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Current Events, Political,

More on the effects of the unemployment benefit lapse

From MichiganLive: Lapse of federal unemployment benefits costs U.S. economy $10 billion

Ten billion dollars. That’s how much money has not been spent in the U.S. economy since May because of the expiration of the federal unemployment benefit program, according to Lawrence H. Summers, director of the National Economic Council, writing on the White House blog.

That’s money that unemployed Americans who were receiving federal unemployment benefits would have spent on gas, groceries, utilities, rent and other basic necessities —” but didn’t.

Missed unemployment insurance payments since May total over $10 billion —“ enough to have created 100,000 jobs. An abrupt and premature withdrawal of relief is not only something families cannot afford, it is something that the economy cannot afford at a time when the economy is at a critical juncture.

In Michigan, reports Ed Brayton of the Michigan Messenger, it equaled $205.6 million in lost economic stimulus.

Aside from the economic hardship suffered by those who have lost benefits, the reduction in economic activity threatens the recovery, according to Summers.

Unemployment insurance puts money in the pockets of the families most likely to spend the money —“ which in turn expands the economy and creates jobs. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has identified increased aid to the unemployed as one of the two most cost-effective policy options for increasing economic production and employment.

…and from the Rockford Register Star: Strain on aid agencies rises with jobless extensions stopped

ROCKFORD —” All Kim Adams-Bakke has to do to judge the effect of lapsed unemployment benefits is listen to the chatter in the Rock River Valley Food Pantry’s waiting room.

—I hear a lot of people talking about them and what will happen if the extension doesn’t go through,— said the pantry’s executive director. —We know this is affecting us.—

It’s been 44 days since funding for 73 weeks of unemployment extensions lapsed, with efforts since to revive them ending in congressional stalemates. The benefits are in addition to the 26 weeks’ coverage offered by the states.

More than 100,000 Illinoisans have prematurely exhausted their benefits before being able to take advantage of the four tiers of extensions available.

Although a Senate vote on the funding is expected next week, it’s far from a sure thing that Democrats will garner the 60 votes they need to overcome a filibuster and pass the measure. The uncertainty has social service agencies like the food pantry preparing for the worst in the midst of an already challenging year.

—We don’t have food,— Adams-Bakke said. —Some of the basics that you and I assume will be in our pantry, they’re not there for our clients. We need everything: cereal, canned food, proteins, everything. Our extras that we have are starting to dwindle.—

Keeping warm and dry

Housing is likely the first priority for individuals or families hit by the unexpected loss of unemployment benefits, and requests for help through the city of Rockford’s Community Services Department have soared this year. Director Jennifer Jaeger said inquiries into the department’s emergency housing programs, many of which cover Boone and Winnebago counties as well as the city, have been —nonstop— this year.

—We have definitely seen a significant increase in phone calls from people whose unemployment benefits have run out,— she said. —We’re trying to schedule appointments for them as quickly as we can. Even before this most recent occurrence, we have been booked fairly solidly for six or eight weeks.—

Food on the table

Along with the food pantry, area demand for the federal food stamp program popped up again in June. More than 56,000 people in Boone and Winnebago counties were receiving funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. More than $8 million, or about $144 a person, was spent in June alone on the program.

Demand has been up across the state, said Tom Green, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Through June, more than $1.3 billion has been spent on food stamps this year, compared with about $1.1 billion through June 2009.

—I can only predict that July would be higher,— he said.

The temporary assistance for needy families program, or TANF, has also seen increased demand after years of decline. In Boone and Winnebago counties, 1,915 people were receiving the emergency cash supplement in June, up 56 percent from June 2009.

Eligibility for both programs is income-based, and being unemployed doesn’t automatically qualify an individual for either benefit. The assistance for the needy generally requires a much lower household income than food stamps, although determinations are made on a case-by-case basis.

Getting by, barely

The debate on Capitol Hill over unemployment benefits has centered largely on the cost, estimated to be $33 billion to fund the extensions through November. Democrats have so far resisted demands to offset the cost by cutting spending in other areas, calling the benefits emergency spending, while Republicans have so far objected to adding to the national deficit.

A secondary argument has been the effect of lengthy unemployment insurance extensions on job-hunting motivation, with some calling the benefits —” which average $325.53 a week before taxes in Illinois —” a disincentive to finding permanent work.

But Stillman Valley resident Teresa Hill, out of work since January 2009 after 20 years in construction, isn’t seeing many options. Hill got her last $410-a-week benefit five weeks ago and had been without income since.

She’s managed to get by with help from her family, but fears what’s to come.

—I’ve pretty much just been borrowing money and hoping something comes through,— she said. —I haven’t really seen any job offers opening up here.—

From the NY Times: Fears Grow as Millions Lose Jobless Benefits

CINCINNATI (Reuters) – Deborah Coleman lost her unemployment benefits in April, and now fears for millions of others if the Senate does not extend aid for the jobless.

“It’s too late for me now,” she said, fighting back tears at the Freestore Foodbank in the low-income Over-the-Rhine district near downtown Cincinnati. “But it will be terrible for the people who’ll lose their benefits if Congress does nothing.”

For nearly two years, Coleman says she has filed an average of 30 job applications a day, but remains jobless.

“People keep telling me there are jobs out there, but I haven’t been able to find them.”

Coleman, 58, a former manager at a telecommunications firm, said the only jobs she found were over the Ohio state line in Kentucky, but she cannot reach them because her car has been repossessed and there is no bus service to those areas.

After her $300 a week benefits ran out, Freestore Foodbank brokered emergency 90-day support in June for rent. Once that runs out, her future is uncertain.

“I’ve lost everything and I don’t know what will happen to me,” she said.

The recession — the worst U.S. downturn since the 1930s — has left some 8 million people like Coleman out of work.

Unemployment has remained stubbornly high at around 9.5 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in June 6.8 million people or 45.5 percent of the total are long-term unemployed, or jobless for 27 weeks or more…

Christian Witness, Events, PNCC, Political, , ,

IWJ’s Organizing for Worker Justice Training

Save the Dates for Interfaith Worker Justice’s Organizing for Worker Justice Training to be held October 3-7, 2010.

Do you want to learn how to strengthen partnerships between religious and labor leaders? Understand the fundamentals of Direct Action Organizing? Design creative interfaith actions? Develop strategies for building your organization? Develop effective fundraising strategies? Frame the message about religious values and workers rights to the media? If so, then this training is for you! Stay tuned for registration details…

Current Events, Perspective, Political, , , ,

Happening to real people

From the NY Post: Jobless and Broke 400 NYers a day see benefits expire

There’s one gone every 80 seconds.

That is, every day, 400 unemployed New York City residents exhaust their unemployment benefits, a study of state unemployment statistics by The Post reveals.

They’re among the 3.7 million out-of-work Americans who’ll be cut off from their average $400-a-week lifeline by the end of July.

“Every day I hear heart-wrenching stories from the unemployed who have exhausted their benefits and have no money to provide the very basics for their families,” said state Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner. “Some have even lost their homes.”

One New Yorker with just a few months left before her $430 weekly checks stop says the stress takes a huge toll.

“It’s an emotional roller-coaster. . .not sleeping, a constant feeling of worthlessness,” said Sharon Angela Richie, 47, a former executive assistant at Cabrini Medical Center who lost her job more than a year ago when the hospital went bankrupt.

“I feel as if someday I’ll be homeless living in a box,” said Richie, who’s single and living with family members in Yonkers.

One Staten Island man who exhausted his checks just last month vowed he won’t take welfare to meet his $800 a month budget living in his small apartment. He’s already burned through most of his savings and credit cards.

“I’ll do whatever the hell I can to make it up,” said Richard Respler, 27, who was downsized from the back office of a major corporation — where he hopes to return someday. “I really don’t want welfare. I won’t do that.”

New Yorkers collect 99 weeks of unemployment benefits — including 73 weeks supplied by the state with federal aid. The House has voted to extend benefits but the Senate is resisting efforts to extend them beyond their already extended length.

As a last resort for aiding growing numbers of people hurt by exhausted benefits, New York State offers programs for food stamps, small stipends and other help.

“These programs are in place to help people left with nowhere else to turn,” said Anthony Farmer of the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

…and this video from CNN: Crunch Time for Jobless

Current Events, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political, , , , , , ,

U.S. History through Polish eyes

From the Niles Herald Spectator: Library exhibit shows U.S. history through pages of Polish records

As the number of Polish-Americans in Chicagoland attests, Poland and the United States have always had a special relationship. Those interested in another perspective, from the pages of Polish periodicals, can now view a large, colorful display of panels at Eisenhower Public Library in Harwood Heights.

The exhibit, “The United States in Polish Historiography and Periodicals from 1764-1919,” is presented by the Warsaw Public Library, with the special support of the Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Bogdan Borusewicz.

On the 90th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two nations, the display shows how Poles viewed the United States, from before the American Revolution to the restoration of a Polish nation after World War I.

One early panel includes a letter from Poland. When the Americans were still divided into colonies, on March 20, 1768, Polish King Stanislaw August Poniatowski wrote to American Gen. Charles Lee: “Why do they deny your colonies the right to representation in the English Parliament?”

Two famous Polish military figures, Kazimierz Pulaski and Tadeusz Kosciuszko, contributed to the American cause during the Revolutionary War. On display panels, one can see Pulaski felled by a bullet at Savannah in 1779, the stronghold Kosciuszko designed at West Point, and Kosciuszko winning the title of brigadier general from Gen. George Washington.

Later, panels portray Polish life during the 1890s and early-1900s, when massive numbers of immigrants came to America. Photographs and documents show paramilitary organizations like the Chicago Polish Falcons, the Polish press, the Polish Catholic Church, the Polish schools, the Polish Roman Catholic Union, and the Polish National Alliance.

Other highlights include Poles participating on both sides of the Civil War and American relief efforts for Poland during World War I led by future President Herbert Hoover, just before Poland finally regained its status as a recognized nation.

Library Director Ron Stoch said that he particularly enjoyed information about Poles across the country, not just in Chicago but in Buffalo and Detroit, and about Poles living in America in the late 19th century who organized to create a nation of Poland modeled on the image of the United States.

An interesting observation which closely ties to the history of the PNCC – a Church organized by Poles in the United States, and exported back to Poland, that is both Catholic and democratic.

Bishop Hodur and the founders sought to meld Catholicism with their experience of the ideals of American democracy. Remember that they looked to the ideals, not the actual implementation of democracy in the United States since, for the most part, their immigrant experience had been one of exclusion more than inclusion. In large measure, Polish immigrants were excluded from the upper echelons of the R.C. Church, politics, and business. Many of my friend’s families were still changing their last names right through the 1960’s so as to provide for job advancement.

The founders of the PNCC saw that in freedom they could best strive after their yearnings for God. True freedom, which respects the rights of all, not just the elite or the “I know what’s best for you” government and chattering classes, is best provided for in a society that is truly free and democratic. It is one of the things that Poles had always admired about the United States.

The display is at the Eisenhower Public Library, 4613 N. Oketo Ave., Harwood Heights, IL. and can be reached by phone at (708) 867-7827. The exhibit opened July 6th and will be in place until October 31st.

Christian Witness, Perspective, Political

On peace and independence

From Sojourners:

“War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will lift.” — Sen. Robert Byrd, in a speech delivered on the Senate floor on March 19, 2003, in opposition to the war in Iraq.

…and a great article below. As we pause on this Independence Day, we should reflect on whether those who do battle with us hate our ideals, methods, presence, or all-of-it. From my take, it has never been about the people of the Middle East hating our freedoms, lifestyle, or ideals (they may not agree with them, but they don’t really care if we do not meet their standards), but rather about our presence in their backyard. Our support of Israel’s continuous war and apartheid policies, and our military presence in other parts of the region, is the sole issue of concern.

It is incumbent upon us to trade equally with all, act as an honest broker of peace and charity, and to stop being the world’s police. Independence is never gained at the point of a gun, particularly in battles of ideology. Further, we cannot fix problems of political ideology, faith practice, cultural mores, dictatorial leadership, or even poverty and hunger through military intervention. Our military doctrine and practice does not fit fourth generation warfare; not now, not in Vietnam, nor in Korea. The record of successes and failures is on the side on non-intervention. Our peace and independence depends on a clear vision as to who we are and who we are to be in the world. The father of our country captured it well in his farewell address, warning that we must:

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. … In the execution of such a plan nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded, and that in place of them just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.

It’s Time to End This War

After his unanimous approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee as the new Afghan war commander, General David Petraeus was pictured in The Washington Post with a broad smile and thumbs up proclaiming, —We are all firmly united in seeking to forge unity of effort.— No, we’re not, General. No, we’re not. In fact, I believe it’s time to begin to unite the religious community against the war in Afghanistan.

Following last week’s resignation of General Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, confirmation hearings began right away for Petraeus to become his replacement. But the real issue is not replacing one general with another because of inappropriate comments and insubordination — it’s the fatally flawed war policy in Afghanistan.

In February 1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attacks erupted throughout South Vietnam, showing that U.S. political and military leaders’ optimistic pronouncements that the end of the war was near were not true. By then, it was clear to many that the war was not winnable, yet more than half of U.S. casualties in Vietnam occurred from that spring until the end of the war (35,000 of the total 58,000).

I have walked the line at the Vietnam Memorial Wall many times, with tears running down my face as I read the names of my generation who were killed there. And the painful remorse over that awful war is even greater when I remember that the majority of those who died in Vietnam were killed after we knew we would ultimately have to come home without —winning— the unwinnable war. The last of the many reasons for staying in Vietnam that I recall President Nixon saying was to come home —with our heads held high.— We didn’t.

After 9/11, an international police action to bring the perpetrators of that horrible crime to justice would have been one thing. But to begin a war and then an occupation of Afghanistan was the wrong policy, quickly killing more Afghan innocents than the American innocents who died on September 11. It was then further compromised by the completely mistaken and morally unjustifiable war in Iraq.

When will we ever learn? The failed policies are all too familiar: a counter-insurgency strategy requiring more and more troops; creating the continued presence of a large U.S. military force; increasing the resentment and hostility of the Afghan people at a foreign occupation; trying to create a central government out of an ungovernable tribal society; and depending on an incompetent and utterly corrupt political ruler and regime.

An effective anti-terrorism policy was never really tried and was replaced by a —war on terrorism— which has failed. Here’s the metric: Has our primarily military policy in Afghanistan and Iraq killed more terrorists than it has recruited? I think we know the answer to that. The math of terrorism is against us. And our military obsession has made the most important question impossible to ask and even unpatriotic to consider: How might we reduce and defeat the causes of terrorism in the first place?

A new strategy in Afghanistan that focuses on humanitarian assistance and sustainable economic development, along with international policing, was also never tried. It could have been led by NGOs, both faith-based and secular, who have been in the region for years, have become quite indigenous, and are much more trusted by the people of these countries than are the U.S. military. But such assistance would have to be provided, as much as possible, by independent civilian and non-governmental organizations — both international and local — rather than using aid as a government adjunct to military operations.

Yes, after taking over the country, we do have a responsibility not to simply walk away. There are ethical and moral issues that need to be considered: legitimately protecting Americans from further terrorism; protecting the lives of U.S. servicemen and women; protecting the Afghan people from the collateral damage of war; defending women from the Taliban; genuinely supporting democracy; and of course, saving innocent lives from the collateral damage of war, to name a few.

And yes, effective development needs security. We could have focused on economic development, starting in areas that are secure and then growing to additional parts of the country, but providing only the security necessary to protect the rebuilding of the country. That kind of peacekeeping security would have been more likely to gain the international support we needed in Afghanistan, both from Europe and even from Arab and Muslim countries.

Non-military strategies should have led the way, rather than the other way around, as counter-insurgency doctrine requires. We should not have made aid and development weapons of war by tying them so closely to the military; rather, we should have only provided the security support needed for the development work to succeed — led by respected, well-established international organizations with strong local connections.

The current strategy, even with a new commander, will only lead to more casualties — U.S. and Afghan — while likely strengthening popular support for the Taliban as an anti-occupation force. It is a strategy of endless war that is ultimately doomed to failure.

Last Sunday, the photo on the front page of The New York Times broke my heart. It showed the family of a military serviceman just before he was redeployed to Afghanistan. He was in his fatigues, holding his 6-month-old son with a look of deep pain on his face, with his wife resting her head against his shoulder. The article told story after story about families being separated by repeated deployments in an endless war. Soldiers who are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are dying for a wrong-headed, ineffective, failed, doomed, arrogant, theologically unjust, and yes, immoral war policy. And of course, the ones dying are not the young people headed for our best universities and successful professional careers, but rather they are the ones who have fewer options, or who see the military as their only option. Those with the least opportunities, and their families, are again the ones to sacrifice and suffer. It’s not right and it’s not fair.

The number of U.S. service members killed in June was the highest for one month since this now nine-year war began. It’s time to end this war. Or should we just start building another wall?

Current Events, Political

Advocacy for the unemployed

From Interfaith Worker Justice: Our Continued Engagement Required on the Unemployment Crisis

Do you know someone who is unemployed? Almost everyone does, since the official unemployment rate is hovering around 10 percent. Maybe it’s you, someone in your family, church, mosque or synagogue who is getting an unemployment check and/or paying COBRA for health insurance. As of June 2, Congress allowed unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies to lapse for hundreds of thousands of workers who have been out of work for extended periods of time. In a few days the Senate will decide whether to save jobs and services, help the unemployed and boost the economy.

In times of crisis, our faith communities respond with compassion. We call on the creator to comfort those affected and we engage in pastoral care that embraces a ministry of hope and solidarity. This unemployment crisis calls for our continued engagement. Our economic recovery is still weak, and the most vulnerable amoung us are still extremely fragile.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS (TOLL FREE: 888-340-6521) and ask them to Support HR 4213! This will extend unemployment insurance and provide summer jobs for youth. Tell your Senators to also vote to restore COBRA health insurance subsidies and Medicaid assistance to states.

When you call 888-340-6521 you will enter your zip code and will be directed straight to your Senator’s offices after a brief message about jobs and Medicaid aid.

Poland - Polish - Polonia, Political, ,

Celebrating the Polish Constitution of 1791

A copy of the Constitution in Polish and English.

The Constitution of May 3, 1791 is generally regarded as Europe’s first and the world’s second modern codified national constitution, following the 1788 ratification of the United States Constitution. The May 3, 1791, Constitution was adopted as a “Government Act” on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish—“Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The May 3 Constitution was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the Polish—“Lithuanian Commonwealth and its traditional system of “Golden Liberty” conveying disproportionate rights and privileges to the nobility. The Constitution introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility and placed the peasants under the protection of the government, thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom.

The adoption of the May 3 Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Commonwealth’s neighbors. Despite the Commonwealth’s defeat in the War in Defense of the Constitution against Russia and her allies, and the consequent Second Partition of the Polish—“Lithuanian Commonwealth, the May 3 Constitution influenced later democratic movements across Europe and elsewhere. It remained a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty.Adapted from Wikipedia: Constitution of May 3, 1791

Christian Witness, Perspective, Political, , ,

Do not separate work from religious practice

A forum at the New America Foundation finds that discourse on workplace flexibility issues must include religious practices. As issues surrounding workplace flexibility continue to be part of a national discourse, employers and policymakers should include the needs of religious Americans as part of that debate, several speakers said April 8.

At a discussion sponsored by the New America Foundation, several speakers representing various religious communities, along with a workplace flexibility advocate, discussed past religious discrimination cases based on workers who were denied accommodations for their religious practices. The speakers emphasized that legislation and increased information would help alleviate some of the challenges those workers face.

Katie Corrigan, the co-director of Workplace Flexibility 2010, a public policy initiative based at Georgetown University Law Center, said that the White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility, held March 31, had brought to the fore issues surrounding the needs of working Americans for increased flexibility between work and commitments outside of work.

Although issues of work and religious observance had not been directly addressed at the forum, Corrigan said conflicts between work situations and religious practices were similarly practical challenges to other types of work-life conflicts. “Faith is part of the conversation” on flexibility, she said.

Religion as ‘Part of Identity.’

“People of faith should not be required to leave a part of their identity at the workplace door,” said Richard Foltin, the director of national and legislative affairs at the American Jewish Committee.

Although Congress in 1972 amended the 1964 Civil Rights Act to mandate that employers accommodate religious employees if it did not put an “undue hardship” on the employer, various court rulings have made that standard difficult to enforce, Foltin said.

“Where the force of law is not strong enough, many employers recognize the mutual benefit of finding a fit between the needs of the employer and the employee,” Foltin said. Still, he said that religious discrimination claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had increased significantly since the mid-1990s. Although it was difficult to tell how many of those claims were directly related to accommodations, it was likely that they made up a good portion of the total, Foltin said.

Foltin also said that although no bill had yet been introduced in the current Congress, lawmakers had in the past introduced the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which he said would “provide a broad higher standard of protection to people who need accommodations in the workplace” for their religious practices by changing the interpretation of what constitutes an “undue hardship” for employers. The bill may again be introduced in the current Congress, Foltin said.

Meanwhile, Amardeep Singh, director of programs at the Sikh Coalition, highlighted issues faced by Muslim and Sikh workers who need to wear a turban or head scarf while on the job. He mentioned two instances, which he referred to as “back-of-the-bus cases,” in which employees of an airline and a rental car company were removed from public-facing customer service positions because of the religious articles they wore, and were put in other jobs with no public interaction but with their same pay and benefits.

‘Back-of-the-Bus’ Cases Unacceptable

Courts had ruled that such accommodations were acceptable, Singh said, but he argued that they were unacceptable since they labeled certain workers as “undesirable.” The point of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was to be “integrative,” Singh said, and when courts interpret cases in this way, it undermines the intent of the law.

Nathan Diament, of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, emphasized the importance of information to issues of religion and workplace flexibility. “Many of the problems that are present come from a lack of information,” he said. For example, many people know about Passover seders that take place on the first and second nights of that holiday, but fewer people know that observant Jews also observe two days at the end of Passover, possibly requiring time off from work.

In addition to holy day observances, other issues that may arise include the need of employees to take small portions of a day to pray or take part in other religious observances, along with conscience issues for employees, such as those surrounding health care workers and abortion.

“On the government enforcement side, in the employer community, and among employees, there’s a lot more information that needs to get out and a lot more education that needs to go on,” Diament said.

The panel also included Zainab Al-Suwaij, executive director of the American Islamic Congress, who said that “by coming together to promote religious diversity in the U.S. we will offer an example to countries and societies around the world”; and Barry Bussey, director of legislative affairs at the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, who said that in general, his experience has been that when employers have been willing to accommodate religious workers, there usually is a way to accommodate them in a mutually satisfactory way.

In summarizing the discussion, Corrigan emphasized that in discussing workplace flexibility, employers and policymakers should recognize that “diversity is the norm. It shouldn’t be a surprise that people have religious obligations, just as it shouldn’t be a surprise that people have family responsibilities,” she said.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC, Political, ,

Honor Immigrant Workers in Your Congregation this weekend

Every day, millions of immigrant workers in the U.S. are not only picking our vegetables and cleaning our office buildings, but are an integral part of the fabric of our congregations and communities. On May 1st, people of faith will join marches, prayer vigils and other events across the country to call on our Congressional leaders to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will bring millions of immigrant workers and their families out of the shadows, secure our borders and provide labor protections that will benefit all low-wage workers.

Interfaith Worker Justice is calling on people of faith to stand in support of all low-wage workers, regardless of immigration status. They have invited us to join with them and other national organizations, denominations and faith communities to participate in a National Weekend of Prayer and Action for Immigrant Rights on May 1st and 2nd.

Among the ways our congregations can lift up the voices of immigrant workers during this weekend:

  • Invite an immigrant worker to share his or her story during a worship service
  • Incorporate prayers and liturgies lifting up our immigrant brothers and sisters into your services
  • Provide bulletin inserts, informational materials and other action items for your congregation
  • Initiate a study group using IWJ’s resource For You Were Once A Stranger

IWJ has many resources available for congregations to educate, advocate, and mobilize for our immigrant brothers and sisters. You can find IWJ’s board of directors’ statement on immigration reform here and other materials on their website.

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