Friday, February 24, 2006

Volunteers Needed, Tues. Feb. 28 - Hunger Lobby Day

This message is from Hunger Action Network.

We need a dozen volunteers for Tues. Feb. 28th to help with our annual lobby
day, that usually brings in about 250 to 300 people statewide, many
low-income, with buses from NYC and Rochester. We need help making sandwiches at 8 AM; serving lunch, logistics of a rally; and cleaning up at the church by 1 PM

Please call me if you can assist.

Thanks

Mark Dunlea
----------------------------------------
Join Hunger Action Network and ES2
On Tuesday February 28th
For Legislative Education and Action Day

Meet 9:30 AM at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut St
10 to 11:30 briefing on issues
Noon rally at Capitol
Lobby visits from 1 to 4 PM

Hunger Action Network and the Empire State Economic Security Campaign (ES2)
will host our annual Legislative Education and Action Day (LEAD) in Albany on
Tuesday, February 28th. We invite you to join with hundreds of social
services staff and community members from all across the state to let our elected
officials know what’s really needed to help families in our communities.

The day will start with a briefing on the issues at the Westminster
Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut Street, Albany at 9:30 AM. Buses will be leaving
from NYC, Rochester and Buffalo.

The State budget as always will be a key focus as we expect that the
Governor once again will propose deep cuts in health care, welfare and other human
services programs in his Executive Budget. Specifically, ES2 will focus on
increasing the public assistance grant and funding for the Home Energy
Assistance Program (HEAP) to help low-income families meet the increase in fuel costs this winter.

We will also focus on securing health insurance for all New Yorkers and a
series of job creation efforts targeted to low-income individuals seeking
family sustaining employment, including a $1 billion bond for the NYS Housing
Trust Fund that would result in thousands of construction jobs to build much
needed affordable housing. ES2 will continue to work on improving access to
education from English for Speakers of Other Languages to college for welfare
participants.
Finally, the campaign will urge the state to ensure that corporate subsidies
and tax credits result in the creation of jobs in New York, close various
corporate tax loopholes, and make the tax system fairer. Right now, low-income
New Yorkers pay a much higher percentage of their income in state and local
taxes than the wealthy.

LEAD is a great opportunity to make sure that your voice is heard in the
Capitol. We will provide a light breakfast and lunch at no cost to you. We
will also provide simple materials on each of the issues as well as a brief
training for folks who’ve never met with their legislators before. To sign-up
today, call Kim Gilliland at (212) 741-8192 ext. 4# or Mark Dunlea at (518)
434-7371 ext. 1#.

Oppose the Cuts in Medicaid
Demand Corporate Accountability
More Funding for Anti-hunger programs