Dear ,

Thanks to your support, 2024 was a year of remarkable progress for justice in Virginia. Our newly published annual report showcases legislative victories we achieved together, including: 

While we're grateful for donations whenever they arrive, many nonprofits receive most of their support in December. Mid-year donations help us plan more effectively and respond quickly to emerging opportunities to work for justice. 

As we continue this vital work through 2025, the challenges facing Virginia are real but so is our capacity to meet them through unwavering collaboration and steadfast faith. 

Would you consider making a mid-year donation to sustain our advocacy efforts? Your additional support ensures VICPP remains a powerful voice for justice through legislative advocacy, community education, and bringing people together in prayer and action.

The Virginia we envision where all people can thrive regardless of background or circumstances is within our reach. Together, we're building a commonwealth where in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., justice truly "rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." 

Thank you for walking alongside us in this sacred work and for believing in the power of faith-based advocacy. 

With deep gratitude and renewed hope, 

Keisha 

Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook
Executive Director

The Virginia Interfaith Center's “Interfaith Justice Revival” tour, in collaboration with the Virginia Poverty Law Center and the Virginia NAACP, takes inspiration from old-school religious gatherings. We hope to motivate people to take action toward making the world a better place for all. And there will be food and fellowship! VICPP is excited to present these events across southwest Virginia to address the integral ties between faith and justice. 

• Sunday, July 27 – Lynchburg, 5:30, First Christian Church
• Monday, July 28 – Roanoke, 5:30, Williams Memorial Baptist Church
• Tuesday, July 29 – Christiansburg, 11am, Christ our Savior Lutheran      Church and Wytheville, 2:30, Wytheville Community College
• Wednesday, July 30 – Wise County, 10am, Location being finalized
  
• Thursday, July 31 – Bristol, 5:30, Lee Street Baptist Church
• Friday, August 1 – Independence, 11am, Oracle Temple and Floyd, 2pm, Zion Lutheran Church
• Saturday, August 2 – Danville, 12:00, First Baptist Church

Petersburg – August 7, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Fredericksburg – August 14, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Newport News – August 28, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Join us for an inspiring afternoon dedicated to exploring how faith communities can play a vital role in addressing affordable housing needs. Whether your congregation is just beginning to explore the idea or already on the path, this event offers valuable insights and connections to move your vision forward.

Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook, the new executive director of VICPP is travelling across Virginia to meet community members and share information about VICPP’s work on justice issues like maternal health, prison education, housing, and workers’ rights. Join us at upcoming events and meet the first African American to lead the organization.

Want to bring Visionary Voices to your area? We’d love to partner with you. To host a future stop on Keisha’s tour, please email VICPP’s development manager, Tania Doles, at tania@virginiainterfaithcenter.org with your proposed date, time, and venue.

VICPP hosted 130 business, corrections, higher education and faith leaders for a conference on July 17, focused on the business case for second chance employment paired with postsecondary education in prison. Jeff Korzenik, author of Untapped Talent was the keynote speaker. He shared sobering data about recent and future U.S. fertility rates and changing workforce composition, making an urgent case for inclusive hiring that incorporates individuals with conviction histories. 

Korzenik noted that college programs in prisons are multipliers of business value in this strategy, while also benefiting returning citizens' economic mobility. Top leaders from Virginia Department of Corrections and the Virginia Community College System reported on the past year's progress, while panels of justice impacted professionals and higher education and correctional officials grounded the reported statistics in very human terms.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocates economic,
racial, and social justice in Virginia’s policies and practices
through education, prayer, and action.