Wrap-Up on Heat Respite Lunch Packs
Since the August e-News went to press before completion of heat respite lunch packs, here are additional details:
Total cost for the 2023 heat respite lunch packs was $1003.47 Cost per lunch of $1.56 vs. $1.23 last year. $250 was covered by a Thrivent Grant and $700 was covered by two generous gifts. Thus, of the $825 approved Social Ministry budget, only $53.47 was tapped for 630 total packed lunches. 33 total volunteers participated in the lunch packs v. 22 last year, including 10 students.
On July 23: Solveig Muus, Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona joined Fellowship time for discussion on voices of faith in the public square. She noted that ELCA World Hunger helps to fund LAMA, encouraged folks to sign up for the weekly www.LAMAz.org newsletter (a “one-minute read” with an “action alert” each time), explained Arizona’s distinctive “Request to Speak” option for input on bills before the legislature, and encouraged participation in the annual Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Kris Bartanen and Liz Peterson are New Journey’s co-liaisons for LAMAz.org.
We offered volunteers at the July 24 lunch pack opportunity to participate in a Bread for the World letter writing campaign in support of five-year reauthorization of the US Farm Bill. We had 12 signers at the lunch pack and 10 more the following Sunday. Letters were mailed to Senators Kelly and Sinema and to Representative Schweikert.
Further information is available at www.bread.org/offering-letters/#resources. The Farm Bill will likely be debated throughout Fall 2023, so it is worth staying informed and offering your perspectives to policymakers on healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems for addressing hunger locally, nationally, and worldwide.
