Election observation isn’t about who wins or loses. It’s about ensuring Nevadans can better understand and have confidence in the process.
The Nevada Election Observation Network (NEON) approaches that work through five core values:
Nonpartisanship: Observers remain impartial and free from partisan advocacy.
Integrity: Observers follow a strict code of conduct and never interfere with voting or election administration.
Public confidence: Observation helps make election safeguards and procedures more transparent and understandable.
Community representation: Election observation should reflect Nevada. NEON prioritizes participation from rural and Tribal communities alongside communities in Clark and Washoe counties.
Learning and accountability: Observers use standardized tools, checklists, and reporting to turn what they witness into useful public information.
For the November 2026 General Election, NEON plans to recruit, train, and mobilize up to 200 Nevadans across the state.
Be one of them. Apply to become a nonpartisan election observer: bit.ly/NEONapply
Wear orange on September 30, the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, to remember the children taken from their families, honor survivors, and acknowledge the ongoing work of healing. Learn more at ELCA.org/Indigenous
Help everyone get ready for Election Day! Available in English and Spanish, post a “Prepared to Vote Checklist” in your congregation’s lobby or other public space – and even leave a stack for people to share! Find the checklists linked here.
LAMA and the Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy Network invite Grand Canyon Synod hunger leaders, Sierra Pacific Synod hunger leaders, LAMA liaisons, ELCA churchwide hunger leaders, pastors, deacons, congregational advocates, and ministry partners to a special Hunger Leaders Meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Arizona time. This month’s theme is “Mercy and Compassion Merging for Hunger Justice,” and the evening will bring together churchwide voices, synod leaders, food-bank partners, congregational advocates, and state public-policy leaders for a focused conversation on hunger, faith, and action.
This special gathering reflects the truth that hunger does not stop at state lines — and neither does our Lutheran public witness. Across Arizona, California, Nevada, and beyond, congregations are responding to food insecurity through mercy ministries, food pantries, community partnerships, advocacy, voter engagement, and public-policy work. On Sept. 29, we will gather to connect those efforts, learn from one another, and act together for hunger justice.
We will hear from Bishop Deborah Hutterer of the Grand Canyon Synod and Bishop Jeff Johnson of the Sierra Pacific Synod, who will help frame the conversation for this shared regional gathering. We will also welcome Milt Liu, CEO of St. Mary’s Food Bank, who will speak about what is happening with SNAP and food insecurity from the perspective of the first food bank in the country.
The meeting will also feature Pr. Steve Holm, who will share practical advocacy wisdom from his journey “From a Hunger Jar to fighting for World Hunger,” and Pr. Nelson Rabell of Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina in Stockton, California, who will share a Get Out the Vote video from the Sierra Pacific Synod.
Besides these guest speakers, we will spend time asking what we can do to advocate for hunger justice in our own states, sharing updated resources, and taking immediate action together by signing a letter to the governor of each participant’s state. This is designed to be more than an information session — it is a chance to connect faith, hunger ministry, civic participation, and public witness in a concrete way.
All are welcome, whether you are already leading a congregational hunger ministry, serving in a food pantry, participating as a LAMA liaison, working with ELCA World Hunger, learning about SNAP and food policy, or simply wondering how people of faith can respond faithfully to hunger in this moment.
Special GCS Hunger Leaders Meeting Tuesday, September 29, 2026 6:00 p.m. Arizona Time Zoom Meeting ID: 874 3817 1116
Come ready to listen, learn, pray, and act for hunger justice — until all are fed.
The Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network invites Lutherans and hunger advocates in Arizona, Nevada, and California to add their names to a regional sign-on letter urging our governors to take stronger action against hunger.
The action is simple: follow the link, choose your state, and sign the letter to your governor. Participants from Arizona, Nevada, and California will each see a letter focused on hunger concerns in their own state — from SNAP access and food bank capacity to school meals, senior nutrition, rural food access, and the rising cost of basic needs.
As people of faith, we believe every neighbor deserves enough nutritious food to live with dignity. Lutheran congregations and partners across our region serve through food pantries, community meals, school and summer food programs, senior nutrition, refugee and immigrant ministries, and advocacy for stronger public policy. But charity alone cannot meet the scale of hunger our neighbors are facing. Public leadership matters.
This sign-on letter is also the call to action for the Hunger Leaders Network’s special online education event on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Arizona Time. The meeting will feature:
Bishop Deborah Hutterer of the Grand Canyon Synod
Bishop Jeff Johnson of the Sierra Pacific Synod, and
Milt Liu, CEO of St. Mary’s Food Bank, along with hunger leaders from across the region.
During the gathering, participants will learn more about hunger, food assistance, and faithful advocacy in our three-state region — and then take action together by signing the governor letter while still online.
All are welcome to attend, whether you are part of a congregation, hunger ministry, food pantry, advocacy team, or simply care about neighbors who are struggling to afford food.
Hunger Leaders Network Meeting Tuesday, September 29, 2026 6:00 p.m. Arizona Time Zoom Meeting: 874 3817 1116
Together, Lutherans across Arizona, Nevada, and California can lift a faithful regional voice for hunger justice — and remind our governors that people of faith are watching, praying, serving, and asking for action.
