Friday, March 11 marks a convergence of one deadline and two anniversaries – all deeply entwined. By midnight Friday, in order to keep the federal government running, Congress had to pass either a short-term continuing resolution or a full-year appropriations bill. Friday is also the one-year anniversary of passage of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), a roadmap for how to respond to future crises – whether they are pandemic-related or economic-related, or, as in this case, both. Friday also marks exactly two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.
Archives: Voices
Missouri groups urge federal support for diaper banks
Groups in Missouri are urging Congress to pass a full-year, fully funded appropriations bill, instead of a parade of stopgap continuing resolutions to fund support programs for low-income and working people across the state. Jill Gaikowski, executive director of the Happy Bottoms diaper bank in Kansas City, said many low-income families struggle to pay for diapers. She hopes to see funding included in the next omnibus spending bill.
Honorable Black Women Leaders of Our History and Our Future
During this past Black History Month, we reflected upon the notable Black men, women, and organizations who have paved the way for the future of Black leaders but may not have received the same exposure or recognition. We reflected upon individuals whose skills, talents, purpose, and/or studies pushed them above and beyond barriers due to their race. These Black leaders were the stepping stones that allowed generations to follow the opportunity to fill these spaces, giving them hope to know that it not only was possible but still is.
Maine groups: Congress needs to pass fully funded appropriations bill
Mainers are urging Congress to pass a fully funded, full-year appropriations bill, instead of the stopgap continued resolutions for the various federal programs supporting low-income and working people across the state. Between 2010 and 2021, many programs serving low-income people nationwide lost ground with inflation taken into account, according to the Coalition on Human Needs.
Stopgap approach to federal budget hurts community groups
Short-term budget extensions are often used by Congress to keep the federal government funded, and with another budget deadline looming, community action agencies in North Dakota say it’s time to adopt a different approach, so people who are struggling are not left behind. The latest continuing resolution to keep federal money flowing expires March 11, and social-service groups argued the temporary approach often results in flat aid levels.
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship, March 4, 2022
The how-our-economy-survived-the-pandemic edition. As we prepare to mark two full years of COVID-19, it is perhaps instrumental to look at how far we have come and why things did not turn out much worse – the tremendous cost and loss of life notwithstanding. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has released an important analysis demonstrating how much worse the damage to our economy and to people in need would have been had the federal government not aggressively responded when the pandemic surfaced.
Stop the stopgap: Groups say Ohioans deserve more certainty, dignity
Out of nearly 200 federal programs tracked by the Coalition on Human Needs between fiscal years 2010 and 2021, nearly two-thirds have not kept pace with inflation. Without an updated omnibus spending bill, said Joree Novotny, director of external affairs for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, there isn’t enough assistance to meet the need. For example, she explained, monthly WIC benefits for fresh produce for children would decrease from $24 to $9.
The State of the Union: President Biden’s Powerful, Practical Guarantees of Freedom
We heard a true celebration of freedom in President Biden’s State of the Union speech. The President demonstrated resolve in support of the Ukrainian struggle for freedom – in action, not just words. He also demonstrated what is required in a free and just society: that people can live free from want and fear, choosing their own path and joining in the direction of their government.
Lost in the pandemic: Millions of school breakfasts and lunches
Even as childhood hunger was on the increase during the pandemic, student participation in school breakfast and lunch programs dropped sharply, according to a report released last week by the Food Research & Action Center.
Amidst a NYC Family Court Crisis, Marie Van Brittan Brown and Jane Bolin Can Teach Us Some Lessons on People of Color’s Need for Safety and Well-being
Safety and well-being are at the heart of human needs. However, these concepts have not been easily granted to Black and Brown communities throughout our nation’s history and even today. Nevertheless, Black heroes have stepped up to prioritize the safety and well-being of people of color. Born in 1922, Marie Van Brittan Brown was a nurse and inventor of the home security system. Jane Bolin worked in the 1960s to improve the safety and well-being of people of color. Jane was a woman of many firsts in U.S. history. Most notably, she was the first African American woman to be appointed a judge in the United States
CHN’s latest Human Needs Report: FY 2022 spending, Build Back Better Update, and more
Read on for the latest on FY 2022 spending, efforts to resuscitate the Build Back Better Act, postal reform, and more.
Why are we torching our best tool to end child poverty?
Ada Mae’s beautiful blonde curls are wild on this sunny, mild winter afternoon. I’ve just picked her up from the homeschool co-op that supplements the first-grade lessons we’ve been doing at home, and we’re hanging out at the park. This is my favorite time of the week, watching her play with other kids. But I’m also remembering my own childhood — cold Missouri winters without boots, hats, or mittens. The grind of poverty was tough on my family, and that trauma pursued me into adulthood. I would do anything to keep my child from that fate, but we’ve had our close calls.