VOICES believes that every person living in poverty is an expert about their own lives and has something to contribute to our understanding. Often the people making the important policy decisions in our government have very little understanding of what it is like to have a small income, just like we may have a difficult time understanding what it would be like to be a CEO or a powerful policymaker. VOICES uses personal stories to create positive change.
We are collecting stories around several issues right now. Budget cuts are going to hit our communities very hard and our policymakers need to understand what the effects will be.
Here are the issues we are working on right now:
o GAU/GAX
o ADATSA- drug and alcohol treatment and secure crisis residential services
o Basic Health Plan
o Adult Dental Care
o Mental Health services
o Neighborhood Assets Program—THORS, IDA accounts
o TANF- full family sanctions
o Predatory Lending (like Pay-day loans) Regulation
If you have had success with these programs, we would like to hear it! People need to know why we shouldn’t cut funding for these programs. Because they help people!
If you have had problems with these programs, we want to know! People need to know what can happen if these programs aren’t working like they should.
Let us know if you want to share your story! Also let us know if you want to hear our stories. The VOICES speaker’s bureau is available to share our stories of what it is realy like to live with a low income. Call us!
