Ecumenical Poverty Initiative is proud to announce that we have endorsed the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. In state capitols and Washington, D.C., policies that promote systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and ecological devastation are threatening our democracy and decaying our national morality. We refuse to be silent in the face […]
ENOUGH: Virtual Mass Meetings for Faith and Community Leaders
People of Faith Say ENOUGH! The Time is Now! Faith and community leaders are gathering weekly for virtual mass meetings to build a movement that breaks down barriers to economic and racial justice. The “We Say ENOUGH” campaign is calling for a moral response to the deepening disparities and injustice poor and disenfranchised people are experiencing in […]
Stop Predatory Lending: Tell Your Story
Ecumenical Poverty Initiative is joining with the Faith for Just Lending coalition and others in the faith community to stand up for the most economically vulnerable and to stop predatory payday lenders. So many people who needed help during an emergency or to cover the costs of unexpected expenses, have found themselves spiraling into deeper […]
EPI Co-Sponsors Senate Hearing on CFPB’s Proposed Payday Lending Rule
The Ecumenical Poverty Initiative was a co-sponsor of a briefing for Senate staff on small-dollar loans, including payday, auto title, deposit advance products, and installment loans. Rev. Sekinah Hamlin, EPI’s director, was one of the speakers at the briefing, which was held on Monday, June 13 in the Dirksen Senate Building. EPI is urging […]
EPI Calls on CFPB to Strengthen Payday Lending Rule
Washington, D.C., June 14, 2016—The Ecumenical Poverty Initiative (EPI) has applauded the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) release of a rule that would govern payday lending and curtail predatory practices that have resulted in a vicious cycle of debt for low-income borrowers. In a briefing for Senate staffers yesterday about the proposed rule, EPI […]
Standing with Women and Families Forum
Join Ecumenical Poverty Initiative and the Women’s Equality Center for the Standing with Women and Families Forum: Organizing for Power in the Gender Gap, which will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2016 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at St. Matthews United Methodist Church in Greensboro, N.C. This forum brings together women of faith, organizations and […]
Income Inequality in Perspective
Over at Visualizing Economics, Catherine Mulbrandon has an excellent visualization of income inequality in 1975 and then again in 2010: And here they are side by side for easier comparison:
Presidential Candidates Speak About Poverty
The Ecumenical Poverty Initiative has worked with leaders in the Circle of Protection to convince presidential candidates to record short videos explaining how their administrations would address poverty in the United States. Today, we’re pleased to release videos from the eight candidates who responded to our request. Currently, we’ve received videos from the following candidates: Hillary […]
Women in the Low-Wage Labor Force: Moving in the Wrong Direction
Women make up a disproportionate and increasing share of the low-wage labor force, according to a new report from the National Women’s Law Center. The report, “Underpaid and Overloaded: Women in Low-Wage Jobs,” shows that Women make up two-thirds of the low-wage work force – jobs paying under $10.10 per hour – despite making up […]
A Visual Essay on the Wage-Productivity Gap
In the late 1970s a gap opened up between the productivity of workers, and the amount they were being paid. The not-so-creative name for this trend is the wage-productivity gap. The causes are hotly debated, but the consequences are straightforward. The economy continues to grow through increases in productivity, but the benefits of increased productivity […]
