The Christian Community Development Association, the largest Christian community development group in the country, works to reduce poverty. It’s based in Chicago. Contact interim CEO Ava Steaffens.

Christian Churches Together is a large national ecumenical organization that includes evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, historic Protestant, racial and ethnic churches. Contact executive administrator Yai Malave in Louisville or Rev. Carlos Malave, the executive director.

Read the results of the 2011 census on poverty and income. Published by the United States Census Bureau.

Read a Sept. 12, 2012, article published by the Religion News Service about an increase in poverty advocacy in churches.

Read a July 2, 2013, article published by The Atlantic about how the geographic locations and racial makeup of poverty has changed.

Read a July 7, 2013, article in at JournalNews.com about how poverty has spread into suburban areas.

Read a July 7, 2013, News-Gazette article about teachers working to overcome generational poverty by understanding the “culture of poverty.”

Read an October 28, 2009, story on CNN.com about President Obama signing a bill that makes it a crime to assault someone based on their sexuality or gender.

Denise Eger is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, Calif. She is a well-known activist, most specifically with organizations devoted to fighting AIDS as well as on LGBT issues. The synagogue’s religious school has LGBT students and children of LGBT parents, and the rabbi runs a teen support group at the synagogue twice a […]