Justice and Advocacy -- The Lehigh Conference of Churches

When ICE Comes to Church

Sunday, March 2nd, 2025

When ICE Comes to Church: Faithful Resistance and Legal Protections
– links to many resources on immigrant protection
(from Episcopal Divinity School webinar on Feb. 21, 2025)

File: immigration, news

Lehigh Valley: Impact of Federal Budget Proposal

Thursday, February 27th, 2025

Lehigh County Town Hall: Local Impact of Federal Budget Proposal
March 11, 2025 (Tuesday, 3pm) at Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. 7th Street, Allentown. This town hall is open to the public.

Lehigh County controller town hall on local impacts of federal budget proposal
(LV News: Feb. 26, 2025)

File: news, US Budget

Pennsylvania Free School Meals Program

Thursday, February 27th, 2025

Reps. Emily Kinkead, Nathan Davidson, and Tarik Khan plan to introduce legislation to restore free breakfast and lunch programs for all Pennsylvania students – a program that was very successful in reducing child hunger during the COVID pandemic. See the co-sponsorship memo Providing Free School Meals for all Pennsylvania Students.

The children left behind by free lunch programs, and proposed $250M solution
by Sarah Boden (Spotlight PA:Feb. 25, 2025)

File: food/hunger, news

Responding to America’s New Plutocracy

Thursday, February 27th, 2025

A Strategy for Christian Witness Against Trump’s Autocracy
(Sojourners: Feb.20, 2025)
“Prophecy vs. Plutocracy” – webinar (recorded 2/17/2025) with Ched Myers and Chuck Collins (more…)

File: news, US Budget

Lehigh Valley – Affordable Housing Debates

Thursday, April 25th, 2024

Ripple Community, Inc. (RCI) appeared before the Allentown Zoning Hearing Board in February and March regarding plans to convert the former Emmanuel UCC building into a community center with 12 apartments. At both hearings, some aspects of the RCI project were opposed by neighbors. Attorneys for both sides then filed final arguments with the Zoning Board, and the Board made it’s decision on zoning variance requests at its April 8th meeting. (more…)

File: housing/homeless, news

Lehigh Valley Congregations
New Life for Church Properties

Sunday, February 11th, 2024

First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem – affordable housing development on the church campus
- Three site plan concepts and a survey are posted at .
- Contextual information – discussed so far at two congregational meetings – about the proposed development is here.
Life Church, 9th & Walnut, Allentown – the church is planning to build affordable apartments on it’s property: “Walnut Square Apartments”

(more…)

File: housing/homeless, news, resources