A Ministry of the ELCA - Supported by World Hunger

Hunger

The Farm Bill 
Farm Bill Engagement Updates from our D.C. office.
 
Basic Information 
—-
 
Sample Letters
 
Most recent sample letter for Wisconsin and Michigan
 
More general sample letters
Wisconsin U.S. Senators
 
Sen. Johnson Farm Bill
—-
Michigan U.S. Senators
Sen. Peters Farm Bill
 
Sen. Stabenow Farm Bill
—-
 
U.S. Representatives or Senators for any State
Rep. or Sen. TBD Farm Bill
 
—-
 
Please send a letter to each of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative.
 
If not listed above, find your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative by plugging in your address at  www.congress.gov
 
  LOPPW supports this proposed legislation but it will take time to pass.  Here is our presentation on hunger in Wisconsin and the bill:Healthy School Meals for All
—-

Past Efforts

CHILD TAX CREDIT

Make the Child Tax Credit known to our neighbors who haven’t filed!

The 2021 Child Tax Credit expansion is predicted to reduce child poverty by 30-50% in the United States!  The credit expands full benefits to families who were previously left out or only received partial benefits.  This includes children who have social security numbers but who have a caregiver with only an ITIN.

People who have not filed for taxes because of their income level and have not filed for a stimulus check using the non-filer portal can use our below posters/handouts for information on how to get tax credits for their children.  Please consider posting one of the documents below and/or making one of them available as a handout at locations such as a food pantry, homeless shelter, or other locations where the info would be helpful

CTC Two-Pager – English  (8.5 x11 with most details)

CTC One-Pager – English  (8.5 x 11)

Crédito Tributario para Hijos de Padres No Contribuyentes  One page in Spanish 

Option:  Consider printing one side of a handout in English and the other in Spanish.

CTC Poster – 11×17

Stay tuned for these same posters and handouts in Spanish.

For Social Media:

Even those who file late will still receive the full credit for each child, but they need to file.

Additional Information on the Child Tax Credit

Message to our listservChild Tax Credit – August Action & Poster

Child Tax Credit PPT:  PPT first seminar CSSP 2021

Families that have not filed a recent income tax return and did not receive a stimulus check can still receive the Child Tax Credit! To file for your credit, go to www.childtaxcredit.gov and scroll down to Non-Filer Sign-Up.  Please note that the same site has information in Spanish: Español

Other helpful websites:

Child Tax Credit Update Portal

Get it Back

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Center for the Study of Social Policy

For additional help in Spanish:  Community Advocates for help in Spanish

————

August Action Medicaid Saves Lives Act:  Medicaid Saves Lives Act – August Action

Excellent Video on Medicaid Expansion:  In-depth with Donna Friedsam! What are both sides of the Medicaid (BadgerCare) expansion debate? Take just under 17 minutes with Distinguished Researcher and Health Policy Programs Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty for an excellent explanation about each perspective. This is significant especially in light of the federal bill that would offer Medicaid to qualified individuals in the 12 states that have refused the federal dollars for expansion. Wisconsin is one of those states.

Resource with Talking Points for both the Child Tax Credit and Medicaid Expansion:  August Action CTC & Medicaid Expansion

————

Hunger Resources

Our Hunger Resources

Hunger, Poverty, and Advocacy Presentation – Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin.  LOPPW Power Point Presentation

Hunger Action Alert – June 11, 2020, Alert & Announcement:  Hunger- Action Alert & Pandemic EBT

————

Videos on Addressing Hunger in our Six Synods

This video series is a work-in-progress from LOPPW. Please check back for more videos!

Community Meals Ministry. Bill Binroth, Director of Let’s Eat Community Meals of Chassell, MI talks about how to get a community meals ministry started and keep it going! See Link Here.

Food Truck Ministry:  Filling a hole during the pandemic – interview with Rev. Lindsey Buekelman of All People’s Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. See Video Here. 

Hot to Start a Food Pantry. Learn about great tips and wisdom from Sharry Hebert, Food Pantry Coordinator, Trinity Lutheran Church in Eau Claire.  Watch this video: How to Start a Food Pantry.

————

ELCA Advocacy & ELCA World Hunger Resources

ELCA World Hunger offers a vast amount of educational resources.  Click onto ELCA World Hunger’s Education Page  Thank you for donating generously to ELCA World Hunger

ELCA Study Guide: Living Lutheran Article & Study Guide – Farm Bill Brings Lutherans Together

SNAP and Congress (August 5):  Please consider calling your U.S. Senators about supporting a temporary increase of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits by 15% to ensure households have enough resources to avoid the hard choice between paying bills like rent and providing food for their families. We did this during the Recession 10 years ago. The temporary increase would be good for feeding people, good for economic growth, good for loving neighbor. There is some real hope for this in the SENATE. Reach your U.S. Senators from any state by calling the U.S. Switchboard: 202-224-3121

————

Other Resources on Hunger and Poverty

For Seniors:

  • Senior Hunger Guide – Fact sheet on senior hunger with multiple resources such as MoW and other assistance programs
  • AARP Foundation – Offers volunteer opportunities to assist low-income seniors

In Wisconsin                                                                                                                               

  • Institute for Research on Poverty (based at UW-Madison)  www.irp.wisc.edu
  • Wisconsin Council of Churches Hunger at Our Doorstep: A Study Action Guide for Wisconsin Congregations from the Wisconsin Council of Churches  Learn More

Federal Hunger Resources

Final Days Push to File for Stimulus Checks

Those eligible who did not automatically receive their checks need to file. Many of these individuals are among our most vulnerable.  Under the 2020 CARES Act, individuals can receive a one-time payment of up to $1,200, with an additional $500 available for each dependent. While most eligible Americans have already received their payments, 5 million eligible Americans still have not filed and risk missing out.

Deadline to file for Stimulus Payment: October 15, 2020.

Deadline to file for additional Dependent Credit:  September 30, 2020

Check out our RESOURCE for learning about the process and making it known! Stimulus Payment Outreach Resource