JPIC Office
Other Issues We Work On
Attainable Housing
Homelessness is a growing global challenge, but it’s not unsolvable. Locally, we support efforts in the Leavenworth area, such as the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope, helping to offer shelter and dignity to those in need. Additionally, we actively engage with DePaulUSA Leavenworth Attainable Housing to provide access to affordable and attainable housing.
We also advocate for policies to create statewide change for unhoused individuals.
Resources
Healthcare Access
As Catholic Social Teaching reminds us: “Health is not a consumer good, but rather a universal right.”
We advocate for a just and equitable healthcare system in the United States, grounded in the belief that everyone deserves access to medical care, regardless of their financial situation. Many of our Sisters supported a NETWORK Letter in 2020 that declared, “Guided by our values of Catholic Social Justice, we believe it is deeply immoral for anyone in our country to go without medical care.”
In Kansas, the JPIC Office and our Sisters have been dedicated to advancing Medicaid Expansion. This vital policy would provide affordable healthcare access to approximately 165,000 Kansans who currently lack insurance.
United Nations
Global challenges require global solutions. The JPIC Office serves as a liaison between the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Community and the Sisters of Charity Federation Representative to the United Nations, with whom we regularly collaborate.
In this role, we connect our local efforts—such as housing, healthcare, and sustainability—to the broader goals of the United Nations, including the Sustainable Development Goals. We also ensure our Community remains informed about global initiatives and their impact on local work.
Death Penalty
We oppose the injustice of capital punishment and support efforts to abolish the death penalty. Recognizing the dignity of all human beings, each one uniquely created by the Lord of Life, we declare that capital punishment, which only deepens the cycle of violence, should be abolished. Acts of violence will always be with us. Christ’s healing love should guide us to find practical ways for society to discourage violence without resorting to it ourselves.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking uses force, threats of force, or other types of coercion to gain control over and exploit human beings for profit or pleasure.
We participate in projects including outreach to area hotels about anti-trafficking measures, the placing of national hotlines for victims of human trafficking at rest stops along the highways, and contributing funds and organizational support to others working to end human trafficking.