Archives: Voices

Resources from Around the Coalition: Racial and Ethnic Equality, Low-Wage Working Parents, Refugee Children and More

Promoting movements towards racial and ethnic equality. Developing agendas to help low-wage workers and their children succeed. Protecting undocumented students and their families. CHN’s coalition members are producing great work on very important issues. This week, we continue our Resources from around the Coalition blog series, highlighting important resources you…

Nuns on the Bus

Editor’s note: This post was written by Richelle Friedman, CHN’s Director of Public Policy, on Saturday, July 23. Richelle is currently traveling with NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus, who are on the road (including at the Republican National Convention last week and the Democratic National Convention this week) to call on…

Honoring Ruth, Wade, and the Politics of Change

Visitors who stand on the sidewalk in front of the AFL-CIO’s Washington, D.C. building and look left capture a magnificent view of the White House, perhaps three-quarters of a mile away. This was the backdrop Tuesday night for the Coalition on Human Needs’ 13th annual Human Needs Hero Reception. CHN…

Human Needs Report: What Congress Did and Didn’t Do Before the Summer Recess

CHN just released our latest edition of the Human Needs Report, our regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. This edition includes articles on appropriations, Zika funding, the first major piece of authorizing legislation affecting housing vouchers and public housing since 1998, and other actions Congress took – and punted on – before…

13 Reasons Why We Do the Work We Do Together

The CHN office is always a flurry of activity. With a small staff and so much to do to protect and expand programs that help our low-income neighbors, there’s no time to sit still. This week is even busier as we take care of final preparations for our Human Needs…

An Open Letter to Members of Congress

Editor’s note: The following challenge to Congress originally appeared in the Huffington Post on Wednesday, July 13. Our nation cries out for leadership. We need you to lead and heal now by acting to remedy wrongs and prevent harm visited disproportionately on communities of color. There are meaningful steps you…

A Wake-up Call for White Progressives

Editor’s note: In light of recent events in Minnesota, Baton Rouge, and Dallas, and subsequent protests across the country, CHN is urging Congress to take action on a number of human needs issues important to communities of color before members break for their summer recess. You can join our call…

Meanwhile…the mosquitoes are breeding.

If you read CHN’s latest Human Needs Report, posted earlier this week, you know that Congress continues to squabble over funding for the Zika virus. They left for the fourth of July recess without approving additional funds.  And, thanks to an in-depth article that appeared Sunday in the Washington Post,…

Resources from Around the Coalition Special Edition: What Works—and What Doesn’t—to Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity

As you’ve (hopefully) heard by now, CHN held a June 16th briefing on Capitol Hill entitled “What Works—and What Doesn’t—to Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity.” The briefing included experts from a wide range of organizations working to combat poverty and featured remarks from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. This week, we…

Paul Ryan’s anti-poverty plan: ‘Better lipstick. Same pig.’

Editor’s note: Earlier this month, we discussed CHN’s June 16 event, What Works – And What Doesn’t – To Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity. As part of that event, Melissa Boteach, vice president of the Poverty to Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress, delivered a presentation on House Speaker…