Share Your Story: The Flip Side of the Coin
How have domestic programs helped you or someone you know? Why is it important to you that Congress protect these programs?
- Head Start makes it possible for me to go to work, knowing that my daughter is cared for, safe and getting a jump start on her education.
- Without unemployment insurance, my family and I would never have been able to make our rent payment when I lost my job.
- I worked for 30 years, and Social Security has helped me stay afloat in retirement, without leaning too hard on my children for support.
- Medicaid and Medicare together provide my aging mother with the range of care she needs, including her long term care services.
Irresponsible spending cuts are threatening domestic programs that support low-income people like Social Security, Medicaid, Head Start, child care assistance, family planning, Pell Grants, housing assistance, maternal and child health care, Medicare, and unemployment insurance, and more. We know that cuts to these programs will have an extraordinarily harmful effect on women and families across the country. It's a price we can't afford to pay.
Hedge fund managers and CEOs with corporate jets are one side of the coin. The rest of us are the Flip Side of the Coin.
Please share with us how domestic programs have helped you and your family.
Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts.
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Your Stories
Linda Archer
Colorado Springs, CO, Registered Nurse
My 72 year old mother was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer in Sept. 2009. Her only source of health insurance was Medicare. After a several month struggle with chemotherapy and several hospitalizations, her prognosis was deemed "poor." Hospice home care was her only option and, fortunately, Medicare paid 100% of hospice services. Although we (her family) cared for her at home 24/7, Medicare paid for a hospice nurse to visit a few days a week and the pain medication needed to keep her comfortable. She passed away peacefully at home on March 2, 2011. It is very disheartening to think that Medicare may not be available for the growing number of uninsured elderly citizens in our country. And, with the prevalence of many types of cancers rising, how will uninsured elderly and their families cope if catastrophic illness hits? In addition, had my mother taken advantage of Medicare prevention services, she may have caught her cancer early and still be alive today.
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John Satchell
Sacramento, CA, Retired engineer (OPTOELECTRONICS)
Both my wife and I are recieving Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. My wife became disabled in a car crash in the mid 90's. and I was declared disabled by the VA due to many physical problems in 2006. Without these programs we would be on the streets or dead. I cannot emphisize enough the need for these programs to remain as they are, or expanded to care for every one. I worked since I was 16 (1962) and paid into Social Security every year until 2002 when I could no longer find employment, those funds and the funds I recieve are mine by virtue of of those contributions. My wife and I are fairly active politically and will remember the choises of our government come election time!
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Mary Anderson Dearing
Sumner, WA, Puchasing Analyst
I received a set of benefits many years ago when I was a single parent. WIC ensured that we had a minimum of a certain limited set of very healthy foods. Food stamps rounded out the table. We had basic housing and I was able to complete a college degree. Once I graduated I was able to get a job and no longer required public assistance. BUT since that time I have always paid my federal, state and local taxes proudly, without any kind of resentment. Because I understood why those programs are so important. I understand that a little help at a critcal time makes all the difference in a family's future. I would like to see people in the upper income strata develop the same sense of social responsibility, and honestly, I do think that all that asks from them is a minimum participation and investment in their own country.I often had that thought that a year or two on public assistance ought to be part of every college education, so that more of our future leaders had some real insight into what those program actually provide and how people on assistance really live.
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Shawna
Merced, Ca., RN
AS my ex-huband would never pay child support I went onto AFDC to support myself and my 2 children while I was in Nursing school , Also was able to use Gain program to help pay for Childcare programs while I was in school and at my clinical traning at the hosp. Without these programs I would have been foreced to take a low paying job at a fast food place and would have never been able to get my education . Both of my children also went to college after they grew up because of the example I was able to set.
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Linda Davis
Bethalto, IL, eldercare
My 31 yr old daughter is bi-polar and has an 8 yr old son with Asberger's. Without the aid of therapists and home intervention, she would be hopitalized and her son would be placed in foster care - neither of which makes anything any better. My grandson recieves SSI, which means the family can stay in their home and have enough food for the 5 of them. My son-in-law took a 10,000 dollar a year cut just to stay employed. Without the help of these programs, they would lose their home, and possibely have to split the family up.
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Rita Falsetto
Aguilar, CO,
I have never made enough money to get health insurance so because of being able to receive help from Medicaid I was able to get screening for a pap smear, mammogram and other health issues such as an MRI that I would not have been able to pay for. All of them have saved my life. THANK GOD FOR THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS! SHAME ON THE REPUBLICANS!
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Robin A. Vosburg
Bakersfield, CA, retired/disabled
I sustained a traumatic brain injury two years after my Autistic grandson was born. We had to fight for years for our benefits. Now I am dependent on SS, SSI and Medicaid and he is dependent on SSI and Medicaid. Thanks to the budget crisis in California, both of us have seen our benefits cut. I need new glasses and dentures which are no longer covered and which I cannot afford. Further cuts would devastate us as we are barely surviving. SS, SSI and Medicaid are the difference between life and death for us.
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Helen Duffy
Los Angeles, Ca., unemployed
I was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer a year ago. Although I had been employed for over 25 years and was consistantly ranked at the top and a repeated member of the presidents club, my job was terminated in January. All during my treatments and surgeries I had continued to work from home and be productive rather than go on disability and I often booked more business than my healthy colleagues. I have another year and a half of treatments and so far they have been successful. I am now on unemployment, social security,and medicare. I had planned to work for a few more years, but the large corporation I worked for had other ideas. These government programs which I have paid into throughout my working career are a lifesaver for me during these difficult times.
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Tom Ronan
Philadelphia, Pa, Computer operations technical analyst
This is my grandson Ryan. He was born with a congenital heart disease called tetrology of fallow. At the age of three months, he underwent open heart surgery to correct his heart defects. Without the surgery, he would have died within a year. He is now 9 years old and appears to have a long, healthy life ahead of him. When he was born, my daughter was without a job and depended on medicaid for health insurance. Without medicaid, she wouldn't have been able to afford the life saving operation. I don't want to see any kids like Ryan die because they couldn't get the medical intervention they need. I'm sure there are other ways to make up the deficit, withou taking away live saving medical insurance from those who need it most. I'm sorry for the millionares who might have to give up a little of their fortunes, but I'm sure 99% would gladly give it up to save a childs life. Please rembember this when you vote on the budget. Thank You,Thomas Ronan
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Donna Rodgers
Cookeville, TN,
Until I began drawing SS I didn't go to the DR. for anything used over the counter drugs to keep me going. Now they want to cut SS,why do they want us to just die and get out of their way. Recently my son-in- law died he died because he could not find a job his disability alowed him to do. How much more do we have to suffer. I go to bed each night wondering how much longer, I will live I need to see my DR's but I just don't have the money to drive the 100 miles.I could go on and on but what saddens me the most is, I am not the only one, and no one in Washington seems to care.
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