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Our Fall Cluster Gatherings have begun! We will be hosting Clusters online this year in light of COVID concerns. Look for updated events and sign-up links at fanwa.org/our-network/cluster-meetings/. Introducing FAN's New Policy Director! We are delighted to announce our new Policy Engagement Director, Kristin Ang, who begins work with FAN on October 4. Kristin brings policy leadership experience as a Port Commissioner for Tacoma, along with experiences as an immigrant, Filipina American, lawyer, and collaboration in interfaith circles in Pierce County. She will bring these gifts to FAN along with a spiritual grounding in compassion and justice. You can meet her [...]

The WA Coalition for Police Accountability, which FAN is part of and Co-Director Paul Benz worked closely with this past legislative session, held a press conference last week where families and advocates addressed law enforcement resistance to the implementation of HB 1310 and HB 1054, the new state policies on use of force and prohibitions and restrictions on police tactics. Watch the full recording of the press conference on YouTube and read more here. Federal Updates Great news! The Biden Administration is revising the nutrition standards of the SNAP program, after years of advocacy by anti-hunger advocates, which will prompt the [...]

FAN continues to live into our statewide vision with the help of Regional Organizers, working in their communities across Washington. WE ARE HIRING for part-time, regional organizers in Central WA and Western WA to join a new Policy Engagement Director and our team this Fall. Please see the Regional Organizer job description and reply by Sept. 1 to apply@fanwa.org. Faith Community Sign on Statement about Boarding Schools The Interfaith Network for Indigenous Communities (INIC), an ad-hoc committee that FAN facilitates, has issued a statement in response to the tragic discoveries of mass graves at boarding schools in Canada. INIC was organized to mark the 30th anniversary of [...]

We're Hiring! Help us find our next policy leader for FAN! Please download the Policy Engagement job description and share it widely. Interested candidates can send a resume and cover letter to apply@fanwa.org. Application review begins August 1. And please get vaccinated and mask as advised - we want to gather with you again in-person on the steps of the Capitol, like this photo from IFAD February 2020! Please continue to share our faith leader vaccination videos and our vaccine equity toolkit.  August Recess Updates Congress is on their annual August Recess, which means there are ample opportunities to advocate from our local [...]

Please Save the Date for our 2021 Annual Dinner on Sunday, November 21! We had shared a different date previously, but due to several scheduling updates we are now moving forward with the evening of Sunday, November 21, with in-person and virtual attendance options. Premiering Our Faith Leader Vaccine Video! We are excited to share with you this powerful vaccine message from faith leaders from across WA State and many different faith traditions! Our state is reopening, but we know we will not be safe from COVID-19 until as many people as possible are vaccinated. Please share this video in your [...]

As the Faith Action Network continues to celebrate our tenth birthday this year, the FAN Governing Board is pleased to announce that current Co-Director Elise DeGooyer will become the new FAN Executive Director, beginning January 1, 2022, following the retirement of FAN's founding Co-Director, Rev. Paul Benz at the end of 2021. Elise, who is rooted in Catholic and interfaith justice traditions, has served FAN as Co-Director for over seven years. She has given strategic, administrative, and programmatic leadership to FAN and has helped grow our network and our budget. She knows the organization well and has the skills and vision to [...]

Today, June 21, is Child Tax Credit Awareness Day, and more than 1.4 million WA kids are set to benefit! Improvements to the CTC this year will increase CTC payments, ensure families with the lowest incomes receive full amounts, and provide monthly payments of up to $250-$300/kid beginning in July. Make sure your family is signed up at childtaxcredit.gov! Take Action! There is still plenty of work to be done even after the legislative session has ended! We encourage you to take action on a few state and federal issues this week: State: Extend the Eviction Moratorium Urge the governor to [...]

Happy Birthday FAN! You/we are 10 years old today! For ten years, we've been learning, advocating, convening, and lifting up faith voices for justice. We have so much to be thankful for! Our Spring Appeal to keep FAN strong for 10 more years invites you to help celebrate all we've accomplished and show your support for the future as we move faithfully forward! If you haven't already, please donate at our website today--FANWA.org. And enjoy some birthday cake today... FAN Celebrates its 10th Birthday! Dear friend of FAN, Ten years! We celebrate this season our tenth anniversary, as we continue to live into our big [...]

Join us for a Spring Summit on June 6! We had a great May Summit last Sunday! Advocates joined us virtually from across the state to talk about legislative wins and imagine our future work together in issue breakout groups. If you were not able to attend last week, we hope you will join us on Sunday, June 6 from 2-4 PM for our final Spring Summit! Register here: bit.ly/2021SummitJune. Consider which breakout group you would be interested in joining or if you'd like to suggest and facilitate your own issue topic group: Criminal Justice/Police Reform Housing/Homelessness Environment/Climate Justice Immigration Hunger/Nutrition/Poverty/TANF Economic Justice/Taxation Racial [...]

Last Tuesday, Governor Inslee signed SB 5096 Capital Gains Tax and HB 1297 Funding the Working Families Tax Credit into law! These bills have taken many years of advocacy to pass, and they are two important steps in righting WA State's upside-down tax code where the lowest-income earners pay 17% of their income in taxes while the wealthiest pay only 3%. Thanks to all who made this historic day possible! If you missed our End of Session Report last week, you can access it here or always on our website - we celebrate what your advocacy makes possible! Your Voice Needed [...]