family economic security

open flexible work family economic security healthcare

January 17, 2014

My job requires frequent traveling. As a journalist, I've been reporting from places such as quake-stricken Haiti, war-torn Mexico, and typhoon-damaged Taiwan. These are challenging works. The biggest challenge, though, is collecting and transporting breast milk while traveling. After all, I'm more a mother than a journalist. Lucky enough, America is a very breastmilk-country, in comparison to many of the countries and areas around the world. I never had a problem with carrying breast milk through airport security checkpoints, nor with hotel staff members to storing my breast milk for me. To...

To-wen Tseng

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 16, 2014

After multiple attempts by Senate leadership to reach an agreement on an unemployment benefits extension, they have reached a standstill ....again. MomsRising is urging the Senate to stay in session and pass this important bill, rather then go home for recess like originally planned. Each week that goes by where unemployment benefits are not extended 72,000 additional people are cut off from this program. People like Eva and Nancy who are sharing their stories below. Eva's (from West Linn, OR) story: I have been unemployed since May 2013. I have been diligent in applying for jobs but unable...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 15, 2014

It has now been 19 days since unemployment benefits expired for millions of Americans and Congress is gearing up to leave town without extending these vital benefits again. We need to stop them in their tracks from leaving town! *Write your members of Congress and tell them to not leave town until they extend unemployment benefits: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/ExtendUI/ On December 28th, when Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits expired, 1.5 million people immediately lost their unemployment benefits. For every week that goes by that Congress does not extend these benefits...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 13, 2014

Each week unemployment benefits fail to be extended, state economies lose $400 million. And as we already know, the personal toll is far greater....just read Carla and Kym's stories below and you'll see why. Carla's (from Cary, NC) story: I lost my repair services dispatch job in February 2012. I was newly separated and for the most part solely responsible for the care of (my then) eight-year-old daughter. Due to the separation, I already knew I was headed toward foreclosure but it became a sure thing with the job loss. I did end up fortunately able to do a short-sale. Today my estranged...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 10, 2014

The Senate was thisclose to having a deal on a one year extension of unemployment benefits last night... and then it all fell apart. This is unfortunate news for moms like Carolyn and Katie who are searching for jobs and struggling to make ends meet with out unemployment benefits. Here are their stories. Carolyn's (from Syracuse, NY) story: I worked for 25 years: 15 years at my previous employer, and 7 years prior to that for one employer and 3 years for another. Soon after turning 50 I was let go. A few years ago I decided to go to school on-line to finish my bachelor's degree. The way...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier

family economic security

January 10, 2014

This week marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s declaration of the War on Poverty, when he called for every American citizen to be able to fulfill his basic hopes, including maintaining the well-being of his family. While many investments established by the War on Poverty have been significant in improving the well-being of low-income individuals and families, recent years have seen a dramatic increase in child poverty – culminating in a twenty-year high of 22 percent in 2010. For decades children have seen higher rates of poverty than any other age group in America. In...

Cara Baldari

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 9, 2014

We keep hearing from moms and women from around the country who are struggling to make ends meet and terrified that they are going to lose their unemployment benefits. Kimberly and Andrea have experiences shared by so many people out there. MomsRising is going to continue to advocate for the jobless and push Congress to pass an extension of unemployment insurance as soon as possible. If you would like to add your voice to this fight, reach out to your members of Congress here: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/ExtendUI/ . Kimberly's (Stanton, CA) story: I have been unemployed for 3 years now...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier

family economic security families & the federal budget Realistic & Fair Wages

January 9, 2014

This week the Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as the first chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board in its hundred-year history. Most reports about Yellen’s confirmation have taken note of her ascent through the glass ceiling, as well as her impact as a model for women and girls. I was most intrigued, however, by the Huffington Post article that described the impact that other women had on Janet Yellen’s successful confirmation. According to Huff Post, it was Obama’s desire to nominate Larry Summers as Fed Chair that galvanized women to push hard for the eminently qualified Yellen. Summers’ “...

Shay Chan Hodges

family economic security

January 8, 2014

I’ve been reading a lot about the “war” on poverty, what with today being the 50th anniversary of the declaration of “unconditional” war on the awful predicament. On this day in 1964, LBJ traveled to Martin County, KY and announced the creation of programs that are still in place today: Medicaid, Medicare, Head Start, food stamps, and tax cuts, to name a few. The poverty rate was about 20% then. The poverty rate today is 15%. Say what you will about why the rate has decreased so little (hello income inequality, globalization, low minimum wage ), but it’s clear that the poor haven’t been...

Kelly Dasa

family economic security families & the federal budget

January 8, 2014

As the Senate continues to debate an extension of unemployment benefits, we continue to hear from families dealing with joblessness. We have added two more stories to our collection from moms Elizabeth and Wendy. Elizabeth's (from Chicago, IL) story: My story is like most others: decades of working (since babysitting at 12), and fortunate to still have the same job after 15 years. My husband, as hard working as anyone, lost his sales job when his company closed in late 2012. My salary plus his unemployment and whatever he can get by doing odd jobs, is barely sustaining us and our two children...

Elyssa Koidin Schmier