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We thank the Islamic Center of Tacoma, MAPS-AMEN, and Associated Ministries for inviting FAN to be part of last Sunday’s interfaith solidarity gathering, after recent arsons at the Islamic Center of Tacoma, St. Charles Borromeo, and vandalization at other Puget Sound Faith communities. We witnessed again that the power of love is stronger than fear. Don’t miss registering for the Annual Celebration! Only two weeks until our online Annual Dinner Celebration on Sunday, November 21. We hope you’ll register by 11/15 to get all the updates and the link to join in. Thanks to those who have generously sponsored! You [...]

Register for FAN's Annual Celebration! We are preparing a wonderful celebration with friends old and new—save your spot and register for FAN's virtual Annual Dinner Celebration on Sunday, November 21, at 5:30 PM! Join us for a festive evening as we celebrate our 10th birthday and Paul Benz's years of service to justice across WA, while also looking towards our future together! Tickets are by donation, and the YouTube event link will be sent out to those who register before November 21. Learn more at our event webpage In the meantime, here are some opportunities to make [...]

Registration is Now Open for the 2021 Annual Dinner You're invited to FAN's virtual Annual Dinner Celebration on Sunday, November 21, at 5:30 PM! We hope you will join us for a festive evening as we celebrate our 10th birthday and Paul Benz's years of service, and we look towards our future together! Tickets are by donation, and the event links will be sent out closer to November 21. In the meantime, we encourage you to: Host a Watch Party! Gather a small group of your family, housemates, and friends to watch the event together—we’ll be sending tips on how to [...]

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/. Support Haitian Migrants and Asylum Seekers We join with other national faith-based groups to call for support and solidarity with the people of Haiti, and are circulating a faith sign-on letter calling the administration to halt deportation flights to Haiti, end Title 42, stop Customs and Border Patrol abuses, and extend humanitarian protections to Haitian migrants. Learn more at this link. Deadline to sign on is Monday, September 27 at NOON ET. Speak [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]