FAN is excited to announce that we have launched the hiring process for our next Executive Director! We are seeking a collaborative, values-aligned, and strategic nonprofit leader who has the skills to guide the future of the organization. This role requires both a deep respect for diverse beliefs and cultures, and a passion for building an equitable, multiracial, and multifaith community of advocates across Washington State. Please see the complete job description for further information. Candidates should send their resume, cover letter, and three references to apply@fanwa.org. Priority deadline is July 12. We encourage our network to share this job opportunity with others in the community. Please help us to find FAN’s next ED! 

President Biden's Securing the Border Proclamation and the Interim Final Rule announced on June 4 severely restricts the legal right to seek asylum. Aside from a few exceptions for unaccompanied minors and certain victims of human trafficking, this order temporarily suspends the processing of most asylum claims once the seven-day average of unauthorized border crossings exceeds 2,500 per day. Those who cross without authorization when the order is in effect will be banned from re-entry for 5 years and can potentially face criminal charges.

Alongside our coalition partners Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), Northwest Immigrants' Rights Project (NWIRP), and One America, Faith Action Network believes that these orders are unjust and inhumane, putting thousands of lives at risk each day. We are gravely concerned that these orders do not honor due process for those seeking asylum and that they will only continue a negative narrative that criminalizes and dehumanizes migrants.

Join us in sending a message to our elected representatives in Congress that we believe in the right to seek asylum and the need for comprehensive immigration reform so that we can welcome migrants with compassion, respect, and dignity. At a time when many elected officials are being urged to further militarize the border and criminalize migration, we must share a counter narrative as people of faith and conscience: we value the inherent worth and dignity of all people, we believe in the right to seek asylum, and we are committed to working for justice and equity through the diverse and rich expressions of our faith traditions.  

Are you looking for ways to encourage voting and civic engagement in your faith community this election year? Are you also looking for community-led support? If your answers are yes, FAN invites you to join a Network of 100% Voting Faith Communities! Many faith traditions highlight the importance of voting in preserving community well-being and the common good in democracy. The Network of 100% Voting Faith Communities is a community space to share ideas, tools, and peer support. Whether you are a leader authorized to take action on behalf of your faith community or an individual willing to organize your faith community to participate, you are invited! Please read more information on this document and fill out the form to join the network. You can also access our newly launched Voting & Civic Engagement page.

We will offer monthly zoom meetings through the summer to stay engaged as a network. We welcome any individuals and communities interested and committed to getting out the vote in their faith community and/or wider community. The following online meetings have been scheduled:

• Tues. June 18th 12-1pm (coming up! With a phenomenal guest,  Kim Bobo from Virginia Interfaith, to start us off! Register Here)
• Tues. July 23rd 12-1 pm
• Tues. August 20th 12-1 pm

The focus of the meetings will be on supporting organizing, voter registration, and mobilization in your community.

We are committed to voicing the values from multi-faith traditions in the electoral process and we hope you will be part of this movement!

We invite you to join us June 20 for a chance to say farewell to Executive Director Elise DeGooyer after 10 years of service to FAN, and connect with others in FAN's network for the work ahead! Please RSVP. 

Please consider joining a growing list of supporters in our Spring Appeal as we celebrated FAN's 13th Birthday this week on June 11! We continue to live into our statewide, multi-faith mission and values, and we invite your support in moving FAN forward during this time of leadership transition.

Keep FAN strong by helping us meet our $20,000 goal! There are multiple ways to donate:
▪ ONLINE at FANWA.org using the red DONATE button!
▪ BY MAIL to FAN at P.O. Box 80663, Seattle, WA 98108
▪ WORKPLACE GIVING: Does your employer offer a match? FAN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eligible for workplace giving through many corporate platforms. Let us know!
▪ PLANNED GIVING: Please see our planned giving page at fanwa.org/engage-support/planned giving and consider how your own plans align with FAN’s commitment to the common good.

Please nourish FAN through your generous gift today, so that we may continue to put our values into action—standing with and for each other in the challenging days ahead. Thank you, on behalf of Faith Action Network Governing Board and staff!

The House and Senate Agriculture Committees have recently released their draft proposals for the Farm Bill. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee voted out of committee their version of the Farm Bill that poses a threat to the health and wellbeing of our communities. The House version will cut close to $30 billion for SNAP over the next decade and remove guardrails for climate-smart practices for conservation programs. The Senate's proposal strengthens the vital food assistance programs while increasing the support for farmers and rural communities. Our advocacy is needed for Congress to pass a long-awaited bipartisan Farm Bill this year. 

The Farm Bill connects our lives and all those involved in the entirety of the food system. The 2018 Farm Bill authorization was extended through September 30 of this year. Farmers, ranchers, farmworkers, nutrition and hunger advocates, conservationists, concerned consumers, and the climate community have been advocating for a bipartisan Farm Bill. With these new drafts, we have a chance to shape upcoming legislation to better reflect the current contexts and community needs.

Join online the Farm Bill Conversation: "Why is the Farm Bill Important to Us?" on Thursday June 13, 6-7:30pm hosted by FAN and the ELCA/Lutheran Synods' Hunger Teams in the northwest region. The event will include a presentation on the Farm Bill by ELCA Advocacy staff in Washington D.C., guest speakers including ELCA Bishops, breakout groups to meet community members across the region, and an action to take. The event will be centered on Lutheran contexts, but all are welcome whether you are familiar with the Farm Bill or not. Please join us!

Register here!

We were excited to help win budget money for a robust Summer EBT program this past legislative session. Now this money, along with federal funds, has been transformed into SUN Bucks in Washington! Families will receive $120 in food benefits for each eligible child. Similar to SNAP (Basic Food), SUN Bucks can be used to purchase food at retail locations like grocery stores, farmers markets, and corner stores. The SUN Bucks program works in tandem with the Free Summer Meals program to support families when school meals are unavailable. Families need to make sure that they have filled out a School Meals Application by 6/30 to be automatically enrolled in the program.

More information about SUN Bucks and free summer meals, as well as a flyer to share, is available here. In addition, families wanting to know about sites for Free Summer Meals can text FOOD to 304-304.

After years of advocacy with the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign, FAN is excited to share that applications for Apple Health Expansion will open at 8 a.m. on June 20. This Medicaid-like program specifically created for WA state residents who are age 19 and older, living at 138% or below of the federal poverty level, and have certain immigration statuses, including people who are undocumented.  Currently, this expansion only has funding for one year and will be capped at 13,000 people. Because of the cap and high need, it is expected to fill quickly (within the first 2 days). Community groups are highly encouraged to reach out to their members who might be eligible and encourage them to find a local navigator and schedule an appointment to meet and create an account before June 20 (navigators can also verify their proof identity in person). People can also create their WA Healthplanfinder account on their own of time to make the online application go more quickly. Further details can be found online: hca.wa.gov/apple-health-expansion. Outreach materials are available in 16 languages - contact Jess Ingman (ingman@fanwa.org) if you'd like help accessing outreach materials for your community. 

Summer in the North Cascades wilderness calls! Holden Village is offering some exciting programming this summer, and we are delighted that FAN Policy Engagement Director Kristin Ang will be part of the teaching faculty for the week of August 5-8. There will be lots of opportunities to participate in meaningful programs and discussions, as well as enjoy the outdoors and all that Holden has to offer. Register at the Holden site.

State Funding Opportunities:

• Security Grants: You advocated for new state funding to protect our communities. Here are some links with some updated information at the Commerce Webpage and Application. Due July 2. 
  

Housing and Homelessness:

• Please consider sharing your story about rent increases in this 2024 Housing Alliance Rent Survey.

Saturday, June 15, 1:00-2:30pm, Juneteenth Celebration 2024: Race, Labor and Reparations, in-person, Seattle. Come join educational event featuring labor and civil rights leaders April Sims, Cherika Carter and Larry Gossett. The theme of the conversation is labor and reparations focusing on the harms done to African Americans through generations of racist practices. Learn more here. 

Thursday, June 20, 11:30am-1:00pm, Equity, Racial Justice and Culture: 2024 Housing Alliance Lunch & Learn Series, online. Come and learn about  “Implicit Bias vs. Our Shared Humanity: Impacts for your Organization, Staff, and the People you Serve” offered by Tasha West-Baker from Building Changes and Ma.Caroline Lopez, MSW. Learn more and register here.

Friday, June 21, The Lands Council Presents: Legislative Summit, in-person. At the Summit, legislators and local area experts will craft legislation on six locally important topics with a Climate Justice thread running through them; these proposed bills will be sponsored in the 2025 Legislative Session. The full schedule and registration can be found here.

Thursday, June 27, 6:00-8:00pm, Will You Still Need Me When I'm 64 or More: Strengthening Security and Medicare for Ourselves and Future Generations, in-person, Tacoma. Join this FAN co-sponsored event with Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, Pierce County Committee featuring April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, to talk about the present and future of Social Security and Medicare and explore options for how we can ensure these programs are around not only for ourselves, but for retirees long into the future. Register here. 

Sunday, June 30, 9:30am-3:30pm, Join WAISN at Seattle Pride, in-person, Seattle. Join to celebrate all the ways in which queer liberation and immigrant justice is connected. Join WAISN in showcasing our collective power together! Register here.

Tuesday, July 2, 7:00pm, An Evening with Lifelong Climate Activist Bill McKibben, in-person and online, First United Methodist Church, Seattle. Third Act Washington (TAWA) is presenting a talk by Bill McKibben who will be issuing a call to action on climate and democracy, including No on Initiative 2117, followed by a Q&A. Register here.

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