Dear POWER Family,

We are praying for peace, power, and health for you and your family during this pandemic. Over the last few weeks, we have heard from many of you across the network. We are thankful for our clergy and congregations that have taken the admonition to continue the work of ministry in virtual spaces even as POWER itself does virtual organizing. We can only imagine how difficult it is during this High Season for the 3 Abrahamic Faiths, normally holding great celebrations and rituals at this time, to not be present together in our holy places. Yet, even more so for many of our siblings, of all faith and moral traditions, for whom basic necessities and the recognition of their human dignity are at stake.

At Passover, we celebrate the possibility and experience of freedom. For thousands of incarcerated people several hundred dollars in bail money would allow them to be free at a time when coronavirus is spreading through jails. We begin the Passover Seder by proclaiming, “All who are hungry come and eat.” There are thousands of people who serve us in airports, restaurants, and hotels who cannot work and cannot feed their families due to COVID-19. Your contribution is your way of inviting them to the seder table to eat.

During Holy Week in the Christian tradition, we are reminded of the value of every human life, including the willingness to sacrifice so that others may have life. Helping the world become the beloved community requires the followers of Jesus to give of themselves so humanity can experience physical and economic liberation, and more.

As our Muslim siblings prepare for Ramadan we hear from the Holy Q'uran, Surah Al Ma'un [107]: “Seest thou one who denies the Judgement to come? Then such is the man who repulses the orphan (with harshness), and encourages not the feeding of the indigent. So woe to the worshippers who are neglectful of their prayers, those who want only to be seen of men, but refuse to supply even neighborly needs.”

While isolated during this pandemic, we look for ways to take care of our people and our communities. Please consider donating to these partners and signing on to their letters.

The Philadelphia Bail Fund
Support the Philadelphia Bail Fund in raising money to bail out hundreds of persons in Philadelphia jails. This group, along with the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, does an amazing job year-round and can be trusted. The website is: https://www.phillybailfund.org/donate

Sign a letter to Governor Wolf asking that he use his power to release the most vulnerable incarcerated people, something that is well within his power. Click Here for the letter. For more information and background on the issue, open this link and/or this one.

Displaced Hospitality Workers - Unite Here 274
Donate to Service Workers in Need! The overwhelming majority of food service and hospitality workers have been laid off with no notice, no pay and no continuation of health insurance as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. You can donate to Philadelphia area workers in need through our allies at UNITE HERE Local 274. CLICK HERE TO DONATE: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/unite-here-local-274.  For updates from our partners at UNITE HERE Philadelphia, like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UniteHerePhilly/ and check out their updated webpage: https://www.uniteherephilly.org/  

Sign the Petition to Demand Justice for Stadium Workers: With all major sporting events canceled until further notice, thousands of people who make and serve food at our South Philadelphia stadiums were laid off with no notice and no continuation of health insurance. While Comcast Spectacor has stated they will pay their own employees and while the Phillies have set up a fund for workers, none of that includes the lowest-paid workers in the stadiums who work for Aramark and are members of UNITE HERE Local 274. Watch this one-minute video compilation of the workers’ stories: https://www.facebook.com/205739642795251/posts/2836591843043338/?vh=e&d=n.  Please sign THIS PETITION now! Tell our Philly teams to step up and do the right thing!

Let us use this season as a time of Holy Action! 

In solidarity,

Bishop Dwayne D. Royster
Interim Executive Director

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POWER
1429 N. 11th St  | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
215-232-7697 | Info@powerinterfaith.org

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