We Can All Help Fight Poverty

To learn more about and find ways to become involved in this very worthwhile struggle, go to Mr. Kaufman's complete article HERE.

From: Greg Kaufman at The Nation.

This is a tough moment in the fight against poverty.

Sequester is the latest chapter in a time-honored tradition of kicking the poor when they are down. A do-nothing Congress certainly isn’t going to do something about poverty without pressure from the grassroots. And it seems that the only way most of the mainstream media will pay attention to the more than 1 out of 3 Americans living below twice the poverty line — on less than $36,000 for a family of three — is if their lives make good fodder for tabloid television or play out in a courtroom drama.

That said, there are still plenty of people and groups fighting for real change, and plenty of ways you can get involved or stay engaged. I reached out to a handful of folks who dedicate their lives to fighting poverty in different ways. Here is what they asked people to do:

1. “Support an increase in the minimum wage to more than $11 per hour.”

- Sister Simone Campbell,

 Sisters of Social Service, Executive Director of NETWORK.

2. “Tell Publix: Help end sexual harassment, wage theft and forced labor in the fields — join the Fair Food Program today.”

- the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

3. “Make a Personal Commitment to Helping Homeless Families”

- Ralph da Costa Nunez,

 President and CEO, Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness.

4. “Fund the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at the maximum authorized level”
- Dr. Deborah Frank,
 Founder and Principal Investigator, Children’s HealthWatch.

5. “Support of a living wage and basic labor protections for home care workers”
- Sarita Gupta,
 Executive Director, Jobs with Justice/American Rights at Work and Co-Director, Caring Across Generations.

6. “Urge Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act (H.R. 1286/S.631) and a national paid leave program”
- Judith Lichtman,
 Senior Advisor, National Partnership for Women & Families.

7. “Increase regulation of private student loans and hold Sallie Mae accountable for its role in the student debt crisis.”
- Tiffany Loftin,
 President, United States Student Association (USSA).

8. “Support Pathways Back to Work”
- Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Policy Coordinator, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

9. “Invest in the Older Americans Act”
- Marci Phillips,
 Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, National Council on Aging.

10. “Tell Congress NO CUTS to Social Security and SSI through the Chained CPI”
- Rebecca Vallas,
 Staff Attorney/Policy Advocate, Community Legal Services.

11. “Tell Congress: Increase, Don’t Cut SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits”
- Jim Weill,
 President, Food Research and Action Center.

12. “Tell Congress to stop harmful cuts to anti-poverty programs now”
- Debbie Weinstein,
 Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs.