Coalition on Human Needs: We will continue to oppose blank check funding and lawless actions by ICE and Border Patrol
June 10, 2026
CHN: Taking food away from very poor people does not promote work. It simply makes them hungrier.
Deborah Weinstein,
December 4, 2019
Taking food away from very poor people does not promote work. It simply compounds their hardships. The Trump Administration today ignored the will of Congress, the judgment of states, more than 100,000 concerned comments, and its own estimate of the harmful impact on close to 700,000 people. It will time-limit food assistance to only three months every three years if people are unable to get steady part-time work.
The New York Council on Children and Families: How State Agencies Can Make Sure Kids Are Counted
David Elliot,
December 4, 2019
How can we make sure that young children are accurately counted in the 2020 Census? One answer is rooted in the work of a small but effective state agency in upstate New York, which is working to ensure that state government plays its part. Among all 50 states, the New York Council on Children and Families is a leader in working with state agencies to promote the 2020 Census and make sure that all kids are counted. Its work could serve as a roadmap for other states to follow as they grapple with coordinating the work of state agencies, local and state nonprofits, and advocates who are working to get the word out about the Census.
Trump Administration Posts 57,000 Public Comments about Shrinking the Poverty Measure Online; Opposition is Overwhelming
Deborah Weinstein,
November 26, 2019
More than 50,000 individuals or groups submitted comments via CHN’s website opposing a Trump Administration proposal to shrink the poverty line measure.
Ten Things We’re Thankful for This Thanksgiving
David Elliot,
November 26, 2019
So many people under attack. People who need access to human needs programs just to survive. Immigrants. Workers. Consumers. LGBTQ people and people of color. And the assault on democratic institutions continues unabated. And yet: there are things that those of us in the human needs community can be thankful for as we prepare to observe another Thanksgiving holiday. Here are ten things that come to mind.
In Connecticut, advocates succeed in push for Census funding
David Elliot,
November 21, 2019
When one examines Connecticut state leaders’ efforts to ensure that everyone is counted in the 2020 Census, the phrase “progress, not perfection” comes to mind. “Progress,” because state officials recently announced that $500,000 in state funds would be transferred from five different state agencies to promote the Census. “Not perfection,” because that still isn’t enough money. CT Voices for Children, an advocacy group that is organizing around the 2020 Census, has called for $3.57 million in funding — $1 dollar for each of the 3.57 million residents in the state.
