This article is part of our series looking at the Invisible Social Safety Net — all of those houses of worship and faith-based organizations that provide essential social services to their communities, sometimes with the help of government funding and sometimes without that assistance. In order to unleash the power of the social safety net to support our most vulnerable neighbors, CPJ advocates for state, local, and federal governments who need to understand how to partner with and support these “invisible” links who serve not because they have to by law, but because faithfulness to their tradition calls them to […]

This article part of our series looking at the Invisible Social Safety Net — all of those houses of worship and faith-based organizations that provide essential social services to their communities, sometimes with the help of government funding and sometimes without that assistance. In order to unleash the power of the social safety net to support our most vulnerable neighbors, CPJ advocates for state, local, and federal governments who need to understand how to partner with and support these “invisible” links who serve not because they have to by law, but because faithfulness to their tradition calls them to serve. […]

This article part of our series looking at the Invisible Social Safety Net — all of those houses of worship and faith-based organizations that provide essential social services to their communities, sometimes with the help of government funding and sometimes without that assistance. In order to unleash the power of the social safety net to support our most vulnerable neighbors, CPJ advocates for state, local, and federal governments who need to understand how to partner with and support these “invisible” links who serve not because they have to by law, but because faithfulness to their tradition calls them to serve. […]

As we approach the last few weeks of the election season, the country is on edge.  Forbes recently surveyed over 2,000 Americans from Sept. 4-6, 2024 and found that over 60% of respondents reported feeling, “slightly, moderately or significantly negatively impacted by the upcoming election.” 46% of respondents in the same survey reported feelings of anxiety. Clearly the election is having an impact on Americans, and many are opting out of political conversations altogether.  As the election season intensifies, church leaders are also wrestling on the best practices to address the election without endorsing particular candidates or worldviews. Some church […]

Abortion, immigration, inflation, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic opportunity, racism . . . the two main presidential candidates, their parties, and their party platforms have focused on these pressing issues. However, they have neglected two other vital matters of American public life: the centrality of religion to many Americans and their organizations and the need to reinvigorate the faith-based initiative. Yes, the US is becoming more secular, and the number of “nones” is expanding—people involved with spirituality but detached from organized religion. Yet religion still hold critical importance in American society, as diverse indicators like these […]

This article is part of CPJ’s Shared Justice series on involving families and communities in the juvenile justice system. In the United States, courts will hear nearly 800,000 juvenile justice cases per year. In the current complex system, probation officers and parents often work against each other rather than with each other; this series outlines the tangible ways families can be involved in the restorative process for their children who are in the justice system. “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20, NIV) As defined by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, […]