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Advocacy

Employment Action Center’s Welfare to Work division is dedicated to legislative advocacy on behalf of program participants as it pertains to the mission of RESOURCE, Inc.

RESOURCE enables people to achieve greater personal, social and economic success.

In 2008, the division developed the E3 initiative. The mission of this initiative is to Educate, Empower, and Enlighten ourselves and the communities we serve about the legislative process, as well as to facilitate grassroots advocacy within our division.

E3’s main focuses are poverty elimination and welfare policy. We work closely with the Affirmative Options Coalition on issues that impact the lives of our participants and the organization.

E3 has helped engage people in communities who do not have faith in the civic process.
We strive to take the mystery out of legislation and make advocacy less intimidating through this work. Through direct contact with lawmakers and capitol rallies, E3 constituents have learned that they have a voice.

Advocacy Efforts

General Assistance and MFIP account for barely half of 1% in the state’s general fund budget. Minnesota has not increased the amount of assistance offered in these programs since 1986.

During March, April and May of this year, staff and program participants called members of the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Committee asking them to reject the Governor’s proposal to eliminate General Assistance and cuts to MFIP grants for people who also receive Social Security Insurance.

The most common reason a parent enrolls in MFIP is due to a recent job loss.

In April, EAC’s participants wrote to their representatives explaining why they had to turn to MFIP assistance.

The Human Services budget bill in the House of Representatives passed the Ways and Means committee, bringing the House’s total cut for supported work to $8 million.

Minnesota has been using welfare to work funds to subsidize short-term, skill building jobs. The organization signed a letter outlining how this funding has been used to move people back into the workforce and sent it to the House and Senate Human Service Budget Committee members. This job creation initiative has more than doubled the number of people put into paid jobs from the beginning to the end of 2009. Employment Action Center partners with many metro businesses to assist our jobseekers getting back into employment.

The division currently hosts a database with the names of the 102 staff members living in 49 MN House districts. As issues pertaining to our mission arise, E3 can easily contact people in targeted districts and organize advocacy efforts.

To find your own representative, please click below:

Minnesota District Finder