Court Date for the “Rotunda 11″

Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause, speaks at the court date for the faith activists arrested for praying in the Capitol Rotunda.
Buying on a Food Stamps Budget

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton checks out at a local super market. She participated in the Fighting Poverty with Faith event that raised awareness about the need to protect SNAP.
Maryland Prayer Vigil

People of faith pray outside the office of Rep. Chris Van Hollen on Nov 2nd, asking that he not cut programs for poor people.
Civil Disobedience in the Capitol

Religious Leaders pray for vulnerable people in the Capitol Rotunda prior to being arrested during the budget debate.
July 22nd Prayer Vigil

Religious advocates pray in front of the United Methodist Building for a just and responsible budget that protects programs for our most vulnerable populations.

The Faith Community’s Statement on the April 2013 Jobless Numbers & Young American Workers

It used to be that if you worked hard and went to school, upon graduation (be it from high school or college), you could find a job and be well on your way to gainful employment. Yet in recent years, one of the groups most deeply affected by the recession and the trickling recovery is teenage and young adult workers aged 16-24 [...]

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The Faith Community’s Statement on the March 2013 Jobless Numbers & Low-Wage Workers

So much of the rhetoric we hear about creating jobs and bettering our economy is geared at the middle class dream. Yet the ever-increasing gulf between wages in this country steadily grows each year. An April 2012 Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report, “The Future of Work: Trends and challenges for low-wage workers,” finds [...]
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The Faith Community’s Letter on Fair Miniumum Wage Act of 2013

Dear Member of Congress,

As communities of faith united by our common religious traditions and values of justice and compassion, we write to you today to urge you to co-sponsor and support the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 recently introduced by Senator Tom Harkin and Representative George Miller.

This important piece of legislation would raise the federal minimum wage [...]
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Our Purpose

Participants in of the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs (DHN) collaborate together in order to coordinate the work of domestic poverty policy staff from more than twenty faith-based and affiliated organizations and denominations. We believe that poverty is an insufferable reality, particularly in the wealthiest nation in the world. We seek to promote policies that will lead to the elimination of the root causes of poverty, as well as those policies that provide support and help for those experiencing poverty in the meantime.

All of our faith traditions compel us to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with G-d.” Federal policies, including our federal budget and tax system, must be designed to achieve long-term economic security for all and to address the poverty, hunger, health care, unemployment, and affordable housing crises that face our nation.

Budget

Hunger

Jobs, Economy and Labor

Broader Policy

Budget

As more and more previously middle-income families are finding themselves facing poverty and unemployment, we must not neglect the very programs that allow them to survive and live in dignity. Congress has the responsibility, even as it pursues long-term deficit reduction, to adequately fund critical human needs and social service programs: it is both a moral issue and an economic necessity. We cannot leave our children a legacy of rising debt but neither can we leave them a legacy of rising poverty and diminished opportunities as educational programs, adequate housing, health care, nutrition programs, and community services become less available.

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Hunger

DHN works to support and protect strong, accessible nutrition programs, particularly in these times of increased need. With more Americans struggling to put food on the table than ever before, nutrition programs have never been more important. As Congress continues to look for savings through the 2013 Farm Bill and 2013 Agriculture Appropriations process, DHN will work to protect and strengthen support for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

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Jobs, Economy and Labor

DHN will be focused on shining a light on the unemployed and advocating on their behalf for job creation, job training, and worker protection legislation. We will encourage Congress to pass a comprehensive job creation and training package in order to start healing our economy and putting Americans back to work. In particular, we will make sure legislation helps vulnerable communities and regions of the country hardest hit by the recession. DHN will also continue to make sure that jobs are sustainable and provide workers with the benefits and protections they deserve in order to help more people rise out of poverty and secure healthy, long-lasting employment.

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Broader Policy

DHN focuses on issues of importance to vulnerable people and ending poverty beyond it’s first tier of priorities. Issues of housing, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, income support programs and other parts of the federal safety net remain critical. Access to these programs must remain free of onerous restrictions and open to families in need. Many organizations in DHN also will encourage their members to take an active role in the 2012 election process, and so DHN’s work will reflect those goals.

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