Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Rising Child Poverty Places More Demand on Summer Feeding Programs June 17, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Rising Child Poverty Places More Demand on Summer Feeding Programs Georgia summer nutrition programs served about 18,000 more children in July 2014 than in July 2013. That’s the good news. The bad news is that these programs still served less than one in six needy children in 2014, according to a recent report by the Food Research and Action Center. Georgia’s summer nutrition programs still […] Read more » Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
GBPI In The News Ga. women-owned business statistics not all good news May 28, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by GBPI Admin Gov. Nathan Deal recently tweeted a headline that read “Georgia sees fastest growth in number of women-owned firms since 1997.” That may be true, but it’s not the whole picture Read more. Read more » Melissa Johnson poverty women
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Summer Brings Child Hunger Challenges May 26, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson It’s that time of year again. The school year is ending and Georgia children are leaving classrooms for summer break. For more than 1 million Georgia children who qualify for free- or reduced-price lunches, summer break also brings anxiety. Fewer than one in seven Georgia children who rely on subsidized school lunches receive free summer […] Read more » Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia’s 2016 Human Services Budget Reflects GBPI Influence April 21, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson Georgia lawmakers took steps in the just-ended legislative session to improve the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable people. Lawmakers allotted $900,000 more in the 2016 state budget to help Georgians with disabilities prepare for jobs and added more than $25 million to better protect children. Also significant is something left undone. Lawmakers […] Read more » Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
Blog Cash and Safety Net Increasing Access to Child Care Helps Georgia’s Women, State Economy March 23, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by GBPI Admin Guest blogger Kelly Dolan is executive director of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation At the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, we know that advocacy is one of the most effective ways to combat the sort of interrelated root causes of social problems and systemic factors that are detailed in our Breaking the Cycle of Generational Poverty in Metro […] Read more » Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
Blog Melissa Johnson Remembering Broad Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. January 15, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Remembering Broad Vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Watching the critically-acclaimed film, “Selma,” last weekend provided a stark reminder of how much progress this country has made toward fulfilling the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. It was also a reminder of how far we have yet to go, especially in the state of King’s birth. An […] Read more » economic mobility economic opportunity Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Families Lose Food Assistance, Bigger Threat Looms October 30, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Georgia Families Lose Food Assistance, Bigger Threat Looms More than 1.9 million Georgians, including more than one in three Georgia children, are more likely to go hungry this month. At the outset of November dramatic cuts took effect for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP,” commonly called food stamps). If you missed the media coverage asking how so many Georgia families will put […] Read more » Melissa Johnson SNAP
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson About 168,000 Struggling Georgians at Risk as U.S. House Pushes Food Stamp Cuts August 14, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson When the U.S. House returns from its recess in a few weeks, representatives are expected to consider a bill that slashes $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. A cut that size eliminates benefits for up to four million people in the U.S. In Georgia, about […] Read more » farm bill food stamps Melissa Johnson SNAP
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia’s Reaction to Reports of Welfare Waste Poses Administrative Nightmare February 27, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson This week the General Assembly began considering House Bill 138 (HB 138), legislation designed to discourage the misuse of cash benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Though seemingly well-intentioned, the bill could present a huge logistical challenge for retailers, all in an attempt to remedy a problem that may not be […] Read more » Melissa Johnson TANF
Budget and Taxes Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Reports Overview: Georgia’s 2014 Fiscal Year Human Services February 8, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson State Spending Cuts Borne Most Heavily by Most Vulnerable The governor’s budget proposals for the next 17 months do not meet the growing needs of Georgia’s most vulnerable children and adults. In some cases they place them even more at risk. The state’s spending plans will make it more difficult for the Department of Human […] Read more » Department of Human Services Economic Security Melissa Johnson Safety Net State Budget
