Here's what you can do as the shutdown continues

By -
-StoptheShutdown Rally - Washington, DC (46694168341)
The government shutdown that began in December 2018 is now the longest in US history. Over 800,000 federal workers are missing paychecks, while millions more contract employees continue to go without work. The New York Times has an ongoing list of people and departments affected by the shutdown, including workers who have been called back to their government jobs to work without pay. CBS News reports that the shutdown has already done $1.2 billion in damage to the national economy. You can find more information on the impact from the Coalition for Human Needs (CHN).

Among those affected by the shutdown are SNAP (food stamp) recipients. While they received their February payments early, there is currently no guarantee that March benefits will be available. People relying on HUD for housing are also being affected, as over 1,000 contracts with housing facilities have not been renewed due to the shutdown.

Take Action:
  • CHN has information on the shutdown and a sample script for making calls.
  • Use Project Home's online form to contact your legislators about the impact the shutdown is having on housing. 
  • The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has put together an action alert available here.
  • 5calls.org has information on a bill to support furloughed workers during a shutdown. You can read more and take action here.
  • Support furloughed workers:
    • GoFundMe is raising money for organizations that are helping workers directly.
    • You can also reach out directly to the National Diaper Bank or your local food bank.
    • Some banks, cell phone companies, and businesses are working with furloughed workers - read a partial list here.
    • ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, JFCS will distribute vegetarian food to families and individuals affected by the shutdown. Government employees in need of food are able to come to The Barbara and Harvey Brodsky Enrichment Center of JFCS, 345 Montgomery Ave., Bala Cynwyd, PA on Thursday, January 24th, from 10 AM-noon to get food. Bring a valid government ID.
    • Temple and Penn are offering free dental care to furloughed workers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overlooked and Undercounted: Struggling to Make Ends Meet in Pennsylvania

By -
Image
Census data tells us that 13% of Pennsylvania households live in poverty. In reality, even more households don’t have the income they need to reach self-sufficiency. One in four Pennsylvania households – over 846,000 – lack enough income to cover just the necessities. Since 1997, PathWays PA has worked with Dr. Diana Pearce and the University of Washington to calculate  The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Pennsylvania . Over the last 23 years,  The Self-Sufficiency Standard of Pennsylvania  has documented the continuing increase in the real cost of living, illuminating the economic crunch experienced by so many families today. Since 2010, PathWays PA and the University of Washington have also issued three versions of the  Overlooked and Undercounted  report, which looks at the number of households living above and below self-sufficiency. You can now use the interactive materials below to find out what it takes to be self-sufficient in your county. Click here  to read the 2020 O
Read more

Mini-Budget Update-Supporting the American Community Survey

By MB -
Image
(via The Census Project ) Next Tuesday, June 19 is an important date to mark on your calendar. The Congressional Joint Economic Committee is holding a public hearing on the economic impact of eliminating the American Community Survey (ACS) at 2:30 p.m., in Room 210 of the Canon House Office Building. Witnesses that will be speaking in opposition to the move to eliminate the ACS are Vincent Barabba, former director of the Census Bureau in two GOP administrations and Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Association of General Contractors and also representing the National Association of Business Economists. It is very important that we pack the congressional hearing room! If you cannot come, please urge your colleages to come. If you represent a non-DC organization contact your friends in Washington and urge them to attend. Also on Tuesday of next week some of our congressional supporters will be holding a noon press conference in the so-called House Triangle right outside the Cap
Read more

Overlooked and Undercounted in the Media (#media)

By MB -
Image
Below are all of the places we've seen Overlooked and Undercounted in the month of May! If you know of anywhere else, please let us know! You can also listen to the audio from our May 11 Conference Call on our website . May 21, 2009 - New Report Says 1 in 5 PA Families Live in Poverty May 21, 2009 - LTE: Clarifying ‘Overlooked And Undercounted’ Study May 19, 2009 - Caught in a trap: State and federal governments must help working poor May 16, 2009 - Study: Local poverty estimates too conservative May 15, 2009 - Study: Pa. Families Above Poverty Level, But Still Struggling May 12, 2009 - Study: 1 in 5 PA Families Struggling to Make Ends Meet May 12, 2009 - Report: Many PA families struggling May 12, 2009 - PathWays PA Releases New Report on Self-Sufficiency Standard May 12, 2009 - Poverty worse in PA than reported: study May 11, 2009 - 1 in 5 PA Households Can't Make Ends Meet May 11, 2009 - Study: 1 in 5 PA residents can't make ends meet May 11, 2009 - 1 in
Read more