Pass the Mic features the voices and stories of people with a lived experience of homelessness. In this edition, hear from Deborah - a US Army veteran, Bingo lover and lifelong volunteer.
The Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services has declared a winter shelter warning for Friday, January 24, 2025, at 4 pm until Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 9 am. Call 211 (available 24/7) or 443-984-9540 to connect with shelter. Get more info here.
09.20.17
We've all grown a little numb to efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—after so many failed attempts. Meantime, hurricanes, earthquakes and North Korea consume our attention. But the latest repeal effort could be the most viable yet—and the most damaging.
The Cassidy-Graham bill, a rushed, last-ditch effort sponsored by Republcian Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, would have the same dangerous effect on millions of Americans as previous ACA repeal efforts. According to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, it would "cause many millions of people to lose coverage, radically restructure and deeply cut Medicaid, eliminate or weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and increase out-of-pocket costs for individual market consumers."
Read much more here and here—both sound and nonpartisan sources of information and analysis.
Meantime, please join critical efforts to stop this legislation in its tracks. While we don't have to worry about our own Maryland senators opposing the bill—even our governor has come out against it—we do need to worry (a lot) about senators from states where votes are in play.
If you have friends and/or family members in the states listed below, please email or call them right away and ask them to call their senators with a simple message in opposition of the Graham-Cassidy bill, which would reduce access to care and increase homelessness. The Congressional switchboard is 202-224-3121. It will take 20 seconds—and help save many more lives.
Pass the Mic features the voices and stories of people with a lived experience of homelessness. In this edition, hear from Deborah - a US Army veteran, Bingo lover and lifelong volunteer.
Follow a “Day in the life” of SOAR, one of our littlest known programs that makes a big impact for people experiencing homelessness with mental health disabilities. SOAR Coordinator Mina Davis-Harrison and Disability Outreach Assistant Specialists Dave Ramsey and Natasha Legette facilitate the national “SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery” program for all of Baltimore City.
Youth Empowered Society (YES) is Baltimore City’s only drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness. We chatted with Program Director Ciera Dunlap about the need for youth services, the new location and the year ahead.
Many of our public policies create and prolong homelessness. Regardless of the political party in office, each of us has the power and responsibility to https://nhchc.org/make our values known.