1. View the ACTION ALERT below and call or email your legislators, urging them to keep the vision of A Minnesota Without Poverty Alive! 2. CLOSE THE GAP documentary to air on TPT. Go to www.tpt.org for more information on broadcasts. To further the impact of the documentary series, the department of Human Rights at the University of Minnesota is creating a set of engaging high school curriculum around the stories in our series. A community of Human Resource specialists is also planning to create hiring and training tools using the stories. At the end of each of the half-hour episodes, we direct viewers to go to a new web tool being created by Wilder Research. The Twin Cities Compass http://www.tccompass.org/disparities/index.php offers up to date research and information on these issues. 3. METRO GATHERING FOR A Minnesota Without Poverty Thursday, May 1 at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (I 94 and Dale) 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Gregory Gray (director) will give an update on the work of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty. Several major announcements will be made about the future work of A Minnesota Without Poverty. We will write letters to make a difference in ending poverty. And as always we will have fun (because ending poverty is too serious a business not to have fun doing it. -Julia Dinsmore) ______________________________________________________ A Minnesota Without Poverty is an initiative sponsored by the six synods of the ELCA in Minnesota, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy in Minnesota and Joint Religious Legislative Coalition. For more information see www.mnwithoutpoverty.org

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Bishop Peter Rogness of the Saint Paul Area Synod-ELCA wrote an OpEd piece for the Star Tribune about Minnesota's commitment to end poverty. The Bishop included a call to legislators to maintain vital programs that support people as they transition out of poverty. You may read Bishop Rogness' OpEd at http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/17110876.html

Legislative leaders from the House and Senate are currently negotiating budget priorities. I encourage you to keep the vision to end poverty in Minnesota alive. Please continue to do all you can to protect the health and human services budget this session.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 04, 2008