During the winter months, many congregations and organizations provide hot meals and evening shelter beds to homeless individuals and families. After serving breakfast on Christmas morning, a first time volunteer at a church in Richmond stated in a surprised tone, “These people are working, but do not earn enough to get a place to live and pay utilities and child care. Something is not right when you work and cannot provide for your family.”

“The right and just action would be increasing Virginia’s state minimum wage and not waiting for Congressional action on this issue,” said Rebecca Oxenreider, social justice minister at St. Mary’s Church in Richmond. Virginia’s minimum wage is $5.15.

“In order to have a decent place to live, feed the family, buy clothes, pay for childcare, pay for medical needs such as over the counter cold medications and have money to get back and forth to work, $5.15 is not holding up its end of the bargain,” Oxenreider said.

Here are some facts provided by The Economic Policy Institute:

• Adults make up the largest share of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase. 80 percent of workers whose wages would be raised by a minimum wage increase are age 20 or older.
• Since September 1997, the purchasing power of the minimum wage has deteriorated by 20 percent. After adjusting for inflation, the value of the minimum wage is at its lowest level since 1955.
• The minimum wage raises the wages of low-income workers in general, not just those below the official poverty line. Many families move in and out of poverty, and near-poor families are also beneficiaries of minimum wage increases.
• New economic models that look specifically at low-wage labor markets help explain why there is little evidence of job loss associated with minimum wage increases. These models recognize that employers may be able to absorb some of the costs of a wage increase through higher productivity, lower recruiting and training costs, decreased absenteeism, and increased worker morale.
• A recent Fiscal Policy Institute study of state minimum wages found no evidence of negative employment effects on small businesses. Economic Policy Institute, Facts at a Glance

Government assistance resources are decreasing in the Commonwealth and people are depending more and more on charitable services provided by faith communities and community programs such as food and clothing closets, hot meal programs, blanket distributions, and others.

“Direct service organizations are depending on volunteers to help provide the much needed services, but there is no way to keep up with all that is needed — we have to change our wage structure that currently keeps people in poverty,” said Irma Williams of Urban Ministries at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Richmond.

The Virginia Organizing Project and the Virginia Fair Wage Alliance are working to get Virginia legislators to increase the minimum wage in Virginia. You can help by talking to your state legislators, letting them know that the action is needed now. Visit, call or write your State Delegate or Senator, talk to your friends, family members, neighbors and others about this issue and ask them to contact their state legislator.

For more information and to get involved, contact the Virginia Organizing Project, Cathy Woodson at (804) 261-7497 or e-mail, cwood329@aol.com.