Our May Newsletter is here to give you the scoop on what we’ve been up to this past month! This month we celebrated Mother’s Day, we had fellows participate in roundtables by local partners such as the ACLU, continued summer cash disbursements to our families, and began summer activities in our communities now that school is out! As you’ve probably heard by now the first step in the budget process passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and it includes slashing large parts of the social safety nets that our families rely on. The number of individuals affected by the cuts to health insurance coverage and SNAP funding are overwhelming, but we remain committed to centering the voices of these statistics. These stats aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re people with kids, single mothers, people with disabilities, and people living with elderly parents all across our country and all across Mississippi.
RESIDENT RELATIONSHIPS – Our summer programs in our communities have begun now that kids are officially out of school!
SOCIOECONOMIC WELL-BEING – Cash disbursement are continuing to go out to families to assist with summer food expenses.
FELLOWSHIPS – The Youth Advocacy Fellowship starts this month!
POLICY ADVOCACY – Our fellows were invited to participate in roundtables and focus groups help by local partners such as the ACLU of Mississippi.
NARRATIVE CHANGE – We are committed to ensuring that the real storie of our families are centered and heard in the ongoing political chaos around us.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their “Big Beautiful Bill,” the first step in the budget reconciliation process, which threatens to slash our social safety net to historically low levels and decimates the programs our families rely on in order to survive. Most of the news headlines and reports have focused on the astronomical cuts – 15 million individuals losing health insurance coverage, $300 billion cut from SNAP funding that would be felt by all 40 million SNAP participants across the country. It is overwhelming to say the least.
READ AISHA’S RECENT FORBES CONTRIBUTION ON THE BILL HERE
We’re continuing on with keeping the voices of our families front and center. Thanks for being on this journey with us.
With love,
Team Springboard