Rally to Demand Basic Needs!!
June 4th, 2009 12 noon
Statehouse Lawn, downtown Columbus
NOW IS THE TIME TO HAVE YOUR VOICES HEARD!
Basic services – Food, Child Care, Health Care, After School programs, Financial Aid Programs for College –
are about to be cut from the State Budget. Ohio’s most vulnerable populations have lost their jobs, their
homes, and now they might lose even more!

IT’S TIME TO TAKE A STAND AND DEMAND A FAIR BUDGET FROM OUR LEGISLATORS!

Growing numbers of Ohioans are standing in line at a food pantry for the first time in their lives.

Over the last year the demand for food at Ohio food pantries has increased 29%. Demand for basic services are at record levels.

At the same time, 10% of food charities have had to close their doors. Many more are teetering on the edge, while others are rationing food to hungry families.

Ohio will not survive if it allows hunger to grow at rates that limits a child’s ability to learn and hinders an adult’s ability to earn.

The Ohio Senate may REMOVE all the health and human services funding in the recently passed House Bill 1, the 2010/2011 State Budget Bill.

What's at stake?

Emergency food assistance programs for all
Care for uninsured adults at community health
Ohioans centers
Health care for uninsured
adults
Services for abused and neglected children

Health care for Ohio's children  Home nurse visits for at‐risk infants

Reduced financial aid and scholarship programs
Services for people with mental illnesses
Community services for senior citizens for college students
Child care services for
children
Waiver slots for persons with developmental
After‐school programs for school‐aged children disabilities
Kinship supportive services for children

You support increasing revenues to protect health and human services from further cuts as well as restoring critical funding to these programs. Ohioans are counting on Legislators to lead us through this crisis by making smart choices and putting revenue ideas on the table during these budget debates to lay the groundwork for a better economic future.

For more, contact: http://www.protectohio.org/ or http://www.oashf.org. The Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future is a coalition of health, human services,
education organizations seeking to protect Ohio's most vulnerable citizens by restoring or adequately funding vital services through a responsible budget
that has as its primary priority to meet basic human needs and provide sufficient funds to invest in Ohio's future.