“Budget cuts will only hurt American families, including working families. It will make more mothers cry, more kids hungry, and America weaker.”
– Myra Young, Witnesses to Hunger: Philadelphia
Budgets are moral documents. They show a nation’s priorities- what we value and want to attach our tax dollar to funding. Too often the programs that support families are the first to be cut hurting millions
On October 30th, 2017, people from around the country spoke out to raise awareness about how proposed budget cuts will hurt their families, children, communities, and this country as a whole.
By sharing their personal experiences and ideas for change, Americans stood up together, said that THESE CUTS HURT, and shared that they have had enough of the government refusing to prioritize our children and our families.
Programs that feed millions, that house people, that provide health care – among so many others – are on the chopping block. Our country can and must do better to support families – the majority of whom are working or want to work – to make ends meet.
Witnesses to Hunger on (@Witnesses_NATL) used the hashtag #TheseCutsHurt to share data, articles, testimonies, and videos about the lived experiences of people in poverty. Immediately, others began to join in. By Friday, November 3, the hashtag had over 7 million impressions and reach
For more tweets from the event, please click the link below to view the #TheseCutsHurt Twitter Moment
Our schedule of events was as follows:
9am–10am: Youth and Hunger
10am–11am: Healthcare
11am–12pm: Housing
12pm–12:30pm: YouTube Live Lunch “Expert Voices Matter: A Discussion on Centering Marginalized Voices” Watch here:
12:30pm–1pm: Expert Voices: A Call to Action” LIVE from Boston
1pm–2pm: SNAP
2pm–3pm: TANF
3pm–4pm: Education and Childcare
4pm–5pm: Café Conversations: Community Organizing and Next Steps
Coverage of #TheseCutsHurt Day of Action (click headings for articles):
Partners/ Supporters
We received amazing support from so many organizations working to end poverty and hunger in America. Here are a few who officially joined our campaign. Many others soon joined in as the hashtag began to trend across the country.
Budgets are real documents with real consequences. When families have to make cuts to their personal budgets they pay for what is most important first. What could be more important that keeping our children healthy and supporting families to move toward self-sufficiency?
If Congress wants to cut programs, they need to understand what those cuts mean in their districts and in their communities.
Witnesses to Hunger 