Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) mobilized more than 100 homeless people to join the Springfield kickoff of the Responsible Budget Coalition on Oct. 15.
    More than 1,200 people converged on the State Capitol to advocate for a comprehensive tax reform plan.  Advocates met at noon for a great, boisterous rally where individuals told personal stories that stressed the importance of state support of services that benefit children and youth, senior citizens, college students, people with disabilities and mental illnesses, and abuse victims.
    After the rally, impassioned activists sought out state legislators, who were meeting for the fall veto session.
CCH is an early partner of the new Responsible Budget Coalition, one of 150 member organizations serving millions of Illinois residents that have been mobilized by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
    CCH continues to support adequate state funding of homeless prevention grants, affordable housing development, and programs for youth who are homeless and on their own. Many advocates believe that resolving the Illinois budget crisis is a first priority – the state faces a deficit of more than $12 billion next fiscal year.
    Homeless leaders from CCH said they were glad they made the trip.
    “People were there for different reasons, but came together in the end,” said Conrad Burnett.
    Said Venus Johnson, “I have never been in Springfield and that close to a lawmaker who passes legislation that affects me. It made me very happy to find out that there are actually people on our side.”
    - Becca Kupferberg, Organizing Intern

Photo Thanks to Sandberg Photography