- January 23, 2013: Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice (WFVJ) Food Stamp Challenge
As a way to raise awareness of the limitations of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (frequently referred to as foodstamps), WFVJ issued a challenge to congregations and other people of faith to spend one week eating only food that could be purchased with a typical SNAP budget. The statement provided by Christine Thompson, PEPartnership's Executive Director, spoke to the lack of any coverage under SNAP (or any other general assistance program) for the costs of products for personal and household hygiene -- products which are essential to success in education, employment, housing, health, and community involvement, but which are generally overlooked by poverty assistance strategies. For more on the Food Stamp Challenge, see the WFVJ website. - August 2, 2012: Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice: Wisconsin Clergy and People of Faith Gather to Call Upon Governor Walker and the Legislature to Implement the Affordable Care Act.
Many if not most of the guests that are served by PEPartnership agencies experience health issues; for many, health crises are what precipitated their need. The importance of implementing the full measures of the Affordable Care Act, including the expansion of Medicaid to include childless adults up to 133% of the federal poverty level, was stressed. - Play SPENT An on-line, single-player poverty simulation developed as a collaboration between McKinney and Urban Ministries of Durham in North Carolina. SPENT lets you experience some of the decisions — and their consequences — faced by many in poverty today. You begin as single parent, unemployed; you've just lost your house, and you're down to your last $1,000. Will you be able to make it through one month?
Witness & Testimony
Even if we were to be able to support 100% of the needs of those in poverty or facing financial want within our area, we would still fall short of doing our full job if we did not speak publicly about the policies and structures of this society that keep people in poverty and want. This page collects the various public statements and testimony that we have presented to our larger society.