Press Releases

December 21, 2012

RAINBOW PUSH COALITION AND JEWEL-OSCO DISTRIBUTE HOLIDAY FOOD BASKETS

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Michael L. Peery
Phone: 312-217-2260
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
REVEREND JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. AND RAINBOW PUSH
COALITION AND JEWEL-OSCO DISTRIBUTE HOLIDAY FOOD
BASKETS
Chicago, IL (Thursday, December 20, 2012) — This Saturday, December
22, 2012 against a backdrop of skyrocketing unemployment and home foreclosures,
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. , the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Jewel-Osco are
partnering to provide holiday food baskets including chicken and canned goods to more
than 300 needy families from the Chicago area. Each basket will feed a family of four.
“This Christmas, times continue to be hard for many,” said Rev. Jackson. “Many
stockings still hang empty this year. Christmas 2012 shows us there is still much to
do.” We have 46.2 million Americans in poverty. More children live below the poverty
level. At some point in their lives, half of all U.S. children will be on food stamps. This
suggests problems of poverty AND hunger. Half -- 50 percent of American children.
Right now, a family of three that nets more than $1,545 per month is NOT eligible for
the program. It seems unimaginable that fully half of all American children will start their
lives like this, but it's true. This cycle must be broken -- for their good and ours.
Immediately following the live international broadcast of the Saturday Morning Forum,
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition will distribute food baskets
generously donated by Jewel-Osco to families who are considered food insecure.
Poverty Statistics
• 46.2 million Americans are under the poverty line — that's 15.7 percent of the country
• 1-in-15 American households earned less than $11,406, the second highest
percentage since 1967
• Median household incomes fell 1.5 percent to $50,100
• 48.6 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2011 (down from 2010)
• 9.4 percent of children did not have health insurance
• The bottom 10 percent of earners made the same amount of money in 2011 as they
did in 1994
• Women continued to earn 77 percent of what men earned
• 27.6 percent of Black Americans were in poverty
• 25.3 percent of Hispanic Americans were in poverty
• 9.8 percent of White Americans were in poverty
• More than one-fifth of those under 18 were in poverty
The very supports that are needed -- things like affordable housing and health care as
well as access to good jobs -- are inaccessible to those who need them most.
•
Health Care: The number of people who lacked health insurance last year
climbed to just about 50 million
•
Housing: The number of families who pay more than 50 percent of their income
on rent keeps rising -- increasing 20 percent according to the most recent study --
which raises the risk of homelessness for those families
•
Jobs: Unemployment is at 8.5 percent. And the average length of time Illinois
workers are unemployed has doubled since 2007.
Rainbow PUSH Coalition–Keeping Hope Alive
###
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending
and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The
organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information
about the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, please visit http://www.rainbowpush.org or call (773)
373-3366.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Michael L. Peery

Phone: 312-217-2260

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

 

REVEREND JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. AND RAINBOW PUSH

COALITION AND JEWEL-OSCO DISTRIBUTE HOLIDAY FOOD

BASKETS

 

Chicago, IL (Thursday, December 20, 2012) — This Saturday, December

22, 2012 against a backdrop of skyrocketing unemployment and home foreclosures,

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. , the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Jewel-Osco are

partnering to provide holiday food baskets including chicken and canned goods to more

than 300 needy families from the Chicago area. Each basket will feed a family of four.

 

“This Christmas, times continue to be hard for many,” said Rev. Jackson. “Many

stockings still hang empty this year. Christmas 2012 shows us there is still much to

do.” We have 46.2 million Americans in poverty. More children live below the poverty

level. At some point in their lives, half of all U.S. children will be on food stamps. This

suggests problems of poverty AND hunger. Half -- 50 percent of American children.

Right now, a family of three that nets more than $1,545 per month is NOT eligible for

the program. It seems unimaginable that fully half of all American children will start their

lives like this, but it's true. This cycle must be broken -- for their good and ours.

 

Immediately following the live international broadcast of the Saturday Morning Forum,

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition will distribute food baskets

generously donated by Jewel-Osco to families who are considered food insecure.

 

Poverty Statistics

 

• 46.2 million Americans are under the poverty line — that's 15.7 percent of the country

• 1-in-15 American households earned less than $11,406, the second highest

percentage since 1967

• Median household incomes fell 1.5 percent to $50,100

• 48.6 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2011 (down from 2010)

• 9.4 percent of children did not have health insurance

• The bottom 10 percent of earners made the same amount of money in 2011 as they

did in 1994

• Women continued to earn 77 percent of what men earned

• 27.6 percent of Black Americans were in poverty

• 25.3 percent of Hispanic Americans were in poverty

 

• 9.8 percent of White Americans were in poverty

• More than one-fifth of those under 18 were in poverty

 

The very supports that are needed -- things like affordable housing and health care as

well as access to good jobs -- are inaccessible to those who need them most.

 

•

 

Health Care: The number of people who lacked health insurance last year

climbed to just about 50 million

 

•

 

Housing: The number of families who pay more than 50 percent of their income

on rent keeps rising -- increasing 20 percent according to the most recent study --

which raises the risk of homelessness for those families

 

 

•

 

Jobs: Unemployment is at 8.5 percent. And the average length of time Illinois

workers are unemployed has doubled since 2007.

 

Rainbow PUSH Coalition–Keeping Hope Alive

###

 

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization protecting, defending

and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The

organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information

about the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, please visit http://www.rainbowpush.org or call (773)

373-3366.