News
- ELCA Members, Bishops Moved to Ensure Children Don't Go Hungry
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 26 July 2010
WASHINGTON (ELCA) -- Nearly one in four American children are hungry, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Bishops and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are working together to fight hunger among children.
"Our job as the domestic caucus of the Conference of Bishops is to do our best to advocate for the hungry in America," said the Rev. James F. Mauney, bishop, ELCA Virginia Synod, Salem, and chair of the domestic caucus. In cooperation with the ELCA Washington Office, more than 34 of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops are participating in a nationwide movement to provide reliable and nutritious meals for hungry children, he said.
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- LWF Assembly Focused on Alleviating Hunger
- Posted by Amy on Wednesday, 21 July 2010
STUTTGART, Germany (ELCA) - Saying that "hunger is not God's fault, it's our fault," the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, introduced the theme of the LWF's Eleventh Assembly, "Give Us Today Our Daily Bread," at a news conference here July 19, according to an LWF news release.
"If people lack what they need for daily life, it is because we have failed to ensure that the good things of God's creation are justly and equitably distributed to all," Hanson said.
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- Save the Date Advocacy Day September 25th
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 19 July 2010
LOPPW Advocacy Training September 25, 2010
With only five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus and his disciples fed more than 5,000 people. Through advocacy, we bring daily bread to thousands in Wisconsin and millions around our country. Together with ELCA World Hunger and the East Central Synod of Wisconsin, the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin invites you to participate in this unique advocacy training and learn how we live out our baptismal calling to strive for justice and peace.
The Loaves and Fishes Advocacy Day will take place on Saturday September 25 at Calvary Lutheran in Green Bay. The training will begin at 10:00 am and run through 3:00 pm. The cost is $25 and $10 for students; lunch will be provided. To RSVP, please call 608-270-0201, or email us at contact@loppw.org.
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- Journal of Lutheran Ethics on Poverty and Hunger
- Posted by Amy on Thursday, 17 June 2010
Make sure you read the latest edition of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, which can be found on the ELCA’s website: www.elca.org
Nancy Arnison, Director of ELCA World Hunger, spells out the challenge of modern day hunger and how the ELCA responds in various ways, such as advocacy. Three other authors take on the root causes of poverty with Biblical insight, and spell out our calling as Lutheran Christians to respond.
Each of the four articles serve as excellent topics of discussion for congregations interested in exploring the intersection of Scripture and society today. To learn more about ELCA World Hunger visit their website at: www.elca.org
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- Governor Strengthens Payday Lending Bill
- Posted by Amy on Wednesday, 19 May 2010
The push to reform payday lending in Wisconsin took an interesting turn as Governor Doyle used his veto power to strengthen the bill approved by the Senate and Assembly before signing it into law. The Governor notified the Legislature on Tuesday a number of changes were made to eliminate loopholes and better protect consumers from predatory lenders in Wisconsin.
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- Senate and Assembly Pass Payday Lending Reform
- Posted by Amy on Tuesday, 27 April 2010
In the final week of the legislative session, the Wisconsin State Senate and State Assembly took an important first step toward regulating the payday and auto title loan industry. The final bill (SB 530) did not include a rate cap as many had advocated, but instead the chambers passed legislation designed to restrict and prevent the most abusive practices of the payday and auto title lending business in Wisconsin.
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- Update on Payday Lending in State Senate
- Posted by Amy on Thursday, 8 April 2010
A committee of the State Senate has adopted legislation to reform the practice of payday lending in Wisconsin. Payday loans are short term, high interest cash advances intended to provide consumers with money to cover emergency costs. Instead of meeting immediate needs, many clients of payday lenders find themselves quickly drawn into a never ending cycle of debt and poverty.
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- ELCA Washington Office Staff Responds to 2011 Federal Budget Proposal
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 1 March 2010
WASHINGTON (ELCA) -- As deliberations begin on the fiscal year 2011 Federal Budget, the advocacy staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) sent a letter to members of Congress on Feb. 24, urging a number of priorities "that transform lives of poverty and hunger, and protect creation," according to the letter.
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- Assembly Passes Payday Lending Reforms
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 22 February 2010
Last week, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed the Responsible Lending Act (AB 447) by a vote of 59-38. The legislation does not include a rate cap of 36% APR for all loans. At the same time, the legislation contains a number of provisions that contain and restrict the payday lending industry from drawing women and men into a downward spiraling debt trap.
The Lutheran Office for Public Policy set reform of payday lending in Wisconsin as our top policy priority for 2010. For more information about payday lending, visit our "Priorities" and "Alerts" pages on this website.
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- The Rev. Jeffrey Barrow Elected Bishop of ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 7 December 2009
MILWAUKEE (ELCA) -- The Rev. Jeffrey S. Barrow was elected Dec. 5 to a six-year term as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at a special synod assembly here at Our Savior Lutheran Church. Barrow, 58, is currently an assistant to the bishop in the synod and senior pastor of Holy Communion Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis.
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- Confirmation Students Vote For Justice
- Posted by Amy on Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Hundreds of Confirmation Students visited the Lutheran Office for Public Policy Display (LOPPW) at the La Crosse Area Synod's annual ConFest and lifted their voice on behalf of our neighbors in need.
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- ELCA Bishop Raises Food Security Concerns with USDA Secretary
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 30 November 2009
- ELCA NEWS SERVICE November 25, 2009
WASHINGTON (ELCA) On the heels of a federal report showing a significant increase in hunger in the United States, a synod bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met Nov. 23 with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack.
The Rev. Michael L. Burk, bishop, ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City, participated in a National Anti-Hunger Organizations' (NAHO) meeting here with Vilsack. The ELCA is a partner of the NAHO coalition.
"It's a sin and source of sadness that we live in a land of such abundance, and increasingly we know that there are those who lack for food," said Burk.
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- US Hunger Report Contains Troubling Information
- Posted by Amy on Monday, 23 November 2009
CHICAGO (ELCA) As people throughout the United States prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report this week that shows a significant increase in hunger in U.S. households. That's not surprising, said Nancy D. Arnison, director of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) World Hunger Program. But the extent of the increase is surprising, particularly the statistics for children, said Arnison.
USDA's Economic Research Service released its annual report Nov. 16 on Household Food Security. It said that in 2008, 17 million U.S. households -- about 49 million people -- "were food insecure and families had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year," according to a USDA news release. USDA said the number of affected households increased by 4 million over the previous year. This is the highest single-year increase since it began food security surveys in 1995.
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- Religious Groups Urge Governor To Protect Poor In State Budget
- Posted by on Monday, 2 March 2009
Leaders of four statewide religious groups have urged Governor Doyle to protect the needs of the poor as he finalizes his decisions on Wisconsin’s 2009-11 State Budget. The request came in a letter signed by the directors of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the Wisconsin Jewish Conference and the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin.
“As you reach your final decisions on the budget you will soon submit to the legislature, we urge you to make every effort to fund those programs that effectively serve our state’s most vulnerable residents,” the directors wrote.
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- Into the Blogosphere and Facebook
- Posted by Amy on Thursday, 19 June 2008
Want to learn more about the ELCA World Hunger Program and LOPPW? There are plenty of great resources on the web for you to be involved with the work of these two ministries.
The ELCA World Hunger Program now has a blog called “Hunger Rumblings”. The staff of World Hunger blog about hunger, its causes and solutions, and anything else they find relevant. Check out their blog at http://blogs.elca.org/hungerrumblings/
The World Hunger program and LOPPW also have their own pages on Facebook. Visit these pages to get updated information on the ministries and learn how you can help to make a difference! While searching around on Facebook, check out sites for causes such as The One Campaign, Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Services in America, and Bread for the World.
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