Churches Hope To Cash In On Welfare Reform

Religious organizations are breaking down the doors of the state Legislature this year, hoping to capture a piece of welfare reform.

Luring them in is a clause in the new federal welfare law known as Section 104, or the “charitable option.” It opens the doors for states to contract with churches and other charities in providing services for the needy.

While that idea is hardly new (Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington gets almost $2.5 million in government money every year), the amount of money potentially available to churches for social programs could skyrocket.

Lobbyists who traditionally have stood up for the interests of Washington’s poor both are excited by and wary of their new-found peers.

“This is a great thing,” said George ManaloLeClair, who represents the Children’s Alliance. “A lot of these groups in the past have been saying we need welfare reform and now they will have a chance to get involved.”

At the same time, Manalo-LeClair offers words of caution: “If we overestimate what churches can do, it will result in children who are hungry and homeless.”

Traditionally, just three religious groups have testified at state hearings on welfare issues - Catholic Charities, Lutheran Public Policy Office and a coalition of mainline denominations known as the Washington Association of Churches.

Last week, Christian organizations that sent representatives to testify on welfare reform included the Washington Family Association, World Vision and the Washington Evangelicals for a Responsible Government.

“I was sort of surprised that those organizations were not commenting on the policy issues,” said Linda Stone, director of the Children’s Alliance. “They were talking about how do they get involved in being a contractor.”

Stone said the focus of lobbying efforts by the Children’s Alliance is providing poor people with the tools they need to earn a living.

Kathleen Russell, advocate for the the Washington Association of Churches, said her goals are to fashion a law that will protect children, strengthen communities, promote responsibility, keep families together and help people get jobs.

Kevin Hunter, of World Vision, said his organization is just trying to ensure that all religious voices are heard as the new welfare laws are hammered out. He admits that his organization is a relative newcomer to welfare issues in Washington.

“The Catholic Church has been way ahead of us,” he said. “And some of our Protestant brothers stand to learn a lot from the Catholics.”

The three veteran religious lobbying groups are sponsoring a legislative conference this weekend in Spokane, hoping to motivate grass-roots congregation members to get involved in the legislative process.

There are several topics on the agenda, but welfare reform is the biggest concern this year.

Eastern Washington will be deeply affected by welfare reform, Russell said.

“You have one of the highest case loads, and the highest unemployment rates,” she said. But this side of the state also has an opportunity to impact the legislation, through Sen. Jim West, R-Spokane, chairman of the Ways and Means committee.

“That is a very powerful position,” Russell said. “And you’d expect the people of Eastern Washington to have some pull because of him.”

Attendance at the annual conference has been growing over the past couple of years, with most of the people from mainline or Catholic churches.

If welfare reform does anything, it will open the doors wider than ever for community organizations to help the poor, Hunter said. He is encouraged by the amount of diversity and experience among the religious groups taking an interest in welfare this year.

“This is God at work,” he said. “The Holy Spirit is blowing through our communities getting us ready for things to come.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONFERENCE The 1997 Legislative Conference for Eastern Washington, sponsored by several religious organizations, runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, at St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th.