I asked my daughter, "What's your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?"

She answered in one exuberant word, "Eating!"  

While many celebrate by eating together on Thanksgiving, far too many children in our nation (nearly 1 in 4) live in families who are struggling to put food on the table because of poverty.[1]  And for them, this Thanksgiving will be a tough one.

Now is certainly not the time to throw even more families into poverty. But that could happen in just 5 short weeks for the millions of Americans desperately looking for jobs who will lose unemployment insurance benefits if your member of Congress doesn't act.

*Tell your members of Congress that nearly 1 in 4 kids experiencing food scarcity is an emergency--it's time to renew the federal unemployment insurance program before it expires, in just 5 short weeks, on December 31st!

http://action.momsrising.org/letter/main-street-families/

Time is short.  We'll be delivering your letters and stories at an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. next week, and in order to have the biggest impact, we need as many signatures as possible. So please take a moment to post this action on your Facebook page so others can sign, ask friends and family to sign, and also invite folks to share their stories about how difficult it is to find a job and how unemployment insurance is keeping their families afloat (See the p.s. for a link to share your experience).

Together, we can send a strong message to Congress that America's families are fed up with them rigging the system for greedy corporations and cutting America's families out of the American dream.

There is more wealth in our country than ever before, yet most Americans never see it.  Every day, families face decisions between putting food on the table, paying the rent, buying school supplies, and obtaining medical care and prescription drugs.

It doesn't have to be this way.

America didn't become strong by putting families last.  When times are hard, instead of cutting back vital programs, we need to make sure that families are protected.  Extending unemployment insurance will immediately help keep 1.8 million families afloat--and will also continue to support our struggling economy.  How does it help our economy?  Well, studies show that the money received as part of unemployment insurance is usually spent right away, and as a result, an independent study found that every $1 spent on employment insurance stimulated $2 in growth in the U.S. economy.[2]

Our nation is a nation of neighbors helping each other--and we can't let families down when they're already struggling.  After all, the true measure of our success is the well being of American families, not just corporate profits.

*Don't forget to tell your members of Congress that enough is enough!  It's time to renew the federal unemployment insurance program before it expires, in just 5 short weeks, on December 31st:

http://action.momsrising.org/letter/main-street-families/

Families should be able to work hard and get what they need -- a good job, food on the table, good health, and a safe place to call home. Yet too many people who want to work, can't find jobs.

Your voice is needed this Thanksgiving to tell your members of Congress not to forget the true meaning of this holiday: When communities pull together through good times and bad, when neighbors look out for each other, and when we all have a place at the table, both businesses and families thrive.

Together, we can create a better future for our children.  Thank you for everything you do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S.  Do you, or anyone you know, have an experience to share about how difficult it is to find a job and how unemployment insurance is keeping families afloat? Click here!

[1] The Washington Post
[2] National Employment Law Project, Center for American Progress