How does what we eat locally effect food supplies globally? Join us October 15 & 16 at Trinity Lutheran Church and Pacific Lutheran Church..Keynot by Jim McDonal from Bread for the World and David Creech of the ELCA Hunger Appeal. For more information visit lutheranssw.org.
I attended a CIR training on Saturday, July31st @ Phinney Ridge Lutheran. The training was led by Diakonda Gurning and Stacy Kitahata. We reviewed a timeline of US immigration legislation, learned the correct terms for immigration status, i.e. resident alien, refugee, etc. We also read the many old testament, new testament and Koran verses regarding our response to the stranger or aliens in our land. Time well spent. Kathy Long, LPPO Advisory Council member. More events are upcoming!
A big “thank you” to all who attended or sent a gift in support of our 7th annual fundraising dinner and auction on April 25th. The evening was a wonderful celebration of the work of LPPO and our community and religious partners. If you have not yet had a chance to donate, please consider a gift to support our ministry. Checks (to “LPPO”) can be sent to 766 John St., Suite B Seattle, WA 98109 or call 206-464-4133 to give by credit card. Thank you for your support in these difficult times.
-The LPPO Staff
Support Grocery Workers
Local grocery workers are in the midst of negotiating a new union contract with Safeway, Kroger (QFC and Fred Meyer) and Supervalu (Albertsons). The workers are trying to secure improved wages, protect existing health and pension benefits, and secure more dependable work schedules and paid sick leave.
The ELCA calls for the “right of workers to organize and bargain collectively” and for employers to “compensate all people we call or employ at an amount sufficient for them to live in dignity?provide adequate pension and health benefits, safe and healthy work conditions, sufficient periods of rest, vacation, and sabbatical, and family-friendly work schedules.” This commitment has led LPPO to partner with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 to work for worker justice in the grocery industry. At LPPO’s annual fundraising dinner and auction last Sunday we honored UFCW 21 with our Evergreen Justice Award honoring their commitment to working for the common good.
Because an overwhelming number of grocery clerks are women (57% in the Puget Sound), community support actions will be taking place around King County during the week leading up to mother’s day (next week) to support the worker’s negotiations and call attention to the importance of employment practices that allow working moms to be caring parents. The actions are non-confrontational visits to the stores by community members to meet with workers and store management to express support for improving workers wages, benefits, and more family friendly work schedules. This is a great opportunity to be a witness for justice in our communities.
Action Dates:
- Bellevue: Friday 5/7, 6 pm
- Renton: Saturday 5/8, 6 pm
- Seattle: Sunday 5/9, 2 pm
If you would like to participate or have any questions or concerns, please contact the LPPO office for specific locations and other details– lppooffice@lcsnw.org or 206-464-4133.
May 1st Immigration March
On April 10, in one of the two largest rallies across the country, over 7,000 people from across Washington state traveled to Seattle to demand that the Senate introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill be introduced before May 1. This Saturday, events will take place in every corner of the state to follow up on this demand, to keep the pressure on to pass immigration reform in 2010, and to denounce the harsh new law in Arizona. We invite everyone to participate in these events and demand immigration reform this year!
May 1st March
12 p.m. – Rally at Judkins Park in Seattle (map)
12:30 p.m. – March
If you would like to march with the LPPO banner, meet us in the parking lot across from St. Mary’s Catholic Church at noon. For this and other marches, we are looking for a better pole support structure for our banner. If you have access to one you would like to donate please contact the LPPO office.
May 2nd Peace March
Abolish Nuclear Weapons Rally and March
The event in Seattle, on Sunday, May 2, 1:30 p.m. will coincide with demonstrations around the world demanding that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review, which begins at the United Nations on May 3, set a firm date and implementation plan for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
The rally will include music and speakers and will begin at Seattle University’s Quad in the center of campus, south of East Madison Street. March to Waterfront Park for more music, speakers and leafleting at 2:30p.m. Participants are invited to bring signs, banners, floats, puppets, balloons, drums and instruments to create a festive atmosphere! For more information, or to add your group as an endorser or co-sponsor, call Anne Hall at 206-545-3562 or email annehall@familyhealing.com.
Seattle Public Budget Hearings
Seattle’s budget gap this year will potentially be even greater that last year’s – at least $50 million, on top of the $40 million that had to be cut from the budget in 2009. Anticipating the possible need to make mid-year spending cuts, the Mayor and City Council are holding two public hearing on the City budget. The first was held on April 28th and the second will be held on May 4th.
Tuesday May 4th at North Seattle Community College Cafeteria
9600 College Way North, Seattle, WA 98103
5 pm Sign-in, 5:30 Public Hearing
Please attend and share these four basic talking points with City elected leaders:
1. Invest in people first to rebuild our economic future.
2. Given the current economic situation, many people in our city are struggling just to meet their basic needs.
3. The city must step up to “hold the line” in our investment into human services capacity.
4. Here is MY experience in how the need has increased and service capacity has decrease since the recession began in 2008. (Share you stories of impact!)
Special Note: The Cascade People’s Center (a program of Lutheran Community Services Northwest) serves the diverse low-income community in South Lake Union and is once again at risk having its City of Seattle funding cut or eliminated. Please mention this important program in your testimonty or communication with the City.
Even after over two hundred thousand people marched in Washington, D.C. to convince Congress and the White House to take action, communities across the country will be participating in a national day of action on April 10th to ensure our representatives know we want comprehensive immigration reform. The Washington Immigration Reform Coalition (WIRC) For America, an alliance of over 50 organizations, faith groups, community groups and labor unions, is organizing around one purpose – to achieve comprehensive immigration reform – and has been working to ensure that Washington’s Congressional delegation will support and lead on the issue.
What: Rally: Stand up for Comprehensive Immigration Reform – We Must Act Now!
When: April 10, 2010 at 12pm
Where: Occidental Park, Seattle
Why: Because we need immigration reform NOW!
If you are interested in marching with the LPPO group and our banner, contact the LPPO office at lppooffice@lcsnw.org.
Sign Up Online!
A partner of LPPO, Bread for the World’s 2010 Offering of Letters aims to protect and strengthen tax credits (like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit) that benefit low-income working families. Plan on attending this workshop to learn ways that you and your family, community, and church can make a difference!
Parking is available in Lot “A” across from the church on 16th Ave. NE and in Lot “C” located on the corner of 15th Ave. NE and NE 45th St.
Questions? Contact Matt Newell-Ching at 503-922-2182 or mching@bread.org.
Date:
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Address:
University Congregational United Church of Christ
4515 16th Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
On February 16th, over 200 advocates from around Washington gathered at the State Capitol in Olympia for Interfaith Advocacy Day 2010. The day was a great success as people of faith worshiped together, heard from experts about policy and budget issues, were addressed by Gov. Chris Gregoire, and met with their elected representatives.
“Supporting Revenue to Protect Services” was the day’s slogan as attendees advocated for the new revenue necessary to prevent an all cuts budget. Gov. Gregoire urged the gathering help legislators put a human face on services at risk, such as the Basic Health Plan and Apple Health. A big “Thank You!” to the religious partners, organizations, and advocates who made Interfaith Advocacy Day 2010 possible.
If you attended advocacy day and were energized by the experience or could not attend and want to get involved, this Saturday, February 20th, is a great opportunity for action.
Legislators from across the state are taking time off from the session to hold town hall meetings in their home districts. This is a rare chance to influence your legislators mid-session while they are still working out the details of critical legislation, including the budget.
We need every member of the legislature to hear loud and clear that our communities can’t afford deeper cuts to education, health care, and the environment. Will you join friends and neighbors at a local town hall on Saturday?
Yes, show me where my local town hall is!
Over the next four weeks, our elected officials in Olympia will face tough decisions about how to close the state’s budget deficit. After billions in cuts last year, another all cuts budget would devastate our communities and hamper our recovery from this historic recession. We need our legislators to return to Olympia with one clear message in mind: we can’t cut our way out of this deficit.
Rep. Ross Hunter and others have already introduced bills that would save the state hundreds of millions of dollars by closing unfair tax loopholes and exemptions. During these challenging times, we believe it makes more sense to end a $33 million sales tax exemption for out of state shoppers than cut $33 million from education. However, we need your help to get the word out to members of the legislature when they are home on February 20.
Will you join friends and neighbors at a local town hall on Saturday?
Please click on the link below to find your local town hall
http://fusewashington.org/page/event/search_simple
At the height of the legislative session, your elected leaders are looking for ideas and stories from constituents to take back to Olympia. Help us tell them that we can’t afford anymore cuts!
Town Hall Resources:
Town Hall Talking Points from the Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition (pdf)
January 15
9:30am
Everett, WA: Clark Park to the office of Rick Larsen (Directions)
The National Week of Action for Comprehensive Immigration Reform is January 12-15. The largest action in Washington will be a march called “Our Work, For America!” in Everett, WA, to the office of Rick Larsen. Join us in the movement for Immigration Reform and let’s show our leaders in Washington State the strength of our collective voice! Organizations, unions, workers, faith groups, students, let’s make our voices heard!
Why March?
To show our elected leaders how immigrant labor strengthens Washington’s economy and ask Representative Rick Larsen to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now!
We have 2 specific asks of Congressman Larsen:
- Will you support Comprehensive Immigration Reform by becoming a co-sponsor of the Gutierrez immigration reform bill?
- Will you work with us to be a part of a large town hall meeting in Mt. Vernon with your constituents either during Presidents’ Day or Easter Recess?
What to wear?
People should march dressed in their work clothes and holding something that represents their labor, such as flowers, fruits, vegetables, brooms, construction hats, or nursing uniforms. Not only blue-collared workers should wear their clothes: if you are a doctor, come in your scrubs! If you are a teacher, dress as a teacher and bring some children from your school with signs saying what they want to be when they grow up!
Transportation
We will have 2 buses transporting people, one leaving from Mt. Vernon and the other from Bellingham. Apart from this, we will organize a community carpool from Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, and Lynnwood, to bring people to Everett. If you have a car that you could use to help carpool or would like to organize a carpool in your city, please let us know!
To participate please call OneAmerica information line at 206.452.8422 or email Kendra Anderson at Kendra@weareoneamerica.org.
Learn Lushootseed, the language of the Skagit, Duwamish, Nisqually, and other First Peoples of Puget Sound.
“Introduction to Beginning Lushootseed,” instructor Michael C. Evans
January 9, 23, February 13, 27, March 13, 27
1:00-3:00pm
To enroll call the Longhouse at 206.431.1582 or visit the website.
January 18
Garfield High School
Workshops: 9:30-10:45am
Rally at 11:00am
March begins at noon
For more info visit www.mlkseattle.org
This year’s theme is “Justice Now! Healthcare, Housing, Jobs and Education!“
January 18
9:00am-3:00pm
Olympia, WA
Register here
On January 18, 2010, over 500 people with low incomes will march on the state capitol in Olympia to demand a change. We believe our state government has a responsibility in ensuring that all people are able to meet their basic needs and providing greater opportunities to prosper.
The People’s Summit is an opportunity for people with low incomes to weigh in on issues and policies that directly impact them. This year, we will release the Racial Justice Report Card, which assesses the performance of the Washington Legislature on policies that address and strengthen racial equity in our state.
In addition to the March and rally, the People’s Summit includes skill-building workshops, a chance to network with people from across the state, and meetings with lawmakers so that we can ensure racial and economic justice is a priority.
Schedule
9:00am – Summit, Capitol Theatre, 206 5th Ave SE
11:30am – March & Rally, Capitol Theatre & Capitol Campus
1:00pm – Workshops & Lawmaker Meetings, Capitol Campus
Join us as we urge our lawmakers to fight for:
- Affordable housing and mortgage foreclosure protections
- Opportunities for low-income families
- The protection of safety net programs and critical services
- Progressive revenue options