Features from this month’s Nebraska Appleseed newsletter:
- Give to Lincoln Day: Join supporters in unlocking a $10,000 bonus!
- Exciting Appleseed priority bills advance at Nebraska Legislature
- Nebraskans tell Congress ‘It’s Time for Full Inclusion’ (Photos)
- We’re Hiring: Join our team as Staff Attorney or Program Coordinator
- COVID-19 Resources (Including information on vaccines)
Donate now for Give to Lincoln Day and unlock a $10,000 bonus!
This month, we have a BIG goal—and we need your help!
From now through May 25th, you have a special opportunity to make the fight for justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans stronger than ever. Generous friends of Appleseed will donate a $10,000 bonus if 350 people contribute for Give to Lincoln Day!
Your donation will also be matched with a proportional share of a $500,000 challenge match pool. That means, if you help Appleseed raise 1% of all donations during Give to Lincoln Day, Appleseed would receive 1% of the challenge match pool or a $5,000 bonus!
Make your Give to Lincoln Day gift now through May 25!
Unlock the $10,000 match!
After a difficult year for our communities, your advocacy has never been more important. As our community continues to recover from COVID-19 and the economic downturn, we know there’s so much more we can do to ensure no one is left behind.
Appleseed priority bills advance at Nebraska Legislature
We’ve seen a number of exciting victories at the Legislature in recent weeks! Together with your dedicated advocacy, a number of Appleseed priority bills advanced through the legislative process.
- LB320, prioritized by Senator John Cavanaugh, contains a number of important updates to Nebraska’s Landlord-Tenant Act that will help address Nebraska’s housing needs and provide tenants better access to justice. These changes are crucial to ensuring housing justice is afforded to tenants in Nebraska. This legislation overwhelmingly passed on final reading, and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
- LB108, Senator John McCollister’s priority bill, addresses the SNAP cliff effect to help families avoid the tough choice between accessing better job opportunities and keeping food on their tables. Senators voted to move this bill to final reading and it awaits its last round of voting before the bill heads to the Governor for his signature.
- LB485, introduced by Senator Wendy DeBoer, makes long-needed improvements to expand initial eligibility for the child care subsidy program to Nebraska families whose income is at or under 185% of the federal poverty level, and will allow families to continue to receive the subsidy if their income stays below 200% of the federal poverty level. The legislature also advanced this bill to final reading.
- LB306, Senator Tom Brandt’s priority bill, would expand eligibility for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a critical tool to help with the heating, cooling, and energy needs of vulnerable households across the state. This bill received 28 votes to move it to select file.
While we were disappointed that LB258 was not advanced by the Legislature, we’re grateful for the leadership of Senator Tony Vargas and Senator Matt Hansen, among others. This important piece of legislation would have brought relief to thousands of Nebraskans by ensuring equitable access to basic, earned paid sick leave. Not passing this legislation is unacceptable, and we’re committed to ensuring we maintain our advocacy on this important issue for our community members building back from this pandemic.
Nebraskans tell Congress ‘It’s Time for Full Inclusion!’ (Photos)
Immigrant Nebraskans are lights in our families and communities. Community members from across the state sent ‘lights’ with personal stories, photos and messages urging Nebraska’s members of Congress to pass positive immigration laws that keep families together & create stability for local communities! Appleseed and community leaders delivered the stories on a colorful banner to the offices of Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer, and Representative Fortenberry.
The banners reflect the strong statewide support for positive immigration laws that we have seen for decades. This is a year with several important opportunities for Congress to pass positive bills that keep families together and create a way for longtime community members to apply for residency and citizenship! .
Check out the photos below! To add your voice and let Congress know it’s time for full inclusion, click here to learn more and take action.
We’re Hiring: Join our team as Staff Attorney or Program Coordinator
We are hiring for two positions! We’re looking for passionate and driven individuals who want to fight for justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans.
We have job openings for a Program Coordinator, who serves as a project leader within our Child Welfare Program, and a Staff Attorney for our Immigrants & Communities Program.
Program Coordinator – Child Welfare Program
The Program Coordinator serves as the project leader for significant projects within the Child Welfare Program. The Program Coordinator provides support in the areas of program development, grant development, and program implementation. The position reports to the Program Director and serves on the organization’s Child Welfare Program Team. Learn more and apply.
The application deadline is May 14, 2021, and the target start date is July of 2021.
Staff Attorney – Immigrants and Communities Program
The Staff Attorney is responsible for researching, analyzing, and developing and implementing legal and policy solutions together with Nebraska Appleseed’s core constituencies. The Staff Attorney may assist in federal, state, and municipal-level legislative advocacy, litigation support and community engagement. The position works closely with Immigrants & Communities Program team members, local community leaders and partners, other staff attorneys and community organizers, as well as the Policy Directors and Legal Director. The position serves on the Legal team, Policy team, and the Immigrants & Communities Program team. Learn more and apply.
The application deadline is May 10, 2021, and the target start date is July of 2021.
COVID-19 resources: We are only safe as a community if we take care of one another
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our neighbors in vastly different ways. In response, we have created a COVID-19 Resources page that reflects the most pressing needs in our communities right now, including COVID-19 vaccine registration resources.
We hope you and your loved ones find the resources you need on our page. We are continuously updating these resources as we learn more.
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