It's Time to Register to Vote, State Budget, Eviction Moratorium Extension & More!
Advocacy News from LMM
The Inaugural Charles R. See Forum on Reentry is a Wrap!
On Friday, June 18, LMM hosted the inaugural Charles R. See Forum on Reentry. The forum, which will be an annual event thanks to the contributions of several generous donors, honors the career, and continued legacy of Mr. See, who worked for 44 years at LMM, retiring in 2017. The program, From Incarceration to Advocacy: A New Approach to Criminal Justice Reform, featured DeAnna Hoskins, President & CEO of JustLeadershipUSA. JustLeadershipUSA is a New York-based advocacy organization dedicated to empowering those who are formerly incarcerated to advocate for systems change. Watch the tribute video for Charles See here and the City Club forum here!
A gift for Charles: LMM is collecting messages for a special tribute to Charles. Do you have a memory, story or simple message of thanks that you would like us to include? Please send all content to Jessica Starr at jstarr@lutheranmetro.org before June 30 for it to be included!
It's Time to Register to Vote!
The deadline to register to vote in the primary for the 11th Congressional District is Tuesday, July 6. This special election will determine who will advance to the general election (November 2, 2021) to replace former district representative Marcia Fudge who is currently serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Learn more about the candidates by watching The City Club of Cleveland Ohio District 11 Democratic Primary Debate which took place on Tuesday and then register to vote/update your mailing address!
It's the Final Countdown
The Ohio General Assembly is required to pass an operating budget by June 30, which is then signed by the Governor and takes immediate effect on July 1. Currently, the budget is with the Conference Committee, which is one of the final steps in the biennial process. All that remains is for the agreed-upon bill to be sent to the full House and Senate for final concurrence and finally to the Governor. As the conference committee continues to debate the budget’s final details we ask for your support in removing two concerning provisions:
Please share your opposition to legislation that would make it much more difficult for low-income individuals to access essential food benefits. Learn more about the harmful proposal, and then take action by calling the conference committee members to urge them to remove several harmful provisions related to SNAP benefits.
LMM is excited to share that earlier today President Joe Biden extended the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Eviction Moratorium for another month. The current moratorium will now expire on July 31, rather than June 30. This is expected to be the final moratorium extension issued by the federal government. LMM will continue to work with program participants to ensure they have access to rental assistance and are able to remain stably housed once the moratorium does expire.
Relatedly, LMM is grateful to both our U.S. Senators Brown and Portman for their leadership in re-introducing the Eviction Crisis Act of 2021 earlier this week. This bi-partisan legislation aims to better understand the root causes of eviction, reduce preventable evictions and lessen the devastating impact of evictions on individuals and families when it occurs. Thank you Senators for your leadership!
Team Up to Clean Up 2021
You're invited to this year's Team Up To Clean Up! Join Men's Shelter residents, staff and volunteers for a neighborhood cleanup, gardening and cookout on Saturday, July 10. Contact Lydia Bailey at lbailey@lutheranmetro.org to RSVP or for more info!
