Dear ,

Many working Virginians are still struggling to make ends meet, which is why VICPP has partnered with The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis to release a report tomorrow, on Thursday, September 1, entitled The State of Working Virginia. You’ll be able to download a copy of the report from our website on Thursday by noon by going to this webpage on the VICPP website. 

At 11 a.m. tomorrow, TCI and VICPP are holding a virtual press conference over Zoom to discuss the findings and significance of the report. It will be live streamed simultaneously on Zoom and Facebook. You can click here to register to join us. More details about the release and event are listed in this newsletter. 

Here’s the link to resources (click here) we prepared for congregations to use in services this Labor Day weekend – a litany, a bulletin insert, social media graphics, and instructions on how to record your own selfie-style advocacy video to help us in our campaign to uplift Virginia's workers. Congregations do not tend to talk much about the concerns of workers except over Labor Day weekend. Let’s take advantage of this time! 

Also tomorrow, September 1, at 6 p.m. is our first Impactive Training to learn a great relational tool for engaging your friends and family to register and vote... using your cell phone! If I can do it, you can do it! Consider getting your entire social justice committee or civic engagement team to join the training. Click and register here.

I had requests last week for more than 1,500 postcards to send to infrequent voters to encourage them to vote. The postcards, which are at the printer, will be mailed out today and tomorrow. If you would like some postcards (at least 100), please email me at:  Kim@virginiainterfaithcenter.org We are asking people to cover the costs of stamps if you are able.   

I will be enjoying Labor Day weekend with my husband and sons, but I always use the weekend to figure out how I might do more to help workers who are struggling. I am grateful for all the work Virginia Interfaith Center does to help workers, and for your help in getting the work done. 
 

In worker solidarity, 

Kim Bobo 
Executive Director

In addition to the release of The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (TCI) and Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) The State of Working Virginia report, and the joint virtual press conference happening on Thursday, September 1 at 11 a.m. (click here to register!), our accompanying social media campaign called #WorkingVirginia kicks off simultaneously and goes through Labor Day weekend. Labor Day is a time to uplift and honor the dignity of workers. We need your help! 

Join our social media storm to illustrate the immense public support for Virginia’s workers and economic justice. This will help to draw attention to the important findings of the State of Working Virginia report and urge legislators to take action. Together, we can move our legislators to make important policy changes that can better support those who need it most. 

Here's how you can help:
Post a selfie style video or photo to your social media and be sure to tag our account @vainterfaith and include the following hashtags:
#WorkingVirginia #StateOfWorkingVirginia #TCI #VICPP

Or you can simply "share" or repost VICPP's social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tag our account @vainterfaith and use the same hashtags! (Click the logos at the bottom of this newsletter to be taken right to our social media pages.)

CLICK HERE to view a simple how-to and prompts for the posts, or click the button below!

Would you like to write an op-ed about the report? Email ayeshagt@virginiainterfaithcenter.org now. 

Many thanks to those who joined our partners to learn about the realities of life and work for farmworkers on the Eastern Shore of Virginia this past Sunday. We had a great visit with the Legal Aid Justice Center and the Farmworker Ministry of the Eastern Shore. We know farmworkers are essential to feeding society, but they are often overlooked, so we were glad to bring attention back to this space. Keep your eyes out for a report on our visit coming out in September! 

VICPP's JAB Initiative PSA (Public Service Announcement) video series about the Principles of Health Care and Ethics in Vaccination continues in its second year! New to our YouTube playlist are two new PSA videos in Spanish! Click the buttons below to watch the two new videos. 

The short videos in this series are focused on the principles of ethics in health care as part of our initiative to build vaccine equity during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. They directly confront the connection between the medical community's history of harm towards people of color and trust in our delivery of health care. The JAB Initiative is a project of VICPP that was made possible by a grant from Community Catalyst as part of its national Vaccine Equity and Access Program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation. 

For more information, visit VICPP's JAB Initiative Resources webpage in English by clicking here. Para ver esta página en español, haga CLIQ AQUI.

Mark your calendars for 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 10 and register today for the first follow-up to the Together in Faith Symposium as VICPP continues to look at ways to combat racialized and religious violence in Virginia. We will be hosting a virtual screening and discussion with the producer and writer of the new documentary short (36 minutes), “Are We There Yet.” The film follows the cross-country road trip of Marisa Prince and Calvin Lee, co-founders of American Awakening, to better understand the Doctrine of Discovery, its connection to contemporary Christian Nationalism, and if it's possible to chart a new course for the American Christian Church. Join us via Zoom for this noon matinee event! 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER.

Click the button below to register!

It’s time to get connected to form your regional chapter’s fall legislative team! VICPP encourages advocates to coalesce constituents into small groups to meet with their legislators during the fall to discuss their support of our 2023 platform. In preparation for the 2023 General Assembly, we will hold a statewide legislative preview via Zoom on Friday, September 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. We will outline the key provisions of the bills anticipated to be on our policy platform, discuss the process and priorities for our fall schedule of district-level meetings with legislators, and review fundamental tips and strategies to ground these advocacy meetings.

To get connected to form a legislative team, CLICK HERE to visit our Chapters webpage for the link to email the coordinator team for your respective chapter.

Click the button below to register!

VICPP is proud to be a community partner of National Voter Registration Day again this year, for the tenth anniversary of the holiday. Observed this year on Tuesday, September 20, the day aims to share voter registration opportunities before state deadlines and help people get vote ready. Volunteers and organizations from all over the country will engage in voter registration on a single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts. Since 2012, nearly 4.7 million voters across all 50 states have registered to vote on National Voter Registration Day. Click the button below to check out the 2022 library of resources to help you organize events leading up to this annual celebration of democracy!

For a more comprehensive list of upcoming events, please click the button below to check out the VICPP Events webpage.  

Kim Bobo quoted in:
Religion News: Faith leaders condemn antisemitic flyers

Culpeper Star-Exponent, Aug. 26, 2022

By Staff