U.S. Census Bureau Report Shows Poverty is On the Rise

More than 37.3 million people lived in poverty in the United States in 2007 -- an increase from 36.5 million in 2006, according to the US Census Bureau's annual report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage, which was released today:

The poverty threshold for 2007 was set at 21,000 dollars for a family of four, regardless of whether they lived in a smaller US city such as Milwaukee or a large city like Los Angeles, where the cost of living was significantly higher.

"The number of people without health insurance coverage decreased to 45.7 million people in 2007" from 47 million in 2006, said David Johnson, head of the housing and household economic statistics division of the Census Bureau.

But while the report showed slightly more Americans had health coverage than in 2006, the changes were too little to cheer about...

Children are disproportionately affected by poverty, the report showed.

Eighteen percent of children in the United States lived in poverty, compared with 11 percent of adults, aged 18-64, and just under 10 percent of senior citizens.

More Americans aged 65 years and older would be pushed into poverty if they did not receive Social Security benefits, the report showed.

More Americans falling into poverty, and just a few gaining access to health insurance?

As Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate at the Employee Benefits Research Institute, puts it in the article quoted above:

"This isn't progress."

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, recession, DNC, Democratic National Convention, Denver.

Help Us Spread the Word on Facebook

The Democratic National Convention is starting today in Denver -- and we're just over two weeks away from the National Family Convention in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Birmingham.

You can help us get the word out by becoming a "fan" of Equal Voice for America's Families on Facebook.

And if you're on Facebook and planning to attend the convention in any of our three cities, be sure to RSVP.

Who Would Have Thought?

Who would have thought that 10,000 people from LA to Seattle to Chicago to New Orleans to Phoenix would come together in big and small gathering to discuss the issues and challenges that are impacting their communities and their hopes and dreams for the future…

Who would have thought that 50 family delegates from across the country would spend their weekend away from their family and friends to discuss, modify and ratify a peoples platform that represented the issues and concerns from their communities….

Who would have thought that 6,000 people from California, New Mexico and Washington State would travel by bus, car and plane to Los Angeles to make their voices heard on behalf of poor families and communities across the country….

Who would have thought that those 6,000 people in LA would be joined, by the miracle of technology, by 4,000 people in Chicago and 4,000 more in Birmingham on the same day…

Who would have thought that community-based organizations big and small from every region of the country would set aside their egos and organizational priorities to support and implement a campaign that they may or may not have had a hand in creating, but ultimately wanted a part in supporting…..

Who would have thought a Foundation in Seattle would have the audacity to inspire, cajole, and nurture a movement of and by families….

Who would have thought?

It has been quite a ride, and it is not over yet.

We still have 16 days till September 6th, and a lot of bus routes, brown bag lunches, name tags, child care activities, translation services and hotel rooms to ensure before then, but if the proceeding paragraphs prove anything, they prove:

We Can Do This!

Charles Fields is a program officer for the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Lifecast - Corey Camphor, August 18, 2008

Corey Camphor talks about being pulled over by the police, and shares a family moment.



Visit our new Ning community, Lifecasting Across the Digital Divide, to see all the video posts from Corey and our other Lifecasters. You can check it out, join if you want, invite your friends, and tell us what you think about the issues facing families in America today...we'd love to hear from you!


Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Joyce on the difficulties of relocating

Joyce Cook talks about trying to move her family to a safer neighborhood. She's been trying to make the move since last month, but there are many factors involved.




Click "Lifecasting" under Categories/Labels in the right column to see all posts from our Lifecasters.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Lifecasting Across the Digital Divide

We've set up a new page that allows you to easily follow your favorite lifecasters.

Click here for a sneak preview.

We'll be adding more videos -- and introducing new lifecasters -- in the coming days, so bookmark the page and check back frequently.

And, as always, take a moment to forward your favorite videos to your friends and family. We need your help to make sure the voices from across the digital divide are heard.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, online video, lifecasting.

Upcoming Conventions

All eyes may be turning to the Olympics in Beijing this weekend, but in the coming weeks the needs of families will take center stage.

In just ten day, the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Denver, followed on September 1 by the Republican National Convention. On September 6, approximately 12,000 families from across the country will hold a one-day, three-city convention to call for the adoption of a national family platform that comprehensively addresses the needs of families.

At all three conventions, you're likely to hear a lot of talk about the economy, unemployment, energy prices, and immigration, among other issues.

But at only one convention will you hear first-hand how such issues directly affect working and low-income families -- and what families themselves propose as the best solutions.

We invite you to "tune in" to the National Family Convention of the Equal Voice for America's Families campaign on September 6th in Birmingham, Chicago and

Los Angeles. We'll be featuring a number of reports online, both during and after the convention, as more than 13,000 families gather to call for the adoption of the national

family platform that is the result 65 townhalls involving more than 12,000 people across the country during the past year.

What will families have to say that is different from the solutions proposed by either candidates? Where are there similarities?

Where do the proposed solutions diverge?

Find out by joining us online for our campaign's convention on September 6th. And please, help us spread the word about this momentous event by forwarding this blog post on to your friends and colleagues.

Because when 13,000 people gather to give voice to bottom-up solutions to our country's economic and social challenges, it's worth taking a moment to listen. -- Luz

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, middle class, , republicans, Democratic National Convention, Republican National Convention, Denver, Minneapolis, presidency.

Campaign Snapshot

It's less than a month before the Equal Voice for America’s Families Convention on September 6, and the level of preparation is mind-boggling.

Here’s a snapshot of where things stand:

13,000 people registered for the convention
6,000 registered in Los Angeles
4,000 registered in Birmingham
3,500 registered in Chicago
1,975 Hotel rooms reserved
1,300 Flight reservations
350 Buses
250 Volunteers
3 Convention cities
1 Common cause: The adoption of a national family platform that comprehensively addresses the needs of families!

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, convention.