Our Issue Campaigns

UVIP is currently focused to two issues, Tropical Storm Irene Relief, and New Hampshire Legislative Action. As we grow, the issues we work on will change. Over time, new issues will arise from the process of building relationships and listening to one another’s hopes and dreams for all in our region.

The Tropical Storm Irene Relief Team is focused on insuring justice for those impacted by Tropical Storm Irene in August, 2011. An early focus was getting JCPenney workers back to work. The current focus is easing the burden of debts survivors accumulated in the aftermath of the storm.

The New Hampshire Legislative Action Team has been focused on opposing bad legislation at the New Hampshire legislature in Concord over the past year. Of the 5 bills we opposed in 2012, 4 have NOT become law.

The Tropical Storm Irene Relief Team

JCPenney Campaign -- Storm-damaged store reopened, employees rehired.

After Tropical Storm Irene, the heavily-damaged West Lebanon JCPenney store put all employees on unpaid leave of absence, but was very slow to communicate their plans for the store – or the employees. To support the JCPenney employees and relieve their uncertainty, the JCPenney Issue Team was formed and worked with Deputy Commission of Employment Security Daryll Gates to secure unemployment benefits for JCPenney employees and convince JCPenney to relax their conflict of interest policy which limited employees’ ability to apply for temporary work elsewhere while the JCPenney store was closed. By involving the UVIP faith communities and other community stakeholders, over 400 letters were written and sent to JCPenney headquarters requesting clear, consistent communication from JCPenney regarding the store reopening and employee rehiring. Within a week, JCPenney called an all-store employee meeting, announced the store reopening date, and rehired all present employees.

UVIP Irene Relief Action – working toward financial justice for those impacted by Tropical Storm Irene

While the flood waters receded long ago, the flood of debt is still rising for Irene survivors. The UVIP Irene Team hosted a Public Action Meeting in mid-September where over 100 people gathered to share stories of Irene related debt and take next steps to relieve mounting credit card bills and dwindling financial assets. We announced the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund’s willingness to pay outstanding contractor and vendor bills for Irene survivors, a critical step in helping survivor individuals and families who went deeply into debt to deal with damages. We updated those present of our developing relationships with local banks and public officials to create financial products that will help Irene survivors recover from their flood-related debts. UVIP is proud to play a convening, catalyzing and organizing role in helping those who are most vulnerable speak up for their needs, and helping those who are responsible or are partners in addressing those needs respond on a timely basis. We remain engaged with the Vermont communities impacted by tropical storm Irene as they seek to carve out a new future in 2013.

The New Hampshire Legislative Action Team

Based on community concerns and faith values the team actively opposed five bills being considered by the New Hampshire Legislature during 2012. These bills would have eroded tenants rights, reduced affordable housing, brought predatory high-interest lending back to NH, and expanded casino gambling. UVIP leaders testified at hearings and held prayer vigils outside important votes.

We connected closely and repeatedly with our local NH Representatives and Senators. Through this effort we developed strong and enduring working relationships with multiple organizations including the Granite State Organizing Project, American Friends Service Committee, NH Legal Assistance, NH Community Loan Fund, Diocese of Manchester, and Lutheran Social Services. Along with our allies, we were successful in defeating four of the five bills. However, one bill got through, allowing small loans with interest rates as high as 300% to unsuspecting people (using their car title as collateral) to return to New Hampshire.  We and our allies are working hard to repeal this bad law in 2013, and get predatory lending back out of New Hampshire once and for all.