Arise update: April 24, 2020

Personal stories have power. And we want to hear yours. Arise's Sherrel Wheeler Stewart talks about the importance of personal stories as we work to convince Alabama lawmakers to expand Medicaid. She also explains how folks who are uninsured or struggling to afford health coverage can share their stories with Arise and the Cover Alabama Coalition. (See below.)

Uninsured or struggling to pay for health coverage? Please share your story

Personal stories are one of the most singularly powerful tools we can use to make policy change happen. We need to ensure our leaders see the human impact behind their decisions. If you’re an uninsured Alabamian or are struggling to pay for coverage, we want to hear from you. Click below to share your story with Alabama Arise and the Cover Alabama Coalition.

Montgomery Advertiser: Medicaid expansion would fix the hole in the roof of Alabama's health care system

“Alabama’s health care system has a gaping hole in it. The storm of COVID-19 is making it worse,” Arise’s Jim Carnes writes in an op-ed in the Montgomery Advertiser. “Medicaid expansion would mend that gap and protect Alabamians in their hour of need.”

AP: COVID-19 pandemic renews calls for Medicaid expansion

"It's great to applaud the brave Alabamians who are keeping food on our tables and keeping hospitals clean during the crisis," Cover Alabama's Evey Owen tells the Associated Press. "But it would be even better to make sure they can get health coverage."

States need significantly more fiscal relief to slow the emerging deep recession

The Great Recession hammered education in Alabama. This year's high school seniors will graduate from a system that still gets less state funding than when they were in first grade. We can't afford to wait another dozen years to recover from the COVID-19 downturn. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explains why Congress needs to act now to help states avoid devastating cuts.

WHNT: Human rights advocates call for higher minimum wage for essential employees

"Folks working in grocery stores, pharmacies, delivery drivers. They’re essential to our society, and they need to be paid commensurate with that," Arise's Chris Sanders tells WHNT News 19 in Huntsville.

How to get help in Alabama during the COVID-19 crisis

As unemployment soars, many Alabamians are deeply worried about basics like food, health care, housing and income. A lot of folks need help getting by but may not know quite where to look. This Arise guide to public assistance programs and other support services is designed to help people meet their basic needs during this pandemic.

Alabama Arise

P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, Alabama 36101

(334) 832-9060 · [email protected]

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