Thanksgiving prayer not enough

As we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends tomorrow, our thoughts should be with Americans who are struggling…and there are more than you think.

According to a report released yesterday by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) 45% of all American households are struggling financially.  Not just struggling, unable to cover housing, food, healthcare and more. 

Donna Addkison, President and CEO of WOW says that this report “is a wake-up call for Congress, for our state policy-makers, really for all of us.”  “Nearly half of our nation's families cannot cover the costs of basic expenses even when they do have a job. Under these conditions, cuts to unemployment insurance... and other programs families are relying on right now would push them from crisis to catastrophe.”

Before the end of the year Congress will be making decisions about extending unemployment benefits and keeping the payroll tax cuts for working Americans.  They’ll also be debating how to create new jobs the nation’s citizens desperately need.

Congress needs to hear the plight of the real America not just so they can include these families in a Thanksgiving dinner prayer but to motivate them to take action before the end of the year to reverse these grim statistics.