Just Harvest News A PUBLICATION OF THE JUST HARVEST EDUCATION FUND March - April 2006, Volume 20 No. 2 FRONT PAGE NEWS Tax Refunds Top $1 Million in First Four Weeks Congress Budget Reconciliation Passes Narrowly: Billions Cut PERSPECTIVE: Pennsylvania Should Raise Its Minimum Wage NATIONAL NEWS: Bush’s 2007 Budget Proposal “Scandalous,” Says Specter 2006 Budget Reconciliation Bill includes Welfare Cuts Farm Bill Debate Moves To Center Stage NEWS BRIEFS: Charitable Giving To Poor People Down In 2004 Victory For Kids In Florida Fingerprints For Food STATE NEWS: Governor’s Staff, Anti-Hunger Leaders Meet on Budget In the House Tricky Maneuvering Delays Minimum Wage Vote Report Condemns Utilities Cuts In the Senate Ferlo Introduces Major Health Care Reform Anti-Hunger Groups Win City and County Funds CHILD NUTRITION: McKees Rocks WIC Office Will Re-open Soon Just Harvest Seeks New Summer Food Sites Schools Must Develop Wellness Policies Now OTHER NEWS: Keeping up with Washington and Harrisburg Welfare Trainings in Uniontown NEWS BRIEFS EIC, EMS; what do they mean to you? Hello and Goodby Nuts and Bolts #19: The Child Nutrition Programs - Some Basics Thank You! ANNOUNCEMENTS Click HERE to review our previous newsletter. Tax Refunds Top $1 Million in First Four Weeks Just Harvest’s free tax preparation site continues to get bigger and better as more people learn about our quality service and we add more staff and volunteers. By February 16th we helped 640 taxpayers complete their federal, state and local returns. Together they received a total federal refund of $1,306,988 including $697,215 from the Earned Income Tax Credit! We’re also learning just how difficult it is to get refunds of the new $52 Emergency and Municipal Services (EMS) Tax. This is the municipal tax the state approved instead of a commuter tax. Each municipality has different rules about the tax, making refunds especially complex. Many workers also must find pay stubs from 2005 because most employers aren’t including the EMS tax information on W-2s. We’ll continue to advocate for changes in the way this tax is collected and refunded at the local and state level. Back to TOP Congress Budget Reconciliation Passes Narrowly: Billions Cut In spite of intense lobbying, education and praying by advocates and countless others, the vote to cut $38.8 billion from federal programs passed through the House of Representatives on February 1, by a vote of 216 to 214, and was then signed by Pres. Bush. All Democrats, one Independent and 13 Republicans voted against the so-called Deficit Reduction Act. The cuts included Medicaid, Medicare, TANF (cash welfare), student aid, child care, housing, foster care, child support enforcement, and SSI for people with disabilities. Although the devastating cuts to these and many other programs is a reality, advocacy efforts did pay off. Hundreds of events took place nationwide, hundreds of thousands of calls from citizens over the last few months and meetings with representatives persuaded four Republican Representatives to change their votes to “no” (one of which was PA Rep. Jim Gerlach(R-6). The Senate and House are working on a tax reconciliation bill, the main objective of which is to make the tax cuts for the wealthy (set to expire in 2008) permanent. The total cost of these tax cuts will be $96 billion over five years and will only benefit the top “wealthy” five percent of this country. Just Harvest group meets with Cong. Mike Doyle to discuss their concerns. Left to right: Lisa Macklin, Beverly Johns, Rochelle Jackson, Roberta Byrd, Mike Doyle, Joni Rabinowitz, Sara Bennett, Rachel Freund, Joycelyn Banks. Back to TOP Perpsective: Pennsylvania Should Raise Its Minimum Wage by Stephen Herzenberg Pennsylvania legislators are currently debating whether to increase the state’s minimum wage above the federal level of $5.15 per hour, a step 18 other states have already taken.Polls show that most Pennsylvanians – rural and urban, Republican and Democratic – view a higher minimum wage as a question of basic fairness. People who work hard and play by the rules should make enough to feed, house, and clothe their family. On this issue, the common sense views of most Pennsylvanians are right in line with the best economic research. A minimum wage of $7.15 per hour by January 2007 would benefit many workers and families who need the help. In the debate over a higher minimum wage, however, research and common sense collide with the myths advanced by lobbies for the poorest paying businesses: Myth 1: A higher minimum wage won't benefit many workers. Opponents of an increase make this claim by pointing to the small number of workers who earn exactly $5.15. But all those earning between $5.15 and $7.14 per hour would receive an increase. This number, opponents now accept, is roughly 400,000 workers. Myth 2: Those who benefit are mostly teenagers. Kevin Shivers of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has called a minimum wage increase a “glorified allowance bump.” But the numbers actually show that about 70 percent of those who would directly benefit from a higher state minimum wage are 20 and over. On average, workers benefiting also earn 44 percent of their family income. Bottom line: while not perfectly targeted, much of the benefits would go to families that most need it. Myth 3: Minimum wage workers move up quickly to higher wages. While some workers do move up, too many do not. Of U.S. workers earning within a dollar of $5.15, only four out of 10 had moved up to jobs paying above this range, adjusting for inflation, three years later. In Pennsylvania, two out of five workers who earned below poverty earnings in 1998 still earned below poverty earnings in 2004. Myth 4: A higher minimum wage is a job killer. In fact, research from other states shows that modest increases don’t lead to job loss. One reason for this is that minimum wage increases raise labor costs on average by less than 1 percent – and total costs by even less. Another reason is that higher wages tend to reduce quit rates and make it easier to hire new workers. So businesses can end up with fewer job vacancies – and thus with more jobs. A final reason that a higher minimum wage can lead to more jobs is that it increases consumer demand among low- and middle-income workers. This is why the CEO of WalMart now supports a higher minimum wage. A higher minimum wage is but one of a set of policies needed to create an economy that works for all – a “moral economy” that supports rather than undercuts Pennsylvania values. But it's a great place to start. Stephen Herzenberg is the Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center (KRC), an independent, non-partisan think tank. KRC’s publications on the Pennsylvania minimum wage can be found online at www.keystoneresearch.org Back to TOP Still available... A movie about American families and American ideas, about one corporation crushing the American dream for millions of ordinary people. DVDs and VHS available for purchase... only $20 Make check payable to Just Harvest and mail it to Just Harvest, 16 Terminal Way, Pgh 15219. Just Harvest helped organize a January 25 Bake Sale for the Wealthy in Market Square, which brought out numerous creative home-made food items, including FBI Thumbprint Cookies and Heck of a Job Brownies. Back to TOP Bush’s 2007 Budget Proposal “Scandalous,” Says Specter Pres. Bush’s FY 2007 budget, unveiled Feb. 6, 2006 is sparking sprited debate, including among members of his own party. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) labeled it “scandalous” and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) was stunned at the proposed cuts in Medicare and Medicaid. The budget would eliminate 91 programs cutting a total of $7.3 billon, and substantially reduce 50 programs, (including WIC and food stamps) cutting a total of $7.4 billion. It would completely eliminate the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). This program serves a nutritious box of food to nearly ½ million seniors each month, including 3,295 in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence. It would also reduce funding for WIC, Low Income Energy Assistance, meals on wheels and senior food programs served in senior centers, despite growing need among seniors. Community Services Block Grants and Community Development Block Grants would also be eliminated. Back to TOP 2006 Budget Reconciliation Bill includes Welfare Cuts After three years of debate, new Congressional authorization of TANF (cash welfare) was packaged within the Budget Reconciliation Bill. This put new rules in force through 2010. Congress did not include the entire House proposal in reconciliation, but instead a portion relatively limited – but still potentially extremely harmful-- to TANF families. The changes to TANF are: (1) no new TANF money (2) changes the federal work participation rates for states. This means that states have until October of this year to have 50% of their caseload working. (3) not enough money to cover child care and (4) Health and Human Services Department must propose new regulations by June 30, 2006. What does this mean for Pennsylvanians? PA only has only about 12% of our caseload meeting the federal work requirement. Contrary to what the federal government and state legislators would have us believe, there are many legitimate reasons why more clients are not working. Prior to this bill, PA had a waiver/exception and therefore could continue to receive federal funding while clients addressed multiple personal and family barriers. to employment. Now that Congress has changed the work participation rules, PA no longer has a waiver or an exception. We are required to have 50% of Pennsylvania’s caseload working by next October, or we could lose $35 million in federal dollars that the state will have to make up. There are going to be a lot of changes in Employment & Training in order to avoid a loss of funding. Back to TOP Farm Bill Debate Moves To Center Stage With the 2006 federal budget completed, hunger advocates now turn our attention to the debate on the Farm Bill, the federal legislation that governs Food Stamps as well as the nation’s agriculture policy. Updated every five years, the Farm Bill is due to be re-authorized in 2007, and discussion about key issues is already underway. The US Department of Agriculture held several public forums on the Farm Bill, and received over 4,000 public comments during 2005. The Farm Bill covers a vast policy landscape from food stamps (its largest component) to farm subsidies, crop insurance, rural economic development, and land and water conservation. As a result, anti-hunger advocates are keenly aware that alliances can shift dramatically as legislative priorities are debated and negotiated. Food stamp advocates are working hard to seek increases in basic benefit levels, maintain the entitlement character, increase food stamp participation among eligible families, and eliminate the assets test which can punish low-income people for trying to save for the future. Meanwhile, sustainable agriculture advocates are stressing issues such as preservation of family farms, farmland conservation, and limiting commodity subsidies for giant agribusinesses. We expect these groups will find common ground to win economic justice in a Farm Bill that helps meet human needs. Back to TOP Governor’s Staff, Anti-Hunger Leaders Meet on Budget Steve Crawford, Gov. Rendell’s Secretary for Legislative Services, met with a group of 25 anti-hunger and community action groups in Harrisburg about the Governor’s proposed budget. The budget includes conservative funding for the State Food Purchase Program, a unique Pennsylvania program which provides funds to state food banks, to purchase food. He proposed $18 million for this program – the same amount as the General Assembly appropriated this year. Crawford indicated Rendell might be willing to increase the amount. He also said Rendell might be open to a “nutrition initiative.” Last year the Governor only requested $15 million, but after extensive lobbying by anti-hunger advocates, the General Assembly appropriated $18 million. This year the food banks and their allies are requesting $19 million. Rising energy costs, increased living costs, a jump in the number of hungry people and inadequate funds for nutritious meals make this increase necessary. Crawford urged the group to find a “champion”—a House member or Senator--- who will stick with the budget till the end. The Feb. 9th meeting was organized by PA Hunger Action Center. Rendell also proposes decreasing corporate taxes and cutting out many of the loopholes. He says we have a high corporate tax, but very few businesses pay it. Back to TOP Steve Crawford, Gov. Rendells’ Secretary for Legislative Services, speaking to a group of anti-hunger advocates. In the House Tricky Maneuvering Delays Minimum Wage Vote Tricky parliamentary maneuvering by Republicans in the House has prevented a meaningful minimum wage bill from coming to a vote. The Republican majority is trying to force a bill with no teeth, in order to make the Democrats vote for a weak bill. The Democrats and the Governor are united in insisting on an increase to $7.15 an hour by 2007. Representative Marc Gergeley (D-Allegheny), a member of the Labor Relations Committee, vowed the House Democrats would continue to press for a meaningful vote on this issue. He said tens of thousands of families are trying to raise children on a wage which hasn’t been raised in nine years. “They don’t deserve to be ignored. We are determined to use any means we can to end the delay on a minimum wage vote in the House,” he said.Scathing Report Report Condemns Utilities Cuts Former PUC Commissioner Joe Rhodes,Jr., at the request of Rep. Dwight Evans(D-Phila), Democratic Chair/ Committee on Appropriations, recently released a scathing report condemning Act 201 (Chapter 14), Pennsylvania’s hastily-passed utility shut-off law. As advocates had hoped, Rhodes called for repeal of the law, which he called a “hasty mistake,” and the Harrisburg Patriot-News joined in this call. Evans was a prime sponsor of this disastrous bill which resulted in thousands of Pennsylvania families facing unprecedented cut-offs and other emergencies. Several Representatives, including Evans and Rep. Joe Preston of East Liberty have called for public hearings. None, that we know of, has called for Repeal of Act 201. In the Senate Ferlo Introduces Major Health Care Reform Bill Allegheny Sens. Jim Ferlo, Wayne Fontana and Shirley Kitchen(D-Phila) introduced the Balanced and Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act, Senate Bill 1085 on Feb. 6. A single-payer type of plan, it was referred to the Public Health and Welfare committee, of which local senator Sen. Jay Costa is a member. Anti-Hunger Groups Win City and County Funds Just Harvest has led the struggle, since 1989, to advance local public funding for food for our hungry neighbors. Both the City and the County have responded over the years. This year, in December 2005, we were again successful in assuring that both the City of Pittsburgh and the County came up with funds for the traditional anti-hunger groups. The following grants were approved by City Council: Just Harvest, $10,160; Hunger Services, Urban League, $27,500; Greater Pgh Community Food Bank, $167,300; Pgh Community Services, Inc, $116,350. From the County: Just Harvest, $10,000; Food Bank, $436,500; Lutheran Service Society: $34,000. Thanks to all the City Council members, and to Rich Venezia from the County Hunger Bureau for ensuring this money goes to hungry people. Back to TOP Just Harvest Seeks New Summer Food Sites Intern Sara Bennett and Child Nutrition Advocate Shauna Ponton are working to sign up eligible schools to operate new “open” Summer Food Sites. They spoke to Rodney Martin and others from the County Department of Human Services and are canvassing schools to determine the best locations. They are focusing on schools that are centrally located, in needy communities which have few or no summer feeding sites. Sara and Shauna have begun to schedule meetings with school superintendents to discuss the program. After a very positive meeting with Sto-Rox administrators, including Superintendent Fran Serenka, we are moving forward about the possibility of opening Sto-Rox High School as a new site. In addition to recruiting new sites Just Harvest will, again, be advertising new and existing summer food sites to the parents and children in the communities served. Action: Contact your school about hosting a Summer Food Site. Back to TOP Schools Must Develop Wellness Policies Now The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires shcool to adopt wellness policies to address childhood obesity, and promote healthy eating and physical activity. Every school district that participates in the federal school meals programs must implement a wellness policy by the first day of the 2006-07 school year. The policies must address nutrition education, nutrition guidelines, physical activity, and other school-based activities which will promote student wellness. School districts are required to include parents, school food service staff, and the public in developing the policies.. Action: To become involved in developing your school district’s wellness policy, contact your child’s school or your school district. Back to TOP WIC PUBLIC MEETING Public Meeting to voice your opinions about the WIC Program April 20, 2006 from 10am-3 pm, at the Allegheny County Health Department 239 Fourth Ave., 6th floor. To register for oral comments call WIC (412) 350-5785. Keeping up with Washington and Harrisburg We have important elections coming up next fall. Our Congresspeople, one Senator, and our Governor are up for election, among others. We hope this new column will help you make informed decisions based on voting records and statements by candidates about some of the issues we all care about. Federal budgets are statements about a nation's priorities. CONGRESS House of Representatives Congressional Budget for FY 2006 (4/28/05)– Area Democrat Reps. Mike Doyle and John Murtha voted NO. Area Republican Reps. Melissa Hart, Tim Murphy, Phil English voted YES. Just Harvest opposed. Final Deficit Reduction Act - Budget Reconciliation (H Con Res 95)- (2/2/06) – Reps. Mike Doyle and John Murtha voted NO. Reps. Melissa Hart, Tim Murphy, Phil English voted YES. Just Harvest opposed. Senate Tax Relief Extension Recon. act of 2005 –( 2/3/06) – Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum voted YES. Just Harvest opposed. Final Deficit Reduction Act – Budget Reconciliation – (12/20/05)- Senators Specter and Santorum voted YES. Just Harvest opposed. Pennsylvania Governor Increased minimum wage in Pennsylvania- Gov. Rendell has stated he supports an increase to $7.15 an hour in 2007. Lynn Swann, Republican candidate for Governor, said he opposes an increase in minimum wage (ABC News with George Stephanopolous 2/12/06). Just Harvest supports increase. Back to TOP Welfare Trainings in Uniontown Rochelle Jackson, advocate/organizer for the Welfare Justice Project, traveled to Uniontown on January 17 to facilitate a two-hour Welfare Rights Advocacy Clinic/Training for 53 staff people from the Fayette County Headstart Program. The group was quite attentive, asking many questions ranging from Medical Assistance to supportive services for clients to go to school. The informal training allowed Rochelle to dispel quite a few myths and educate the participants about a lot of misinformation they had. Because they were so excited about the information they received, and because two hours is not nearly enough time, they invited Rochelle to come back in February and April to continue with the training. Look out Fayette County, up and coming Welfare Rights Advocates on the horizon! Action: Schedule a Welfare Advocacy Clinic/Training for your group, call Rochelle, 412-431-8960. Back to TOP News Briefs Single Adults Losing Food Stamps Since January, Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDS) in most of Pennsylvania are limited, again, to 3 months of food stamps in a 36-month period unless they are meeting a federal work requirement. Federal law states that persons ages 18 thru 49 with no dependents, who are not exempt from the work requirement, must work an average of 20 hours per week in order to receive on-going food stamps. Pennsylvania has had a waiver from this requirement for several years. If ABAWD’s work or are exempt, they will maintain their food stamps for as long as they are eligible. Advertising to Children May Cause Health Problems A recent study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies found that marketing targeted to children under age 12 leads them to request and eat high-calorie, low-nutrient products. The report suggests that food manufacturers and restaurants direct resources to developing and marketing child- and youth-oriented foods that are higher in nutrients and lower in calories, fat, salt and added sugars. Such programs would reshape childrens’awareness of healthy choices. The Urban Plunge visits Just Harvest Twelve students from Notre Dame University came to Pittsburgh for the Urban Plunge on January 5. They stopped in to visit with Just Harvest for the 9th year in a row. The Urban Plunge is a program in which students that are interested in urban issues get the opportunity to have an intense urban experience for about 4 or 5 days. The students, mostly from the Pittsburgh area, visit various agencies that work with poor people, including homeless shelters and food banks. They came to Just Harvest to learn about hunger and poverty-related public policy. Back to TOP Taxpayer Faith Massie(R) is glad that tax preparer Marissa Johnson(L) helped her get her get a $42 city EMS refund at Just Harvest’s VITA site. EIC, EMS; what do they mean to you? To Faith Massie it means a higher tax refund this year! Faith Massie has been coming to Just Harvest for the past three years to have her federal, state and local tax returns prepared. Each year her tax refund has increased – not by much but by enough that it is worth mentioning. The increase is partially due to the Earned Income Credit (EIC) which she has been able to take advantage of. The EIC is the nation’s most successful anti-poverty program but up to one-fourth of the eligible recipients don’t know about it. Many low-income tax payers also may not know they are eligible for refunds of their Emergency & Municipal SErvices (EMS) tax. Faith had heard about the EMS tax but wasn’t sure what it was or how it affected her, so she asked us. We found that Faith is eligible for the EMS tax credit and will receive a $42 refund. Just Harvest has added the EMS tax to our tax credit education this year to help people like Faith determine if they’re eligible for a refund and how to get it. Back to TOP Comings and Goings Just Harvest said goodbye last month to our Administrative Assistant, Dawn Wallhausen. After three years at Just Harvest, Dawn accepted a full-time position at the Journal of Economic Literature where she is the Assistant Editor. Dawn continues to assist us with tax preparation and has generously volunteered to continue to update our website. Ivy Pack, who had been doing a tremendous job scheduling tax appointments for us, through a Paid Work Experience placement, has temporarily taken over the Administrative Assistant position. We’re happy to welcome Ivy to the staff and already know that she’s exceptional at handling multiple phone calls and many people from the tax scheduling experience. Shadonna Preston has joined us from the welfare Paid Work Experience Program to help schedule tax appointments. Back to TOP Nuts and Bolts #19 The Child Nutrition Programs – Some Basics The federal government funds several large and important Child Nutrition Programs, all of which are in jeopardy because of cut-backs and changing priorities at all levels of government. All of the Child Nutrition Programs operate under the rules of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Sometimes they are supplemented with state or local funds. The National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs make it possible for all school children in the United States to receive nutritious school meals. They are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the local state education agencies (e.g., the Pennsylvania Department of Education). School boards must apply to their state education agency to institute these programs. The families must fill out an application for free or reduced price meals and return it to the child’s school. Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) feeds children 1-18 years of age free nutritious meals during the summer months. Summer Food picks up where the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs leave off. Funds for this come through the USDA to a state agency (see above). They are then distributed to local sponsors who organize and manage sites. The two largest sponsors in our area are the City of Pittsburgh and the County of Allegheny. The Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides vouchers for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children up to five years old, for infant formula, cereal, milk, eggs, cheese, juice, peanut butter and dry beans. WIC also provides basic health assessments and referrals for immunizations. The funds, determined annually by Congress, go from the federal government to state agencies and tribal organizations, who administer the program through local agencies that operate WIC sites. In Pennsylvania there are 24 agencies—including the Allegheny County Health Department-- that contract with the PA Department of Health to provide WIC services. The Child and Adult Care Food Program funds meals in child care facilities, after school programs, homeless shelters and adult day care centers. (Children whose families receive Food Stamps, TANF (welfare), or they participate in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), or their family income is below 130% percent of poverty are eligible for free meals. If the family income is between 130 and 185% of poverty they are eligible for meals at a reduced price.) Back to TOP THANK YOU! Just Harvest begins the new year on the right foot thanks to your generosity. We gratefully acknowledge recent grants from the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania and Share Our Strength. And thanks to all our supporters in the community: Christ United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church Of The Redeemer, Nutrition, Inc., PathwaysPA, St. Brendan's Episcopal Church Cries Advocacy Committee, Anonymous, Ron Altany, Mary Arenth, George & Nancy Balderose, David Ball & Susan Chapek, Loretta Barone, Ron Berlin, Fran Bertonaschi, Mark Bibro, Edith Blattner, Ray & Ginny Bowman, Suzanne Broughton & Richard Margerum, Martin & Agnes Buerger, R. L. & Marie Byrne, Lonnie & Paul Carey, Tim Carr, Alan & Lois Cohen, Dan & Clare Cornell, Daryl Cross & Susan Peake, Sheriff Pete DeFazio, Judith Dodd, Steffi Domike, Maura Donnelly, Thomas & Marilyn Donnelly, Fred Egler, Jr. and Kathleen Buechel in honor of Mr & Mrs Fred Egler, Sr., Amy & James Ekmann, Julian & Rhoda Eligator, Robert & Judith Eurich, Alexander Federowicz & Margaret Laske, Ed Feinstein & Sally Kalson, Winnie Feise, Robert Foley, John Gargani in honor of Mary Elizabeth McCarthy, Kate Garvey, Christine Gaus, Tom Gordon, Alex Gruskos, Anne Hawkins, Mark Heine & Helene Bender, Amanda & Braden Hunsaker, Joan Isenberg & Bill Hashinger, Beverly Johns, John & Anne Kernion, Chandler & Louise Ketchum, Carol Kinney, Lucille Koehler, Barbara Krupp, David Krupp, William & Sandra Ladebue, David Lefkowitz, Claire & Lawrence Levine, Randy & Charlotte Lott, Louise & Michael Malakoff, Jeffrey McCourt, Melanie & Art McDonald, John McDowell, Patricia McElligot, Zivian McKnight, Emily McMahon & Joseph Carse, Cynthia McNulty, David Mooney & Maxine Heller, Maria Muzzie, Julia Nagle, Marianne Novy, Jim & Tricia Nowalk, Fr. John Oesterle, Christen Palombo, Tom Pandaleon & Faith Schantz in memory of Lila Schantz, Leone Paradise, Marcus & Nancy Patterson, Jeffery & Terry Peters, Karen Peterson, Carla Pfahler, Gene & Mary Pochapsky, Suzanne Polen, Maggie Qualters, Kate & Mason Radkoff, Sharen Rick, Joyce Rothermel, Jim Ruck & Gail Britanik, Bill & Molly Rush, Ann Ruszkowski, Edward Ruszkowski, Esther Sales, Richard Sandow & Francine Rose, Lorraine Sauchin, Dr. & Mrs. Harold Scheinman, Paola Scommegna & Paul Nelson, Dorothy Scott in honor of Thomas Scott, Mim Seidel & David Blaushild, Josh & Amanda Shapira, Albert Sharenko, Ed & Dorothy Sites, Brenda Smith, Seth & Stephanie Spaulding, Marjorie Spenser, Rick & Katherine St. John, John Stember, Mary Stewart, Lowell & Rachel Swarts, Angela Szesciorka, Peter Tanzer, Barbara Thiry, Lorraine Vinograd, Paul Wahrhaftig, William Wekselman, Nancy Welfer, Roye Werner & George Andrews, Eve Wider, William Yund, and Michael & Naomi Zigmond. Back to TOP Announcements Just Harvest Annual Meeting and Meal Tuesday May 2, 6pm First Baptist Church, Bellefield and Bayard, Oakland Speaker: Joyce Rothermel, Exec. Director of the Greater Pgh Community Food Bank Board Elections follow program Donations requested for meal – RSVP to Just Harvest Reclaiming America from the Religious Right Join us for an evening with Rabbi Michael Lerner one of the nation’s leading progressive thinkers on faith and politics Monday, March 27, 2006 - 7:30 PM Jewish Community Center 5738 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill Copies of Rabbi Lerner’s latest book The Left Hand of God will be on sale. Book signing to follow program. Bowls into the Night Carlow University Art Department Chair and Potter-extraordinaire Dale Huffman leads the bowl-making efforts that help make the annual Empty Bowls Dinner a success. This year’s Bowls Into the Night bowl-making event at Dale’s studio brought together dozens of potters, teachers, and students to throw nearly 300 of the bowls for the 11th Annual Empty Bowls Dinner. Back to TOP