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2024-2028
Quadrennial Priorities of Church Women United 
Quadrennial Priority #1
Quadrennial Priority #2
Freedom and Justice - Human Trafficking Scripture Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV) Focus Statement The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution provides, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Incarceration is the state of being confined in prison, typically as punishment for a crime. Thousands of innocent people experience human trafficking which is a form of modern-day slavery, involuntary servitude and labor trafficking. It can be defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to deny one’s freedom for the purpose of obtaining some type of labor or commercial sex acts. Some of the methods are violence, manipulation, false promises of well-paying jobs, and romantic relationships. Between 21 million and 45 million people are enslaved around the world. These three forms of slavery are prevalent throughout the world. The United States Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those who are trafficked are denied these unalienable rights. The age old solution to any form of slavery whether it be prison or human trafficking is prevention, intervention and reentry. These are the best solutions; however, the question becomes how to implement them. Action Items To eradicate human trafficking: Develop new understanding concerning the issues of modern day slavery by planning/attending workshops and seminars. Advocate for new laws, structure and policies to identify and eradicate modern day slavery. Create or work with task forces on the local, state and federal government levels to help with prevention, intervention and reentry. Advocate for more counselors in schools. Become familiar with the body of research on the subject of human trafficking and the laws implemented to prevent or intervene on behalf of those being trafficked. Resources: National Human Trafficking Hotline Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week. Languages: English, Spanish, 888-373-7888. Missing Kids, https://www.missingkids.org/home. Selah Freedom, www.selah freedom.com. Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST), endslaverynow.org . The Issues, https://www.missingkids.org/theissues. Polaris Project: https://polarisproject.org/. Movie: Sound of Freedom. National Farm Worker Ministry, www.nfwm.org. Shared Hope International, www.sharedhope.org. DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-center-countering-human-trafficking. 
Quadrennial Priority #3
Quality and Equity in Public Education Scripture Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12 (NIV) Focus Statement Although public education in the United States is available to most school-age children, the number of mandatory school years, laws setting mandatory school attendance, and minimum and maximum age limits for required free education vary according to state and local laws. Moreover, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) competency varies greatly by state and local school systems. The U.S. is losing ground to other industrialized nations as shown by students’ declining scores on tests and lack of mastery of essential skills. Further, national standards are moving toward adding the Arts and Reading & Writing skills, which introduces the new acronym STREAM with more skills to be mastered. To meet the growing academic needs of students in U.S. public schools, improving the quality of curriculum and students’ academic readiness in all public schools is crucial. This applies to all students eligible for mandatory education, regardless of their race, ethnicity, background, location, or economic level. The following action items promote consistency in US education. |
Quadrennial Priority #3
Quadrennial Priority #4
Fair and Accessible Housing Scripture My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Isaiah 32:18 NIV Focus Statement Housing is a basic human right; just as every person needs sleep, food and water, all people need a safe place to live. The lack of stable, affordable housing is the foundation of many of America’s social problems, including poverty, homelessness, and disparities in education and health care. There is an eviction crisis in America that is intrinsically tied to housing insecurity because in many cases there are no laws to protect the tenant from unscrupulous landlords. Foreclosures and evictions cause loss of money, possessions, and damages the social fabric of neighborhoods. Rising rent, which has helped fuel homelessness across the nation, has forced millions of Americans into spending more than the recommended 30% of monthly income on housing. Rent increases have also played a major role in preventing inflation from falling, according to the latest consumer price index data According to The Washington Post, “A recent study found that there isn’t a single congressional district in the country where a full-time minimum wage worker could afford a two-bedroom apartment.” ). With the rapid growth of unstable, low-paying jobs,
Homeless service systems expanded the availability of both temporary and permanent beds in 2022, but these resources still fall short of reaching everyone in need. The rise in homelessness at the beginning of 2023 continued a pre-pandemic trend from 2016 to 2020, when homelessness also increased. The American Rescue Plan (ARP)—the largest single-year investment in preventing and ending homelessness in U.S. history— prevented a rise in homelessness between 2020 and 2022. Many of these ARP resources have expired, contributing to the increase in homelessness. Action Items 1. Increase opportunities for homeownership. To start closing the homeownership gap within a generation, the number of affordable housing options needs to increase. There are several ways to achieve this goal:
2. Invest in distressed communities. 3. Stop policies that perpetuate segregation. To accomplish this goal:
4. Invest in affordable rental housing with laws to protect renters, thereby lowering the number of evictions. 5. Encourage Economic Stability which would allow more families to afford housing. This would include businesses’ paying a livable wage. 6. Promote Financial Literacy Education which will help people make better use of their earnings through savings, and if able, investing. It will also make homeowners less susceptible to unethical players who encourage refinancing or second mortgages for money to purchase high ticket luxury items. Resources: Habitat for Humanity: a nonprofit organization helping families build and improve places to call home. Believes affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. www.habitat.org Housing Equity Project (HEP): community-based organization that helps staff the men’s shelter at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and the women’s shelter at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, ensuring the two shelters remain open for 120 nights.. Housing Equity Project (HEP) | Community Impact (columbia.edu) Foundation Communities: nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and support services to low-income families and individuals in Austin, Texas. https://foundcom.org Community Service Society: nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of low-income New Yorkers. http://cssny.org References The State of Homelessness: 2023 Edition uses data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide an overview of the scope of homelessness in the U.S. on a given night in 2022 and illustrate emerging trends. Data in this report is pulled from HUD’s 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count data, as well as Housing Inventory Count data. Each section features interactive charts to display this data, with highlights discussed in the text of this report. Data on homelessness are based on annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Counts conducted by Continuums of Care (CoCs) to estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness on a given night. The latest full counts (sheltered and unsheltered) are from January 2022. Point-in-Time data from 2007 to 2022 are available on HUD Exchange. Paul, C. A. (2018). Social Welfare History Project. Contemporary housing issues. Accessed May 28, 2024, https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/housing/contemporary-housing-issues/. Homeless Numbers Continue to Rise, Accessed May 28, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/16/homelessness-point-in-time-count/. 
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| Church Women United of Lane County |
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