Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 247 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • How A COVID-19 ‘Rapid Response Team' In Chicago Is Working To Fix Decades Of Neglect In Black, Latinx Communities

    Spurred by the high concentration of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides, city government teamed with multiple community groups to form a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to distribute protective gear, food, financial aid, and other help in the hard-hit neighborhoods. The help included more than 1 million masks, 6,000 boxes of food, 250,000 information flyers, laptops and free internet access, and $380,000 to help pay rent and utilities. The deaths and desperate need for help stem directly from decades of racial disparities in food and health care access.

    Read More

  • Will Community Gardens Survive Pandemic Budget Cuts?

    The ability of community gardens to supply healthy food to those who might not have their basic needs met has grown in importance as coronavirus continues to spread across the United States. For example, the New Roots community gardening initiative in Salt Lake City helps nearly 150 refugee families raise food on plots, and about 86 percent of the gardeners report saving an average of $30 a week by growing their own food. However, the future of this program, and others around the country in New York City, Seattle, and Minneapolis, are uncertain as they face budget cuts from cities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Read More

  • The Promising Results of a Citywide Basic-Income Experiment

    Universal basic income, or UBI, was implemented in Stockton, California through a pilot program known as SEED. Each participant was given $500 with no conditions on how to spend it. The data shows that the largest expense was food, especially as the pandemic began. Participants report being able to quit second jobs and third jobs, pay off debts, and cover medical bills. A key feature of the UBI was the absence of the requirement to be employed in order to receive the money. The basic-income pilot has caught the attention of programs across the country who reached out for advice.

    Read More

  • The Pandemic Proved That Cash Payments Work

    American households were able to avoid income loss when the federal government implemented an extra $600 a week for anyone facing unemployment in addition to $1200 for those who qualified, regardless of their employment status. Despite an almost total economic shutdown, the universal payments have kept poverty rates from increasing. The money has provided a security net for households while also preventing a collapse by generating economic activity.

    Read More

  • What We Can Learn from Costa Rica's Embrace of Migrants

    Despite its own troubled economy, Costa Rica has embraced a large influx of Nicaraguan refugees out of a recognition that immigration is an economic boon. The absorption of more than 28,000 migrants in one year, in a country of only 5 million people, has been aided by Costa Rica's existing population of Nicaraguans who fled earlier rounds of political and economic upheaval in their country. Those earlier migrants formed a network of aid organizations providing new arrivals with basic necessities, educational opportunity, connection to social services, and mental health support groups.

    Read More

  • Community groups step in to provide immigrants COVID testing, relief

    To meet the financial needs of undocumented immigrants caught in the gap left by the federal CARES Act pandemic relief program, the advocacy group Aliento has distributed financial aid, educated workers about unemployment benefits, and conducted outreach to young people and families. Aid checks of $500 are aimed at helping cover rent, utilities, and health care costs for families in which layoffs, particularly in the construction and hospitality industries, have caused hardships.

    Read More

  • How Germany Saved Its Workforce From Unemployment While Spending Less Per Person Than the U.S.

    Germany's creative workshare approach to stemming unemployment has prevented mass layoffs, unlike rising numbers in the United States. The German government provides payroll subsidies which allow an employer to keep on its staff by cutting back hours for everyone. Unemployment funds that would usually go to those who are laid off are instead directed to employers' payrolls, preventing the inconvenience and uncertainty of layoffs and allowing workers to seamlessly return to work full time when the health crisis is under control.

    Read More

  • USDA Acts Fast To Help Schools Offer Families Take-Out, Grocery Money

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has effectively responded to the Covid-19 crisis by quickly helping existing programs provide food aid to families. School lunch programs rapidly moved from providing hot food to children who qualify to a to-go style menu for all children under 18 and offers grocery money to families who can’t pick up food. The USDA also expanded SNAP with increased monthly allowances and options for online shopping. There have been administrative difficulties coordinating aid so quickly that has caused delays to some families getting the food they need.

    Read More

  • 'Stopgap' or life saver?: Italy's scheme to help the self-employed survive the coronavirus crisis

    The Italian government's attempt to assuage the financial fallout of the pandemic on small businesses, freelance workers, and the self-employed did not achieve the desired results despite the enormous size of the aid package: 25 billion euros. Delays, technical glitches, and language barriers for international workers have plagued the application process from the day it was launched and over half a million applications have yet to be processed. Italians also criticized the 600-euro amount which is the average rent in the country, often higher in some areas. The government has announced additional aid.

    Read More

  • Amid COVID-19, SNAP Rolls Out Online Ordering

    More than a dozen states are participating in a SNAP program, allowing people experiencing economic hardship to purchase food online from retailers. While only certain online retailers allow for food stamp purchases and SNAP users can’t pay for delivery fees with their benefits, more states are piloting the program, which could prove useful for people quarantining from the novel coronavirus.

    Read More