The Camphor Family's First Lifecast

Corey Camphor introduces himself and his family in their first Lifecast.

If you haven't seen it already, you can hear more about the Camphors in this short video we posted this past Tuesday.

The Camphors will be Lifecasting every week, so check back next Tuesday for a new post from them.

Visit New America Media to read more about the Camphors and their participation in the Equal Voice for America's Families Chicago town hall.

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.

On the Ground in the Rio Grande Valley

Last week, I spent some time speaking with residents of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, where people were waiting out Hurricane Dolly.

Dolly arrived with severe rain and wind, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes in the area and forcing residents to evacuate. (Later, Texas Governor Rick Perry declared 14 south Texas counties disaster areas as a result of the storm.)

The big question on everyone's mind as the storm approached was whether the levees would hold.

The levees have needed repairs since 2007, and experts predicted if the levees failed, flooding could have devastated more families than were impacted by Katrina. That's why local groups have been asking for resources to repair the levees -- to avoid an instant replay of New Orleans.

Just two weeks ago, local delegates went to Washington but were told they won’t get the needed $125 million for repairs any time soon. (Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is still pushing ahead to construct the border wall to the tune in the billions.)

Luckily, the levees held. But hurricane season isn’t over yet, and Dolly's torrential rains have caused flooding in various parts of the region.

Working families have felt the effects of Dolly acutely, with many who live in mobile homes or poorly constructed housing have suffered the worst damage.

Now, while flood waters slowly recede, many families are still without electricity and are being exposed to disease.

Yet the storm has not dampened the resolve of more than 500 families in the area who plan to mobilize in Birmingham for the National Family Convention in September. In spite of the hurricane, families are cleaning up this week, trying to resume their lives -- and committed to moving forward.

Peter Bloch Garcia is a program officer for the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, texas, social justice, current affairs, current events, immigration, flooding, Hurricane Dolly.

Lifecast Update from Joyce Cook

Watch Joyce Cook's Lifecast video update for this week.

In case you missed them, here are Joyce's past videos:
Meet Joyce Cook
Joyce Cook Gets the Camera


Click below for more information about:
New America Media
Equal Voice for America's Families

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.

Hunger Hits Families Across the United States

Families from coast to coast are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the most fundamental of needs: feeding themselves.

Several articles from across the country recently have illustrated the affects of a stagnant economy on working and poor families.

A roundup:

Demand soars as donations decline at L.A.-area food banks
Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2008

Food stamps help 177,966 Mainers
Bangor Daily News, July 28, 2008

Increased demand strains supplies at local food pantries
South Coast Today (Massachusetts), July 28, 2008

Opinion: Need is acute, and getting worse, at local food banks
Morning Call (Pennsylvania), July 28, 2008

Needy Hoosiers struggle to get aid
Courier-Journal (Indiana), July 27, 2008

One in 10 Ohioans utilize public assistance programs
Star Beacon (Ohio), July 27, 2008

Low-wage workers, retirees join the growing list of needy
Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), July 27, 2008

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

Our Newest Lifecasters: The Camphor Family

"I've taken it as a challenge not to be that man that steps away from my family, not to be that man that says 'okay it's too overwhelming, it's too much...' You can’t seek (change) outside the community – we have to seek it inside the community, and the basic structure of that community is the family. If we can focus on the family, put that structure back together, then we can see a better future." -- Corey Camphor



Meet the Camphors and their family (Jordan, 7, Ticora-Grace, 2, and Hannah, 6 months old) in this short video.

Every Tuesday you'll hear more from Corey and Tiana Camphor and their three kids as they Lifecast on our blog.

Visit New America Media to read more about the Camphors and their participation in the Equal Voice for America's Families Chicago town hall.

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.

Telling Stories

Watching Joyce Cook talking about her experiences as a single mom working in Richmond, California (see the post, below) reminds us of the thousands of incredible and touching stories we've heard throughout the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

Through more than 60 townhalls all across the country, more than 10,000 people have come together to address the issues facing working families, and to develop a bottom-up agenda to ensure that the next President and the next Congress adopts a national family platform.

In the process, we've met some amazing people, and heard stories that have ranged from the heart-breaking to the uplifting. Sometimes funny and sometimes sad, these stories reveal the daily struggles and triumphs of working class families in America.

We know that many readers of this blog weren't attendees of our townhalls, even though they support our cause. That's why we're pleased to be bringing our "Lifecasting" series to the Internet -- to amplify the stories that many of us working closely with working families have come to know so well.

Every Tuesday we'll be featuring a new Lifecasting Episode. Here on the blog, Joyce Cook and four other individuals and families from places like Chicago, South Texas and New Mexico will be sharing their real-world experiences with their families, their jobs, and their communities.

Each episode promises to be a compelling glimpse into the lives of working families in America, and we hope you'll watch each episode every week -- but we'd like to ask you to do more a bit more.

The truth is, we need your help amplifying the voices of working families in our public discourse.

To that end, please make use the viral tools on this blog and at the end of each video. Take a moment to forward the latest lifecasting video or blog post to your friends and families.

And, if you haven't already done so, please be sure to sign up for our email updates, and encourage your friends, colleagues and family to do the same.

The stories we've heard in townhalls -- and the stories we are hearing here on the blog and in videos -- are powerful. But the power to amplify those stories -- to ensure that they enter the larger public discourse, and that the voices of working families become truly equal -- lies in your hands.

And it's just a click of a link away!

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 Cook Gets Lifecasting Camera

This past Friday, Ketaki Gokhale from New America Media and the Equal Voice campaign delivered a Flip camera to Joyce Cook so she can start lifecasting about her experience as a single mom raising working and raising her family in Richmond, California a community just north of San Francisco.

If you missed last weeks introduction of Joyce, click here. You can also see the longer version and read the NAM article here.

Joyce and her family are one of 5 families who we'll be hearing from every Tuesday over the coming weeks.

Check back next week to hear more working family voices, and help spread their stories, perspectives and ideas by forwarding them to others.

Click below for more information about:
New America Media
Equal Voice for America's Families

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.

The Measure of America Report

The challenges facing America's working families aren't insurmountable -- but for many, they seem to be growing larger every day.

From rising energy prices to static wages to declining access to health care, many Americans feel like they're working harder only to fall further behind.

It's not just perception. A new report funded by Oxfam America, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Conrad Hilton Foundation -- the Measure of America Report -- combined measurements of health, education and income into one measurement called "the human development index," which is based on an index used by the United Nations.

The results:

*[T]he US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country....

* Of the world's richest nations, the US has the most children (15%) living in poverty

* Of the OECD nations, the US has the most people in prison - as a percentage and in absolute numbers

* 25% of 15-year-old students performed at or below the lowest level in an international maths test - worse than Canada, France, Germany and Japan

* If the US infant mortality rate were equal to first-ranked Sweden, more than 20,000 babies would survive beyond their first year of life

The report broke down its findings by states and congressional districts. For a graphic showing the state-by-state results, click here.

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

48 Days to Go....

Here we are: 48 days and counting until the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Convention on September 6 in Birmingham, Chicago and Los Angeles.

On that day 10,000 families will come together to call for the adoption of a national family platform that comprehensively address that issues that challenge families.

So many people across the country are working together to put together the convention. The levels of commitment and collaboration are truly inspiring.

After coming together for such a monumental event, who can doubt that by sticking together we'll be able to achieve improved policies and stronger families throughout our society?

The Blog Picture

Hello, everyone! I wanted to take a minute to welcome you to our blog -- and to share our big plans for making this blog as helpful to you as possible.

Through this blog, we'll be connecting you to the many voices of the campaign from around the country. We want the blog - and the moving, unfolding stories we'll be sharing - to be a tool for you to use to help achieve an equal voice for America's families. So please share your thoughts and ideas.

We are grateful to the many families and organizers who will be sharing their thoughts and personal stories on this blog in the coming weeks as our campaign unfolds against the backdrop of difficult economic times and an historic election. Each time I hear another heroic story from one of our families - stories of struggle and sacrifice, resiliency and hope - I think "if the American people only knew".

Well this is our chance to connect the American people to these moving stories. Please help us spread the word so that our equal voices are heard across the nation.

Here's the content schedule so you know what is coming:

• Monday -- Campaign Updates: the latest news on our efforts to bring 10,000 people together for a Day of Action. Take a minute to view the video from this Monday's Campaign Update post, The Journey So Far.



• Tuesday -- Working Families Voices: weekly "Lifecast" posts from 5 different working families that will be sharing their challenges, concerns, and perspectives on their lives, current events, the campaign, and ideas for change (Watch this video from Joyce Cook and meet our first lifecaster.)



• Wednesday -- In the News: a recap of current events in the media and how they relate to our efforts to end poverty.



• Thursday -- On the Ground: stories from our organizers. Charles Fields did our first On the Ground post yesterday.



• Friday -- Big Picture: My efforts to tie it all together.

You can help us amplify our voices by forwarding the blog posts and videos to friends, signing up for our email updates, and helping to spread the word on Facebook and through your social networks.

So please, check back daily-- and together we'll give a voice to America's working families.

- Luz

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

On the Ground: Los Angeles

Here I am on sitting in a room with people from 15 different Marguerite Casey Foundation grantee organizations, all of whom are based in Los Angeles.

These grantee organizations are working on issues from transportation justice to educational equity to immigration reform. A broad range of issues, to be sure, but they are all here today to figure out the best way that they can participate in the Equal Voice for America’s Families Campaign.

Everyone here can be divided into three different groups.

The first have been involved in our campaign since the beginning — initial planning, mobilizing people for town halls, and sending their members to the Chicago Gathering.

The second group may have sent some staff to one of our more than 60 town halls, but they may have done so reluctantly, watching to see if this Campaign truly had legs. Would regular people really come out and talk about their issues with other strangers on a Saturday, when they could be doing all sorts of other things?

(We now know the answer to that question. It's yes.)

And then there's the third group: the organizations that did not participate at all at the beginning, but now want to… because they can see that this campaign is making a difference in the lives of working families across America.

Earlier, I gave some opening comments about the Campaign, about where the Campaign has been and what the next steps will be. I can see folks are ready to pepper me with questions about everything from childcare, to buses, to key note speakers, to language translation, to interactive activities. I only hope I have enough answers to satiate them!

But before my colleague Sally and I take questions, we put in the The Journey So Far DVD.

The DVD tells the story of the Campaign in a way that my Campaign charts and fact sheets cannot. The film highlights town hall participants throughout the country, telling their stories — whether it be a Black man in New Orleans talking about the plight of the homeless, which is his plight; or a Latina mother talking about immigration reform; or a teenager in Chicago discussing the disinvestment in urban schools. The stories are as moving as they are true.

After the short film, the questions about logistics, key notes, child care and language translation seem less important to the group. What is important is that the organizations now see themselves as part of the Equal Voice for America’s Families Campaign, a Campaign that is broader than any one issue or organization, a Campaign that is about all of us.

You can get involved, too. Click here to watch the Journey So Far video, and here to sign up for our email list.

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.

Joyce Cook Lifecasting for Equal Voice for America's Families

Meet Joyce Cook. Joyce is one of five working families who will be Lifecasting every Tuesday for our blog. Each week moms and dads (and sometimes their children and other family members) will share about their experiences working to hold their families together during tough economic times and against the backdrop of an historic election.

Joyce is a single, working mom who also cares for her niece and nephew, whose parents passed away when they were young. Her son Edjuan is in prison and, because of that experience, she now works as an advocate for incarcerated youth.

Between now and the September Equal Voice for America's Families convention, we'll hear from Joyce and her family, and four others from different parts of the nation about their challenges, their concerns, their perspective on the issues, and their ideas for change.

You can see a poem by Joyce's son Edjuan in the longer version of the video and read more about Joyce and her family in the New America Media article Rebirth in Rodeo: A Mother’s Struggle with a Son’s Incarceration

You can also visit the New America Media site for stories about the town hall meetings that have been held across the country over the past 9 months, and for ongoing coverage of Campaign activity leading up to the national convention in September.

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.

Measuring Poverty

How does one measure poverty -- and what difference does it make?

Since the 1960s, the US Government has measured poverty based on the results of a 1955 study that showed that poor Americans spent roughly a third of their after-tax income on food.

Since then, the government has determined the poverty level by simply tripling the annual cost of groceries.

But even while being updated for inflation, that model has been criticized for being out of date. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, today's families spend just one-eighth of their income on food (though this is clearly changing in recent inflationary months), with more money going to transportation, child care and housing.

And that says nothing about how the cost of living varies from city to city and state to state.

Given the high cost of living in New York City, the NYC government recently revised the way it measures poverty. The results are eye-opening.

The New York Times reports:

Under the new model, announced by Linda I. Gibbs, the city’s deputy mayor for health and human services... the poverty rate in New York City would increase to 23 percent of the population, compared with the official level of roughly 19 percent. Also, fewer people in the city would fall into the category of extreme poverty, partly because the new measure factors in government aid programs like housing assistance, food stamps and tax credits....

According to the current federal measure, fewer than one in five New Yorkers 65 or older are poor. But under the new model, that figure grows to one in three, largely because higher medical costs are taken into account....

Under the new calculus, the poverty threshold for a family of two adults and two children in New York City would be a $26,138 annual income compared with the official level of $20,444.

The change could affect local programs and policy decisions, like how the city cares for the elderly; city officials hope that the new model will be adopted by other cities and states, and will also start a national re-examination about the way poverty is gauged, according to the New York Times report.

The city’s formula was developed by its Center for Economic Opportunity and modeled on a proposal developed by the National Academy of Sciences.

Technorati Tags: activism, economy, politics, poverty, families, working+families, 2008 elections, barack obama, john mccain, social justice, current affairs, current events, government, New York City.

The Journey So Far

"[T]here are 37 million people in the United States who are poor. Imagine if those people could connect, join together and begin to create the change we need."

So says Luz Vega-Marquis, the president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, which has funded the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign.

We've come a long way in the 10 months since the Campaign kicked off in Atlanta, Georgia in September of 2007. (See a video of the kickoff here.) And in September of 2008, more than 10,000 people representing America's working families will gather for our National Convention in Birmingham, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

But as we build momentum toward the national convention in the coming weeks, we also want to make sure people are aware of the journey so far. That's why we've created a series of videos on YouTube, telling the story of the campaign to date.

It's quite a story. In the past 10 months, we've convened 63 town halls across the nation, bringing more than 10,000 people together to raise the issues impacting America's working communities.

(Those issues are being compiled into a Family Platform that will be unveiled prior to the Equal Voice for America's Families National Convention on September 6, 2008.)

But enough words. Check out the brief teaser of the Journey So Far at the top of this post.

You can watch the entire story of the Journey So Far here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

And please, take a moment to forward the teaser above to your friends and family -- your efforts to spread the word make a tremendous difference in making sure that working families have an equal voice in America's political process.

Also be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel-- we've got a lot of great video coming your way in the coming weeks and months.

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

Are Rebate Checks Enough?

Millions of Americans have been receiving tax rebate checks over the past weeks and months, as part of the government's economic stimulus program.

But are rebate checks enough to kickstart America's sputtering economy? Over at the Real Women, Real Voices blog, Blanca Rojas, the the Invest in America’s Future coordinator for the Georgia Rural Urban Summit Affiliate, argues that rebate checks are only one part of a broader solution:

Rebate checks are only one piece of the economic recovery equation; Congress must also create a growth package that contains proven initiatives for pulling the country out of a recession. This package should include four things: an expansion of unemployment insurance, a temporary increase in food stamp benefits, increased aid to state and local governments, and investment in infrastructure projects that would immediately put people to work....

Any responsible effort to pull the country out of the current recession should start with an expansion of unemployment benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor ranks expanding unemployment compensation as the No. 1 tool for stimulating the economy. Studies show that for every dollar spent on unemployment insurance, anywhere from $1.73 to $2.15 is re-circulated back into the economy.

A temporary increase in food stamp benefits is another quick way to stimulate the economy and assist those in need. The recession has forced more people onto the food stamp rolls, where they receive an average of just $1 per meal. A temporary increase in that allotment could be easily added to food stamp electronic debit cards and spent quickly, boosting the economy while helping to prevent millions of children and seniors from going to bed hungry.

Increasing aid to state and local governments is also imperative to stem job loss and halt further cuts in critical programs and services including Medicaid and SCHIP. Without help, the budget shortfalls confronting states will increase hardships for low-income people and push the country into a deeper recession.

Finally, investing in much-needed infrastructure projects would create jobs, rebuild communities, and strengthen the economy. This is especially true of projects that are already underway but could be accelerated or repaired.

What do you think? What needs to happen to revitalize our economy?


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

Assets, Liabilities, and Poverty

Savings and assets are a critical resource for weathering hard times -- but a large percentage of working families in America lack those resources, according to a recent report from the non-partisan Urban Institute:

Nearly one quarter of low-income families do not have a checking or savings account, more than one-third do not own cars, 60 percent do not own a home, and 90 percent have no retirement account. In contrast, the typical middle-income family has checking or savings accounts, retirement accounts, owns a car and a home.

The report, based upon the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances, focuses on the bottom 20 percent of families ranked by income level -- ie, those with annual incomes of less than $18,000.

As might be expected, those with low incomes have limited assets: 24 percent of low-income families lack a bank account and 35 percent lack a vehicle.

In comparison, the typical high-income family has 82 times as much net worth as the typical low-income family.

Read the full report here (opens in PDF).

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

Report from the Equal Voice for America's Families Summer Gathering

It has been more than 280 days since we kicked off of the Equal Voice for America's Families Campaign in Atlanta, Georgia.

In that time, we convened 63 town halls across the country, bringing more than 10,000 people together to talk about the issues impacting their communities, and we compiled the issues raised by working families into a "Family Platform," to be unveiled prior to our National Convention on September 6, 2008.

In order for the Family Platform to truly represent real families, it needed to be vetted by real families.

That's why, last weekend, I joined about 50 family delegates in Chicago, Illinois for the Equal Voice for America’s Families Summer Gathering.


(Click here for more pictures from the Summer Gathering and here for a news report on the event.)

The family delegates had come to Chicago from near and far, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, Atlanta, the Rio Grande Valley, Oakland, Spokane and Santa Fe.

The task at hand was to review, modify (if necessary), and ratify the Family Platform.

The family delegates here demonstrated a real sense of purpose. They were passionate and talkative, determined to create a positive platform on behalf of the communities and families they represented. “We are here to represent our communities,” one woman said to me. Another woman said, “I am here to make a difference." Delegates consistently commented on a shared sense of ‘linked futures’.

As my friend Charles from Chicago said, “We’re all in this together.”

After the Platform was ratified, Luz Vega-Marquis, President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, which created the Equal Voice campaign, ended the Gathering with a call to action.

“Take this platform and spread the word and talk about it with your family and friends, your neighbors and community members," she said. "Use this platform to mobilize your communities. This is your platform. Your Voices Have Been Heard!”

Next Stop: the September 6th Conventions in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Birmingham!

The writer, 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.