Dear Friends,
Providing healthcare for all Virginians…
Giving second chances for those coming out of the prison system, including restoration of driver’s licenses…
Stopping wage theft…
Welcoming immigrants…
Respecting all faith traditions, but especially surrounding our Muslim brothers and sisters with love in this time of uncertainty…
The Virginia Interfaith Center stands for and advocates these values – making love of neighbor, especially care and concern for our low-income and vulnerable neighbors, a priority in the Commonwealth’s policies and practices. We help you advocate these values.
I am so proud of our volunteer chapters’ and activists’ work this year on healthcare. Activists like you have met with dozens of legislators and worked in more than 40 municipalities seeking to pass local resolutions on healthcare expansion. We’ve increased the faith advocates in the database by ten percent.
The recent election process showed how deeply divided our nation and Commonwealth are. Many among us are scared and hurting. The role of the faith community, in times like this, becomes more important than ever. You and I must stand with and protect immigrants, Muslims and low-income people.
So, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is renewing its commitment to educating and organizing a faith voice in public decisions. We have a clear justice agenda for the coming year and we need and want your engagement.
Will you join us to advocate comprehensive healthcare for all Virginians, while focusing on expanding resources for mental health and substance abuse services?
Will you help us advocate the restoration of driver’s licenses for those who owe court fines and fees.
Will you collaborate with us in pushing Virginia to do more to stop and deter wage theft, such as making the existing Misclassification Taskforce function? (The Governor issued an executive order establishing the Taskforce to address the problem of employers calling people independent contractors when they are employees.)
We can only be effective with your support. I invite you to:
Pray for our elected leaders – our new President, our Governor, members of Congress and all Virginia’s Delegates and Senators.
Pledge to be a faithful advocate this year. Don’t be one of those who bemoans how bad things are but does nothing about it. You can be a powerful witness by communicating with your Delegate and Senator on Virginia Interfaith Center’s priority issues.
Make a year-end contribution. Please make a personal gift of $100, $180 or $500 or whatever you can, and encourage your congregation to make a contribution, too.
Join us for our Day for All People advocacy day on Jan. 25, 2017. Register online at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org – after you make your contribution, of course!
Tough times demand faithful and strategic advocates. You can’t be effective by yourself. Advocacy requires us to work together. Join us this year end and in the coming year as we help Virginia reflect a love of neighbor.
I can’t tell you how excited I am about our work together. We have such potential. Please make a generous contribution to invest in building a strong moral voice for justice in Virginia.
May God bless our work together.
Kim Bobo, Executive Director
P.S. – You can contribute by mail using the enclosed return card or you can contribute online at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/give.
P.P.S – If you want to make a stock or IRA gift or put VICPP in you will, please email me at Kim@virginiainterfaithcenter.org.
