EVAF Day of Action on the Hill Media Coverage

On February 12, 2009, one hundred and fifty families from 12 states traveled to Washington DC in continuance of the Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign to hand-deliver the national family platform directly to the offices of their Representatives. They shared our collective vision of a new approach in addressing the needs of families comprehensively rather than turning their needs into single issues to be addressed one by one.

Here is some media coverage of the Equal Voice for America’s Families Day of Action on the Hill :

• 'We are America's Safety Net' - Families to Washington is a video from New America Media documenting the Equal Voice for America’s Families Day of Action on the Hill. Watch the day unfold – learn about the campaign, feel the momentum build at the press conference and travel with the delegation from Illinois as they hand-deliver the family platform to their representatives.

• MSN Money highlights the financial struggles of family spokesperson Star Paschal in, Getting by . . . on $32,000 a year. This is the first of a short series of articles featuring Equal Voice participants to give the human perspective with the growing statistics.

• MSN Money continues their series highlighting the financial struggles of working families in, Just Getting by . . . on $60,000 a year. This article features family spokesperson Ana Tacan of Stockton, California.

• New America Media reports, “Paschal said the key is to get legislators to address issues in a holistic manner rather than on a piecemeal basis,” in their piece following the campaign entitled ‘Equal Voice’ Unveils Family Platform in Washington.

• Equal Voice for America’s Families tell Washington Legislators what families need is a short visual synopsis of the event.

• "The families of America actually have done their homework. They are not just out there complaining. They would like to be part of this change that's coming to America, this movement by which we can bring changes to our lives," Arizona native George De La Riva explains in his radio interview, AZ Families Call for “Main Street” Stimulus, for the Public News Service. This interview was local stations as well as Clear Channel which represents 460 radio stations nationwide.

• View New America Media’s ‘Equal Voice’ Campaign Heard in Washington D.C. , a photographic record of a historic day as ordinary Americans from across the country presented their ideas to rebuild the social safety net, especially for low-income families, to their elected officials in Washington D.C.

• “Obama’s stimulus is a step forward but I know that this problem goes beyond just a short-term package. We need a comprehensive platform. We need solutions that come from the bottom up, not the top down,” explains Deborah Jones of Baton Rouge in the People’s Weekly World’s A victory for Obama and the people.

• See the Day of Action through the eyes of Corey Camphor and Target Area colleagues through their YouTube footage of the day.

• “This is us being the voice of the people,” Martha Sanchez of McAllen, TX tells the Rio Grande Guardian in an interview at the airport before leaving for Washington. Read about the South Texas contingency in Valley residents travel to Washington as part of national Equal Voices campaign.


• “Our nation’s approach to supporting families is piecemeal solutions,” says Deborah Jones of Baton Rouge. “We believe it is time for a comprehensive platform that helps families in poverty.” Read about Jones and the Louisiana contingency in the People’s Weekly World’s feature: Thousands, in springtime mood, head to Capitol Hill for lobbying on foreclosures, education


• "When 30,000 families from across the country come together and call for the adoption of a national family platform – we as a nation need to listen,” explains Luz Vega Marquis. The Red Lake Net News promotes the Equal Voice Day of Action in their article, America’s Families to Call on Nation’s Leaders to Adopt National Family Platform.


View Photos of the Event