Stories From the Safety Net

Committee on the Budget – Democrats
U.S. House of Representatives 

 

Stories From the Safety Net

As told by Sister Simone Campbell at the House Budget Committee hearing 

The War on Poverty: A Progress Report on July 31, 2013.

 

Jul 31, 2013 Issues: Social Safety Net

 

Meet Billy from Milwaukee. He and his wife both work, but their hours were cut back in the recession. Their combined salaries keep a roof over their two boys' heads. They use SNAP to feed the boys during the day in St. Benedict the Moor dining room in the evening. Billy said he thought it was OK for him as a parent to eat just once a day, but it wasn't right for growing kids especially his 14-year-old teenager.

SNAP, EITC and CTC have allowed Billy and millions of others to care for their families while they continue to work. But other families have more complex stories of struggle. For them, a network of programs can make all the difference.


Meet Tia. Tia grew up in foster care and ran away at 16 because of mistreatment. She thought that she needed to sleep with men in order to survive. When we met, she was 19 and was homeless with two children.

When we met her, Tia was leaving the shelter run by Catholic sisters and moving to transitional housing. She had learned to cook, to be a better mother. She had gotten her GED and was working part-time while studying in the community college to become a licensed vocational nurse.

This progress was because of federal programs that help fund the shelter, transitional housings, SNAP, Medicaid, Pell grants, et cetera -- as well as the love and care of the Sisters and staff. Love and care alone were not enough. They required significant funding from the federal government, and the private sector and a dedicated staff.


Meet Margaret, who lost her job in Cincinnati during the 2008 recession. With no job, she had no health care. She had no health insurance. She could not afford COBRA coverage. She knew she was at risk for colon cancer, but could not afford the screenings. When finally seen in the emergency room, she was terminally ill. Margaret died last year at age 56.

This is why the expansion of Medicaid and the ACA is so critical. Had it been fully implemented in 2010, Margaret could have received screening, treatment and been a contributing member of our society today.

These three people are real U.S. citizens. Margaret contributed to her community, but died because she lacked health care. Tia and Billy strive to raise their families and contribute to their neighborhoods. They have improve their situation and give stability to their children. They represent the millions of Americans who have benefited from these vital programs that are a mix of public, private cooperation.