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Hunger & Poverty

This year we will be addressing Homelessness at Lobby Day. In January the Commission to End Homelessness completed their report and recommended that the FY09 budget include funding to support the implementation of the Commission to End Homelessness' recommendations.

These funds would be used flexibly to provide rental assistance and emergency assistance, to develop assessment tools to determine risk of homelessness and connect those experiencing and at-risk of homelessness with services, and to implement other recommendations of the Commission. UU Mass Action supports the aim of this funding, which would allocate new funds to allow the state to test new approaches to addressing and ending homelessness, while still retaining critical safety net resources. The development of a parallel system is vital, so that the safety net is not dismantled before appropriate, effective, and accessible alternatives are available.

C-SNAP Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program

C-SNAP is a national network of pediatricians and public health specialists conducting research to inform public decision making aimed at preventing child hunger and promoting children's health.

Did you know?

- In 2004, 38 million people in the United States experienced food insecurity.
- Families with children are more likely to food insecure than those with no children.
- Families with children under the age of 6 years are at even higher risk of expereincing food insecurity.

We are exploring how we can make a difference in MA.

http://www.c-snap.org/

Paid Sick Days

The Paid Sick Days act, filed by Rep. Khan and Sen. Jehlen and Tolman, will guarantee employees 7 days of paid sick leave annually. The days can be used for one's own health or to care for a child, spouse, parent or spouse�s parent. Routine medical appointments will be covered as well, and there is a provision covering families to address the psychological, physical or legal effects of domestic violence. More information can be found at voicescanbeheardmimi@yahoo.com