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His Own Words: Brian King, Fresno EOC Street Saints, “How Do We Feed the World, But Starve Our Kids?”

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Brian King of the Fresno Street Saints, speaks in Fresno on May 18, 2019, as part of the End Child Poverty Bus Tour. Read Brian’s full speech below. Photo credit: Fernando Rios

Brian King is the director and co-founder of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Street Saints. He grew up in poverty on Chicago’s South Side. Brian served as a member of California’s statewide Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force that created the End Child Poverty Plan. As our CEO Conway Collis said, “It’s with Brian King’s leadership that we’re going to get this done.”

Brian joined us for the entire 2019 End Child Poverty in California Bus Tour, and spoke multiple times, including this powerful speech in front of his hometown crowd in Fresno.

***

Praise God. I’m appointed to speak to you guys first about what I’m experiencing. So first without any further ado, let me give thanks to God for me even being here. It’s only through Him that I’m here. You know, they wrote me off and said I would never live to be 15, but it’s only thanks to God that I’m here a couple ticks away from 60.

Then I want to give thanks to my mother and mothers like her who went to bed hungry so that we couldn’t taste what poverty felt like. And so for the mothers who have put themselves in those positions and continue to do so to this day, I want to salute you guys: mothers who have went without so that we can.

Brian King, director, Fresno EOC Street Saints, May 2019

I want to talk to you on a couple of deals – with two hats – the first hat is poverty. I am a direct descendent of poverty. I have experienced all the DNA of poverty. I’ve went from an 8-year-old gang member, to 14-year-old drug addict, to an incarcerated teenager, to a 21-year-old homeless addict walking around on the South Side of Chicago just waiting to die.

I have cleaned up, and went back to the streets and became one of the most significant and largest drug dealers in the city of Chicago. I have everything that’s made up of a young African-American male that’s walked the impoverished community.

But then I came to Fresno and I found a man name Jesus. And now the other hat I wear is a battle against poverty.

And my question to us in Fresno is “How do we feed the world, but starve our kids?”

It is a tragedy that we live in the second highest concentrated poverty area in the nation. And we’re not alone. In our travels, I’ve been able to go through San Diego to here. And what I’ve seen has really broke my spirit. I met a young 26-year-old lady in San Diego named Monique that has all the DNA that I have from these impoverished neighborhoods. But she has a 4-year-old kid that she’s trying to raise on $540 a month.

But she’s fighting.

And she was so excited to see the [End] Childhood Poverty bus come up that she encouraged me to keep on. Because sometimes this deal gets hard. But as we continue to go on, I’ve seen the governor come to a community where the community came around and said, “No more.” We’re going to stand, and we’re going to fight, and we’re going to figure this whole deal out.”

Then we went and met a senator that’s working with a group of ladies that held hands and talked about how we can overcome.

And so as we continue to walk through this path of created suffering—through Pomona and through our travel halfway across this state, I’ve been able to sit an hour with people on the bus and sit in hotels in the evening and just look at the glimmer of hope that we come together to try to end poverty throughout the whole state.

There is a battle ahead of us. But coming from impoverished neighborhoods, we battle every day.

And we know this ain’t nothing but a step. So we’re here today to say, “Fresno, we need you. We need you to go out and use your influence. We need you to begin to go. And those of you who’ve not registered to vote, we need you to go register. We need you guys that sit in City Hall and that sit in these lobbying seats to begin to lobby. We need our elected officials to come together and hold hands with San Diego, with L.A., with Weedpatch.

We were there this morning. And I sat there and I watched a community that had almost nothing, give us their best. They cooked breakfast burritos for us. They had chips for us, water for us, and they don’t even have their own clean drinking water. But they took part, and they took place in this fight that we’re having.

Members of the Fresno EOC Street Saints at the Fresno stop on the End Child Poverty Bus Tour, May 18, 2019.

And so as we begin and continue our journey, I want to first salute you guys for coming out and taking time out your busy days to be a part of this deal. And from our Fresno Street Saints family, I love you guys. Thanks for showing up for us.

We are truly in a time and space in history, that we can right it. And so as you continue to hear the speakers that’s coming up today, I ask that you open your hearts, that you listen, because this is a message that’s coming from across the state – a universal message that we have to begin to save our children. And like all you guys, I am 1,300% with us lifting our children out of poverty.

But again, my biggest concern is our children are dying poverty. So we just ask that you listen patiently, and that you hear that there is a solution, and we want to give you that solution.

***

California has 450,000 children living in deep poverty. We’re also the only state with a plan to END it. Already in 2019, $3.4 billion has been put toward the End Child Poverty Plan in the 2019-2020 state budget. Investments to end child poverty will pay for themselves over time as parents and children become healthier in body, mind, and spirit, and are able to have higher lifetime earnings.

There’s more work to do. We have the research, the plan, and the momentum to end child poverty. Now we need the political and moral courage to see it through.

Join the movement: endchildpovertyca.org.

You’re Part of the 42% of Californians Who Know We Have a Child Poverty Crisis

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Californians engaged to #EndChildPovertyCA in Fresno, Ca., this May

As a member of the #EndChildPovertyCA movement, you’re a part of the 42% of Californians who know there’s a child poverty crisis in our state.

I want to thank you for being engaged in this issue. Deep child poverty is not a fact of nature — it’s a result of policy, and we’re changing it together.

December is the most important fundraising month for movements like this. The more we raise now, the more ambitious we can be in 2020. Will you contribute to our growing movement today?

The needs of our children living in deep poverty can’t wait: There are almost half a million of them, and their dreams and futures are being cut short because of a lack of access to food, healthcare and, all too often, basic shelter. 

Our families are working hard to make ends meet. There’s so much more we can do together to change the underlying structures that make poverty so persistent — and California is the only state with a plan to do it. Alongside our families, our partner organizations, community leaders, and allies like you, we’re working to #PassThePlan to end deep child poverty in our state for good.

Will you contribute to help us achieve our goals for 2020, so we can get the End Child Poverty Plan passed in full?

DONATE ANY AMOUNT

$10

$25

$50

$100

If you can’t donate to #EndChildPovertyCA today, just remember: Most Californians don’t know there’s a child poverty crisis in our state. You can change that by sharing news about our movement with your friends — in person and online.

Share on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Together, we’ll turn 42% into 100% — and make California the first state to end deep child poverty.

Thanks for all you do,

Conway Collis
President and CEO of GRACE and End Child Poverty California

_____

End Child Poverty CA is a movement to build a bright future for ALL California kids and free our families from the cycle of poverty. If someone forwarded you this email, sign up here to get updates from End Child Poverty CA. 

Usted es parte del 42% de Californianos que saben que hay una crisis de pobreza infantil

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Miembros del movimiento #EndChildPovertyCA en Fresno en mayo de 2019

Como miembro del movimiento #EndChildPovertyCA, usted es parte del 42% de Californianos que saben que hay una crisis de pobreza infantil en nuestro estado.

Quiero agradecerles por ser parte en este tema. La pobreza infantil extrema no es un hecho de la naturaleza — es el resultado de una política y juntos lo estamos cambiando.

Diciembre es el mes más importante para recaudar fondos para movimientos como este. Lo más que recaudamos ahora, más ambiciosos podemos ser en 2020. ¿Contribuirás a nuestro movimiento que está creciendo hoy?

Las necesidades de nuestros niños los cuales  viven en pobreza extrema no pueden esperar: hay casi medio millón de ellos, y sus sueños y futuros son más cortos debido a la falta de acceso a alimentos, atención médica y, con demasiada frecuencia, vivienda básica.

Nuestras familias luchan para cubrir las  necesidades de cada mes. Hay mucho más que podemos hacer juntos para cambiar las estructuras que hacen que la pobreza sea tan persistente — y California es el único estado con un plan para hacerlo. Junto con nuestras familias, nuestras organizaciones asociadas, líderes de la comunidad y aliados como usted, estamos trabajando para #PassThePlan para acabar con la pobreza infantil extrema en nuestro estado para siempre.

¿Puede contribuir y ayudarnos a alcanzar nuestras metas para el 2020, para que podamos pasar el Plan para acabar con la pobreza infantil en su totalidad?

DONAR LO QUE PUEDA

$10

$25

$50

$100

Si no puede donar a #EndChildPovertyCA hoy, sólo recuerde: la mayoría de los Californianos no saben que hay una crisis de pobreza infantil en nuestro estado. Usted puede cambiar eso compartiendo noticias sobre nuestro movimiento con sus amigos — en persona y en las redes sociales.

Juntos, convertiremos el 42% en 100% — y haremos  que California sea el primer estado en terminar con la pobreza infantil profunda.

Gracias por todo lo que haces,

Conway Collis

Acabar con la Pobreza Infantil CA es un movimiento para construir un futuro brillante para TODOS los niños de California y liberar a nuestras familias del ciclo de pobreza. Si alguien le remitió este correo electrónico, regístrese aquí para recibir actualizaciones de Acabar con la Pobreza Infantil CA. 

Giving Tuesday: Powering Our Movement

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It’s the season of giving, and we’d like you to think about your gifts. The voices, donations, and talents of our community — big or small — make this movement strong. And everyone has something to give as we build a California where all children are fed, healthy, and housed. 

2019 has been a powerful year for the End Child Poverty CA movement.

Thousands of you made our movement a huge success this year.

➡️ You spoke up for the End Child Poverty Plan.

➡️ You showed up in Chula Vista, LA, Pomona, Weedpatch, Fresno, Salinas, Oakland, and Sacramento.

➡️ You shared your stories in front of crowds of hundreds of people, in your communities and educated legislators and other officials. 

Throughout the year, the powerful testimonies of parents cut through the politics to make the needs of our communities clear. Your stories stick with us — stories like the one from Ana, who spoke on behalf or our partner Mission Promise Neighborhood. Her words continue to inspire us:

“[I’ve learned] not to keep my voice within myself but speak it out to share my knowledge so other families can advocate for their children, because we are all advocates. We just need to… speak up and say, ‘This is what I need for my children, and all of the children.’”

Community members like Ana are building momentum to power this movement in 2020. Will you chip in to power it, too?

Donate any amount

$10

$25

$50

$100

Together in 2020, we’re going to…

  • Make sure the Child Tax Credit is expanded to help children and families in extreme poverty have adequate food, housing and other essentials. It’s the most potent piece of #ThePlan to END extreme child poverty in our state.
  • Partner with civil rights leader Dolres Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers and founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation to build a grassroots army of Californians mobilized to end child poverty in our state for good. On-the-ground community teams will serve as local action hubs to free our families from the cycle of poverty. 
  • Organize events and rallies around the state. We’re going to remind our leaders that child poverty is a moral and political choice — not an inevitability — and we’re serious about ending it.
  • Expand our network so that we’re impossible to ignore. We’re more than tripling the number of partners and community members involved to #PassThePlan and end extreme poverty for 450,000 California children. 

Will you chip in to help us achieve our goals? Every dollar makes a difference.

We’re filled with gratitude this holiday season — and we’re also aware that there are a lot of expenses this time of year. If you can’t donate right now, please forward this email to one or two people to let them know that there’s a place for them in our growing movement to END extreme poverty for our children.

For the last forty years I’ve been involved with serving youth caught in the juvenile justice system and foster care, helping to overcome educational disadvantage and to provide desperately needed healthcare. We can end the abject poverty that so often leads to these human crisis and enormous state costs. For children in abject poverty, in and out of homelessness, their needs can’t wait. Please join us.

With gratitude,

Conway Collis
President and CEO
GRACE

End Child Poverty CA is a movement to build a bright future for ALL California kids and free our families from the cycle of poverty. If someone forwarded you this email, sign up here to get updates from End Child Poverty CA. 

Giving Tuesday: Ud. hace que este movimiento sea poderoso

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Mañana es Giving Tuesday (el día para dar), y queremos que pienses en tus regalos. Las voces, donaciones y talentos de nuestra comunidad – grande o pequeña – hacen que este movimiento sea fuerte. Todos tenemos algo que dar mientras construimos un California donde cada niño tiene comida, están saludables, y que tengan casa.

Miles de ustedes hicieron que nuestro movimiento fuera un éxito este año. 

➡️ Hablaron sobre el plan de Acabar con la Pobreza Infantil.
➡️ Estuvieron presentes en Chula Vista, Los Angeles, Pomona, Weedpatch, Fresno, Salinas, Oakland, y Sacramento.
➡️ Compartieron sus historias en frente de cientos de personas, en sus comunidades y educaron a legisladores y otros oficiales. 

Durante el año, los testimonios poderosos de familias rompieron las políticas para hacer claras las necesidades de nuestra comunidad. Sus historias se quedan con nosotros – historias como la de Ana, quien habló por uno de nuestros socios Una Misión Promesa. Sus palabras siguen siendo una inspiración para nosotros:

“[He aprendido] no quedarme con mi voz si no hablar y compartir mi conocimiento para que otras familias puedan también abogar por sus hijos, porque todos somos abogadores. Solo necesitamos… levantar nuestra voz y decir, ‘Esto es lo que necesito para mis niños, y todos los niños.”

Miembros de la comunidad como Ana están impulsando este movimiento en el 2020. Puede contribuir para su construcción también? 

Juntos en el 2020, vamos a…

  • Asegurarnos de que cada Crédito Fiscal por Niño sea extendido para ayudar a que niños y familias en pobreza extrema tengan la comida necesaria, casa y otras cosas esenciales. Es el pedazo más poderoso en el plan para ACABAR con la pobreza infantil extrema en nuestro estado.
  • Ser socios con líder de derechos civiles Dolores Huerta, cofundadora del United Farmworkers y fundadora de la Fundación Dolores Huerta para construir un ejército de Californianos movilizados para acabar con la pobreza infantil en nuestro estado para siempre. Equipos de la comunidad sirven como el centro de acción para liberar a nuestras familias del ciclo de pobreza. 
  • Organizar eventos y reuniones en todo el estado. Vamos a recordarle a nuestros líderes que la pobreza infantil es una decisión moral y política – no una inevitabilidad – y estamos seriamente comprometidos con terminarlo.
  • Expandir nuestra red para que sea imposible ignorar. Estamos creciendo el número de socios y miembros de la comunidad más del triple involucrados con #PassThePlan y acabar la pobreza para 450,000 de niños en California. 

Puedes donar para cumplir con nuestras metas? Cada dólar hace una diferencia.

Estamos llenos de agradecimiento este tiempo de fiestas – y también entendemos que hay muchos otros gastos para este tiempo. Si no puede donar para Giving Tuesday, por favor envíe este correo electrónico a una o dos personas para dejarles saber que hay un lugar para ellos para ayudar a crecer nuestro movimiento de ACABAR pobreza infantil extrema para nuestros niños. 

Los últimos cuarenta años de mi vida los he dedicado en servir a jóvenes en el sistema de justicia juvenil y en cuidado tutelar, ayudándoles a superar desventajas en la educación y proveer la desesperante necesidad de mejor asistencia médica. Podemos acabar con la pobreza abyecta para niños viviendo en y fuera de un hogar, desamparo, la necesidad no puede esperar. Acompáñanos. 

Con gratitud,

Conway Collis
Presidente y CEO
GRACE

Acabar con la Pobreza Infantil CA es un movimiento para construir un futuro brillante para TODOS los niños en California y librar a nuestras familias del ciclo de pobreza. Si alguien te envió este correo electrónico, haz clic aquí para recibir las últimas noticias de Acabar con la Pobreza Infantil CA.

What a difference a year makes!

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This time last year, the Lifting Children Out of Poverty Task Force released California’s first-ever End Child Poverty Plan. For change-makers across the state, “Pass the Plan” became a rallying call to the governor and legislative leaders to make ending extreme child poverty a top priority — and they showed that they cared.   

The plan will END extreme child poverty in California and cut overall child poverty in half. It’s bold, and it took a year of teamwork, research, and engagement to produce.  

California is the only state with a plan to end extreme child poverty. Together, we’re going to make it a reality.

⇒ Take our short survey to tell us why you’re involved!

Watch faith leaders speak at last December’s #PassthePlan release rally:

This is your plan: You helped fight for it by sharing news with your network, showing up in Sacramento and all over the state, and believing in the mission. Because of our hard work together…

  • The California legislature passed key recommendations from the plan this year. 
  • Almost $5 billion in End Child Poverty Plan investments were adopted in the state budget.
  • More than 60 organizations and 47,000 Californians have become involved to #EndChildPovertyCA — and more are joining every day.

We are incredibly grateful to you and our community. We’re sharing our gratitude now through the start of 2020, and we want to hear from you.

⇒ Take a few minutes to tell us why you’re with us.

We look forward to sharing some of your answers alongside ours on Giving Tuesday and throughout December.

With deep gratitude,

Conway, Jackie, Cristina, and the End Child Poverty CA team

¡Qué diferencia hace en un año!

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Para este tiempo el año pasado, el Grupo de Trabajo para Sacar a los Niños y a las Familias de la Pobreza lanzó el  primer Plan para Terminar con la Pobreza Infantil de California. Para creadores de cambio en el estado, “Pass the Plan” se convirtió en nuestro llamado al gobernador y líderes legislativos para que el tema de terminar con la pobreza infantil extrema fuera una prioridad – y ellos revelaron que era importante. 

El plan pondrá FIN a la pobreza infantil extrema en California y reducirá la pobreza infantil por mitad. El plan es audaz, y tomó meses de trabajo en equipo, investigación y compromiso para producirlo.

California es el único estado con un plan para acabar con la pobreza infantil extrema. Juntos vamos a hacerlo realidad. 

⇒ ¡Responde a nuestra breve encuesta para decirnos por qué estás involucrado!

Este es su plan :  Usted nos ayudó a combatir — compartiendo noticias con sus conocidos, presentándose en Sacramento y en todo el estado, y sobre todo creyendo en la misión. 

Debido a nuestro esfuerzo y trabajo juntos:

  •  Las legislaturas de California aprobaron recomendaciones claves del plan de este año.
  • Se aprobaron casi $5 billones en inversiones del Plan para terminar con  la pobreza infantil en el presupuesto estatal.
  • Más de 600 socios y 47,000 Californianos se han involucrado en #EndChildPovertyCA, y cada día se unen más.

Estamos increíblemente agradecidos con usted y nuestra comunidad. Estamos compartiendo nuestra gratitud desde ahora hasta el principio del 2020, y queremos saber su opinión.

⇒ Tóme unos minutos para decirnos por qué está apoyándonos.

Esperamos compartir algunas de sus respuestas junto con las nuestras en Giving Tuesday y durante diciembre.

Con profunda gratitud,

Conway, Jackie, Cristina y el equipo de Terminar con la Pobreza Infantil CA

The Next Phase of Our Movement

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November 2019 — Our movement to end child poverty in California is entering a critical new phase — and we want you to be a part of it from the start.

End Child Poverty California is partnering with civil rights leader, founder, and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Dolores Huerta, to build a grassroots army of Californians ready to end child poverty in our state for good. 

This is a big moment for our movement — and a huge moment for the future of California kids. Help us mark this milestone by sharing the news with your friends today!

We couldn’t be more proud to partner with a woman who has dedicated her life to showing people the power they have. Dolores Huerta founded the United Farm Workers movement along with César Chávez. She coined the slogan, “¡Sí se puede!” And in 2002, she established the Dolores Huerta Foundation for grassroots community organizing to empower people to fight for the changes they want to see in their communities.

Here’s what Dolores has to say: 

“The great social justice changes in our country have happened when people came together, organized, and took direct action. It’s time for us to come together to end this child poverty crisis that’s destroying our children’s futures. We can do this. ¡Sí se puede!”

We have one big goal: to fully end extreme child poverty within the next four years. Then we’ll keep going to make sure ALL California children have the chance to thrive.

End Child Poverty CA Roundtable in San Bernardino with Dolores Huerta, hosted by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes at Community Action Partnership, with attending organizations including Child Care Resource Center, Golden State Opportunity, San Bernardino County Preschool services, and sisters of the Daughters of Charity

Here’s what we’re asking you to do next: Share about the End Child Poverty CA + Dolores Huerta Foundation partnership. Let your people know what’s going on. We’ll follow up soon to ask you what you’d like your next step in the movement to be.

→ Grab this link to share: https://www.endchildpovertyca.org/next-phase/

→ Leave us a note and share the news on Facebook.

→ Click here to share on Twitter.

We look forward to working with the Dolores Huerta Foundation to mobilize communities across the state so that all our children have a brighter future and all our families can thrive! 

California has 450,000 children living in deep poverty. We’re also the only state with a plan to END it. Californians across the state know that all our children can thrive. Already, almost $5 billion has been put toward the End Child Poverty Plan in the 2019-2020 state budget. Investments to end child poverty will pay for themselves over time as parents and children become healthier in body, mind, and spirit, and are able to break free from poverty.

There’s more work to do. In California, we have the research, the plan, and the momentum to end child poverty. Now we need the political and moral courage to see it through.

Join the movement. Add your email at endchildpovertyca.org.

Una Nueva Fase Crítica

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Nuestro movimiento para terminar con la pobreza infantil en California está entrando en una nueva fase crítica, y queremos que formes parte de ella desde el inicio.

Terminar con la pobreza infantil CA se está asociando con el ícono de los derechos civiles Dolores Huerta y su fundación para construir un ejército a base de californianos listos para terminar con la pobreza infantil de nuestro estado para siempre.

Este es un gran momento para nuestro movimiento — y un gran momento para el futuro de los niños de California. ¡Ayúdanos a marcar este momento compartiendo las noticias con tus amigos hoy!

Estamos orgullosos de asociarnos con una mujer que ha dedicado su vida a mostrar el poder que tienen las personas. Dolores Huerta fundó el movimiento United Farm Workers junto con César Chávez. Ella dio a luz el eslogan, “¡Sí se puede!”  En el 2002, estableció la Fundación Dolores Huerta para la organización comunitaria a base de empoderar a las personas a luchar por los cambios que quieren ver en sus comunidades.

Esto es lo que Dolores tiene que decir:

Los grandes cambios en la justicia social en nuestro país se produjeron cuando las personas se unieron, organizaron y tomaron medidas directas. Es hora de que nos unamos para poner fin a esta crisis de pobreza infantil que está destruyendo el futuro de nuestros hijos. Podemos hacerlo. ¡Sí se puede!”
Mesa redonda <<End Child Poverty CA>> en San Bernardino con Dolores Huerta, dirigida por Asambleísta Eloise Gómez Reyes

Tenemos un gran objetivo: terminar por completo con la pobreza infantil extrema en los próximos cuatro años. Luego, nos aseguraremos de que TODOS los niños de California tengan la oportunidad de prosperar.

Esto es el próximo paso que le pedimos que hagan: Comparta sobre Terminar con la pobreza infantil CA + la Fundación Dolores Huerta para acabar con la pobreza infantil en las redes sociales y reenvíe este correo electrónico. Hazle saber a tu gente lo que está pasando. Haremos un seguimiento pronto para preguntarles y asesorarnos cuál es el próximo paso que debemos tomar en el movimiento.

→ Copie y comparta esta página: https://www.endchildpovertyca.org/una-nueva-fase-critica/

→ Comparta Terminar con la pobreza infantil CA en Facebook.

→ Retuitear Terminar con la pobreza infantil en Twitter.

¡Esperamos trabajar con la Fundación Dolores Huerta para movilizar comunidades en todo el estado para que todos nuestros niños tengan un futuro mejor y todas nuestras familias puedan prosperar!

Her Own Words: Monique Rosas “Able to Breathe Again,” Parent Voices San Diego #EndChildPovertyCA

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Parent Voices leader Monique gets a hug from her son Makai after speaking in Chula Vista, CA
Parent Voices leader Monique gets a hug from her proud son Makai after speaking at the End Child Poverty CA Bus Tour kickoff event in Chula Vista, May 2019.

Monique is a parent leader from Parent Voices San Diego, and a single parent raising her amazing son Makai. In 2019, she’s been in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento fighting for parents in poverty. When we listen to the powerful voices of parents, we know without a doubt that all our kids can thrive. In May, Monique shared her story in front of a crowd of about 200 people at Castle Park High School in Chula Vista. Watch Monique’s speech here.

***

Hello, my name is Monique Rosas and I am a parent advocate for Parent Voices, an organization advocating for working families to have affordable child care.

We speak for the voiceless!

I am a 26-year-old San Diego native and single mother to a 4-year-old son named Makai. [Note: Makai is now 5!] Since 1992, my family and I have battled with homelessness. From birth until I was 8-years-old we lived in hotels, shelters, and other people’s homes — experiencing the trauma of being unstable and insecure. [M]y parents suffered from depression due to living in poverty, this led them to substance abuse, but they still did the best they could to support our family.

Growing up as a child into an adult I inherited my parents’ bad habits. Becoming a single parent affected by mental health and I started to abuse substances to relieve the pain of trying to provide for my son by myself. Tired of the intergenerational cycle of poverty, I made a decision to change it and applied for CalWORKs. My activity last year was a women’s recovery program where I became one year sober on January 14th, 2019. Then I graduated from a culinary apprenticeship program through CalWORKs.

I was excited to finally become successful. My next step was to move out. My case manager referred me to transitional housing, which was actually a tent. Now my worst nightmare of my son experiencing deep childhood poverty became true. Since I receive $577 dollars a month for Makai and I, we cannot afford housing. I pay all my bills by the 15th of the month and end up with less than $100 to decide if I pay for gas or toilet paper. I still don’t have enough to save and move out. Even with all my success, I still feel like I’m drowning and gasping for air. There’s no room for growth.

So I believe in this campaign to end childhood deep poverty because it’s going to be the beginning to breaking the cycle – so we may stop drowning to be able to breathe again. Thank you.

==> Listen to more from Monique here.

==> Check out our favorite video of Makai here.

***

California has 450,000 children living in deep poverty. We’re also the only state with a plan to END it. Californians across the state know that all our children can thrive. Already, almost $5 billion has been put toward the End Child Poverty Plan in the 2019-2020 state budget. Investments to end child poverty will pay for themselves over time as parents and children become healthier in body, mind, and spirit, and are able to break free from poverty.

There’s more work to do. We have the research, the plan, and the momentum to end child poverty. Now we need the political and moral courage to see it through.

Join the movement. Add your email at endchildpovertyca.org.

And to find out more about and join in with our partner Parent Voices and the amazing work they’re doing, click here.

IMAGINE: End Child Poverty California's Vision for a Just Future
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