregation committed to at least three of the following activities?
- Inviting Synod advocacy staff to preach and teach on the issues of the day.
- Convening and advocacy Bible study.
- Hosting a forum with elected officials.
- Holding an offering of letters.
- Sending members to Faith Advocacy Day at the Capitol.
- Attending rallies and other public events that support our policy beliefs as outlined in our denomination’s Social Statements.
- Making public policy work a line item in your church’s annual budget.
- Collecting a special offering for designated Advocacy work.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with you in partnership on behalf of our local neighborhoods and communities on the task of advocacy in today’s ever changing world. Please contact Teri Traaen for further information as to how you may become involved in this critical work.
ADVOCACY IN NEVADA
Check out this new site and mission here or watch an introductory video for LAMN. There is a new feature on the Nevada State Legislative website that makes it incredibly easy to stay informed on issues and even have a say in the debate.
The ELCA Social Statements urge Lutherans to participate in public dialog and to hold elected officials accountable to Christian values. Lutherans in Nevada are in a wonderful place to do just that with this new internet tool.
The Religious Alliance in Nevada (RAIN) since 1997 has provided an advocate in the Nevada Legislature to speak for the care of those who are least able to speak for themselves or who have the least basic necessities of life. RAIN is an alliance of five Christian denominations (Lutheran, Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Methodist), the members of which are motivated by an understanding of faith that requires more than a personal relationship to the divine. Justice, love of neighbor, compassion, reconciliation, and serving others (especially the poor) are at the heart of God’s message in Scripture. To explain this special ministry of advocacy, Assistant to the Bishop for Advocacy-NV and RAIN Advocate, Larry Struve, has written A Unique Faith-based Advocacy Ministry: Providing a Voice of Conscience for State Legislators. Please take the time to read this article and forward to a friend.
Check out this article:
LAMN Article for SPS e Newsletter
A Wall Mentality
As a border state, Immigration issues are always in our Arizona news. Recently a Grand Canyon Synod Lutheran Pastor walked along the fence being built on the border which we share with our neighbor, Mexico. Please read about his experience.
Ecumenical Study Guide on Global Poverty
Follow this link for a great new resource that will inspire you to take action to end global poverty.
ELCA Churchwide
Responds to the current economic crisis with a statement from the Washington DC office.
GCS Hunger Solutions
This is the new online hunger group that is meeting monthly to discuss ideas, projects, activities and advocacy to address issues of hunger in our congregations, communities and world. Download this PDF flyer here for more information.
Immigration and the DREAM Act
An ongoing commitment for the Grand Canyon Synod is to be a ‘public voice’ for issues affecting the marginalized and underserved in our individual, local and national communities. As a result of this commitment, members of the Synod staff are regularly involved with issues at the Arizona and Nevada legislatures. In addition and recently, we partnered with the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services office for visits with key elected officials on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. We also were included in a briefing with senior policy officials working in the White House administration. Below you will find links to documents that reflect not only the LIRS talking points concerning the ongoing debate on the DREAM Act, but also feedback bulletins from the vote on December 8, 2010, in the House of Representatives as well as a counter point document on some of the issues of concern being expressed by members who did not vote for this version of the DREAM Act. This counter point document reflects some of the dissenting voices in the United States Senate. We encourage all of our churches and individual members to become informed on this and all other issues affecting our communities throughout the U.S. As Lutherans, we have a responsibility to voice our support and our concerns on all matters affecting the well being of individuals and communities. Continue to watch the Synod website for more real time links on various crucial issues.
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service - Words Matter
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service - DREAM Act Talking Points
- Letter from Congressman Trent Franks regarding the DREAM Act
- Explanation of the DREAM Act legislation by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
- LIRS has created a Leadership Summit webpage (www.lirs.org/lils) where you will find a number of helpful congregational resources, along with links to the Summit evaluation.
National Hunger Awareness
Here are some practical ways that you can help end hunger in your state:
- Make sure you know about the available assistance - and how to get it.
- Talk to your kids about the importance of good nutrition and a healthy breakfast.
- Talk to your school officials about nutrition programs and advocate for greater public and charter school efforts to expand universal school breakfast participation.
- Students volunteer to host a food drive.
- Participate in food & fund-raising activities like Share our Strength’s annual Great American Bake Sale, Great American Dine Out, and local food drives.
- Host a neighborhood awareness raising party.
- Donate backyard produce/citrus to your local food pantry.
- Write or call your City Council, state legislators, and board of Education to let them know you support policies to end childhood hunger.
Contact your local hunger assistance organizations to find out how you can help by sharing your time & talents.
Got more ideas? Tell us about them! We would like to share the things that you & your congregation are doing to help end hunger where you live! Please send your ideas & photos to Teri Traaen.
Raise your voice in Washington!
Please remember that your voice can be heard in Washington through e-mails, letters and phone calls to your Senators and Representatives. In a recent visit to Capitol Hill, Bishop Steve Talmage and his Assistants (Dr. Teri Traaen, Director of Advocacy in Arizona & Mr. Larry Struve, Director of Advocacy in Nevada) heard time and again from our Legislators that when they receive calls and mail from their constituents, it captures their attention and it influences their vote. Now is the time to let your voice be heard! To find out who your Legislators are and how to contact them, follow this bilingual link.
For questions regarding the content of this page, please contact Teri Traaen or 602.957.3223 ext. 109.
