In just a couple of days, Americans will celebrate the 239th year since members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. Arguably the most famous statement within this revered document is the notion that all people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Category: Advocate
Not Losing is the New Winning
Perhaps it can only be true in Washington, DC, that not losing is considered winning. In the face of mounting debt, a stubbornly high deficit, and an economy still struggling to grow fast enough to add enough jobs, Congress is keeping a tight grip on spending.
Who’s Your Daniel?
Recently, a bi-partisan bill (S. 1513) was introduced in the Senate that would reauthorize and improve programs that aim to improve reintegration for people with a criminal history. Goodwill® is urging Senators to co-sponsor the bill.
Urge Senators to Co-sponsor Bill to Help People with a Criminal Background
Last week, I received a phone call from Audrey, a woman in Wisconsin who was seeking help for her brother, Frank. He has recently been released from prison after serving a 20-year sentence and needs help finding a job. The harsh reality is that without support and resources, Frank’s chances of recidivating are overwhelming.
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Appealing to Millenials
Results from a recent Pew Research Center study noting that most millennials (61 percent) receive their political news from Facebook, was not surprising. Only 37 percent reported getting their political news through local television. This is further proof that social media may be the most effective way to reach this generation. About a quarter of the millennials using Facebook said at least half of the posts they see pertain to government and politics. They were also less familiar with a number of political news outlets, but no less trusting of those media outlets than other generations.
Could Private Investment be the Answer to Appropriators’ Prayers?
For the past several years, efforts to advance annual spending bills have broken down. The result is usually end-of-the-year political theater that causes most constituents to shake their heads in disgust and keeps Congressional approval rates at historically low levels. But to be fair, Congressional appropriators face increasingly difficult choices.
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Helping Older Americans Age at Home
Increasingly, seniors desire to remain at home as they age rather than relocating to assisted living or nursing homes. Their ability to do so often depends on the availability of home and community-based services and other supports. The Older Americans Act of 1965 requires the Administration on Aging (AOA) to promote and support a comprehensive system of services.
Support Our Seniors During Older Americans Month
The very first Older Americans Month took place in May 1963. While the poverty rate for seniors declined from the abysmal high point of 65 percent, it still hovered around an unacceptable 30 percent. Today the senior poverty rate stands just above 10 percent, about the same as other age groups. Social Security, one of
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Advocacy through Community Engagement
I recently had the privilege of leading a series of discussions with a small group of Goodwill® employees during a conference hosted by Goodwill Industries International. Our topic was community engagement and advocacy. We began our conversation by considering who makes up the community in which Goodwill belongs and how we engage the group.
Congress Set to Move Budget, Spending Bills While Challenges Loom
For the first time in 15 years the House and Senate Budget Committee chairs announced a deal on a ten year budget resolution that sets the broad parameters of spending and revenues. If approved, outlays (another word for spending) grow from $3.88 billion for FY 2016 to just over $5.0 billion in FY 2025. Revenues would also increase slightly more than outlays by 2024, meeting the GOP goal of achieving a balanced budget within ten years.
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Goodwill® Hosts Action4Impact Summit
Despite 50 years of the war on poverty and trillions of dollars spent, the American dream seems beyond reach for too many of our neighbors. Furthermore, our communities’ challenges are increasingly complex, and evolving at a level that outpaces current capacity. The implication of these facts is that our current system of interventions is insufficient
Join the #GoodwillOnHill Virtual Advocacy Day
This week, Goodwill® advocates from around the country will visit Capitol Hill and meet with hundreds of lawmakers to advocate for federal investments in programs that leverage Goodwill and benefit the people we serve, and increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. You can help bolster the success of their visits and help strengthen Goodwill’s public policy influence.
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