Program Areas

POVERTY SCHOLARS PROGRAM

The goals of Poverty Scholars Program are to support the organizing efforts and empowerment of poor leaders and their organizations by bringing together leaders from communities in New York City and nationwide into a network that will jointly engage in strategic dialogue, networking amongst peer poor people’s organizations and religious allies, intentional intellectual query, and the exchange of effective models of addressing poverty-related issues. This work grows out of a desire to finish the unfinished business of Martin Luther King, Jr., who in the last years of his life sought to move from civil rights to human rights. The Poverty Scholars Program, therefore, seeks to incorporate the lived experience and knowledge of the poor into a new Poor People’s Campaign with the long-term goal of ending poverty in the United States.
More on Poverty Scholars Program

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION & RELIGIOUS OUTREACH

The Poverty Initiative is committed to connecting and training seminary students, future pastors, religious and theological leaders working to end poverty, while building relationships with new religious allies. We serve as a bridge between poor people’s organizations and religious communities. We carry out much of our religious outreach by offering ourselves as a resource to community organizations and religious congregations through preaching, facilitate Bible studies as well as leading participatory activities that weave an economic analysis, the value of social justice and a profound spirituality into congregational life. Through our scholarship and practice we hope to create a strong theological, biblical and liturgical foundation for anti-poverty efforts. At Union Theological Seminary, we develop new and revise old curriculum along with UTS faculty for study by Union students, including Poverty Immersion Courses, Service Learning Projects and others.
More on Theological Education • Resources
Back to Top

PUBLIC EVENTS

In order to critically engage all sectors of society and spark a national debate on the community and religious response to poverty, we host ongoing public events including National Poverty Truth Commissions, lectures, arts and cultural events, and book events. In these events, we prioritize the participation and leadership of those directly impacted by poverty in these discussions.
Events Page • News Room
Back to Top

RESOURCE CENTER

In 2005, the Poverty Initiative opened its office at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, which also serves as a Resource Center for community organizations, poor people’s groups, faculty and students, alumni, local congregations and religious denominations to share experiences and resources on anti-poverty ministry. This means offering new ideas and models for working to end poverty and fostering debate and discussion on effective means to address growing poverty and homelessness. We house existing resources in the form of books, articles, videos, art, etc. that reflect and analyze poverty and its solutions. We also seek to produce new resources such as training modules, books and other printed and online publications.
Explore Online Resources
Back to Top