Lutheran social ministry organizations (and many other faith-based organizations) are serving vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and request your help to ensure that they can continue to meet those needs during this public health emergency and to help build resilient communities in its wake.
Legislation is moving quickly. Please ACT NOW at https://www.lutheranservices.org/content/1-trillion-senate-stimulus-bill. (You do not need to be Lutheran to use this tool.)
Negotiations are taking place in the Senate now on a $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package to offer relief to businesses and nonprofits through loans and grants. This draft legislation currently contains a provision which would make nonprofits with over 500 employees and those that receive Medicaid payments ineligible, including senior living facilities, child welfare organizations, organizations serving people with disabilities, and many others. This includes Lutheran services in Pennsylvania.
Lutheran Services in America asks that you and your colleagues call and email your Senators today to urge them to remove this language before voting on the bill. Ask Senators to include additional financial support for senior living communities as they navigate this crisis with the older adults in their communities. Use the link below to email your Senators, or, use the suggested phone script language and a sample tweet, which can be effective in getting lawmakers’ attention in harried times. Decisions on this rescue package are expected to move incredibly quickly, and we urge you to make this a priority TODAY.
Ways You Can Take Action
Option 1: Write to your Senators through the advocacy tool where we provide suggested language.
Option 2: Contact your lawmakers by phone using the suggested talking points below. You can find your Senators and their phone numbers here. Suggested messaging you may wish to use during your call:
I’m calling in regard to the Senate’s negotiations underway today on the third coronavirus relief package of over $1 trillion. Our Lutheran social ministry organizations serve many thousands of Americans on Medicaid. I am gravely concerned that the bill currently excludes our charitable ministries and other nonprofits that receive Medicaid payments from zero- and low-interest small business loans. Like many nonprofit health and human service organizations, our charities are on the front lines caring for Americans during the pandemic, and are in crisis mode. They are incurring additional expenses, and cash reserves and margins already are tight. They cannot retain employees and provide services that help so many vulnerable people in our state without this support. I urge you to include nonprofits that receive Medicaid payments as eligible applicants for these much-needed small-business loans. I also ask that you expressly include charitable nonprofits that employ more than 500 employees in the bill and include additional financial support for senior living communities as they navigate this crisis with the vulnerable older adults in our communities. So many people in our state are relying on our social ministry organizations, and we’re relying on you.
Option 3: Since lawmakers’ staff consistently monitor their social media pages, reaching out via their Twitter pages is also useful.
You can find your lawmakers and their twitter handles here.
Suggested tweet:
[Insert your lawmaker’s Twitter handle here] #Coronavirus relief bill MUST make nonprofits who get Medicaid reimbursements eligible for $ relief + support senior living communities: nonprofits like SNFs + child welfare agencies + senior living are on frontlines of fight & under severe financial stress.
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