LIFT

10/28/2026

As a labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta spent decades fighting for fair wages, gender equality, and immigrant rights.

Her rallying cry, “Sí, se puede,” was grounded in the belief that ordinary people can affect change. It’s a belief LIFT carries with our members today — that yes, we can change the systems that affect our lives.

We continue to honor her fight for justice and will keep carrying it forward.

Rest in power.

10/28/2026

Salud Garcia has worked full time at the same LAX food service company for 33 years. She leaves her apartment in Reseda at 4 a.m. and gets home around 8:30 p.m.

This summer she got a raise to $25 an hour. To cover her own basic costs in LA, she’d need $28.92.

A paycheck alone doesn’t tell the story. When rent, food, and transportation climb faster than wages, working more hours doesn’t close the gap.

And a one-time expense can derail hard-fought stability. When a refill of Garcia’s blood pressure medication came to $600, she had to ask her union for help.

Read her story: https://bit.ly/4yEfBZl

Salud Garcia’s struggles echo those of millions of low-wage workers across the nation, where mounting costs erode their already precarious footing.

10/26/2026

Inflation hit 3.7% in September. Gas prices rose 9.1% in a single month. Air fares are up 22% from a year ago. Groceries are 1.8% higher than last year.

No one should have to decide between a full fridge of food and a tank of gas, yet here we are. When paychecks buy less, families have to make hard choices that can compound.

If you’re struggling, you aren’t alone.

This is the moment LIFT’s work is built for. Our coaches partner directly with parents on the goals they set, and cash through our Family Goal Fund helps when the math for surviving doesn’t add up.

Read the full report:
https://bit.ly/4i5hZlM

U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gas, clothes, and air fares got more expensive, evidence that rising prices remain an economic challenge just a few weeks before the midterm elections.

10/14/2026

Tune in today from 12-1 p.m. CT for Raising Illinois’ panel Raising Our Voices: Standing Our Ground & Advancing Policy.

LIFT-Chicago Senior Executive Director Sarah Spunt will join a panel for a conversation on what the proposed changes to Head Start could mean for maternal health, home visiting, mental health, and infant and toddler childcare.

Join here: https://bit.ly/4s1KZzk

10/13/2026

LIFT-DC recently marked 25 years of partnering with parents at Powered by Purpose, an evening honoring the people and partners who made our work possible.

The night included a fireside chat between LIFT member Kelia Dodson and her coach Pocahontas Filmore, and a reminder that hope is one of the most powerful ingredients for success.

LIFT-DC Executive Director Neils Ribeiro-Yemofio reflects on the evening and on what our members have been telling us for 25 years. Cash and coaching is how we break the cycle of poverty.

Read his reflection and celebrate 25 years of LIFT-DC! https://bit.ly/4dzHJoV

10/12/2026

Today LIFT honors and celebrates . Native communities have always been, and will always be, part of what makes this country what it is, and LIFT recognizes their resilience, strength, and the immeasurable positive impact they have made on America.

We’re grateful to the many organizations doing this work every day — including American Indian College Fund, Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo - cielo, Native Forward Scholars Fund and American Indian Child Resource Center. Learn more about them and support their work at the links below.

10/06/2026

LIFT-NY families were excited to attend the Gotham FC game as part of CarMax Kids. From the getting an incredible shoutout on the jumbotron to seeing Gotham win, our families had such a blast!

Thank you CarMax and Gotham FC for giving our families such an unforgettable adventure!

Go Bats!

10/01/2026

Beginning today, new restrictions on federal Medicaid funding take effect for coverage of some lawfully present immigrants. And more changes to Medicaid, SNAP and ACA coverage are still to come.

At LIFT, we’re tracking these changes closely and working to help members understand and navigate them. That matters when 62% of LIFT families rely on public benefits to help make ends meet.

We believe in a safety net designed around the realities of families’ lives, one that makes it easier for eligible families to access the support they need and listens to the people who rely on these systems.

Families shouldn’t have to work harder to access benefits. We should be working to remove barriers, not create new ones.

09/24/2026

Some Illinois families wait up to 17 months for Early Intervention services their child is legally entitled to. LIFT-Chicago Senior Executive Director Sarah Spunt's daughter got the support she needed quickly, simply because of luck and their zip code.

Her message on the coming Illinois budget: fund what works — Early Intervention, Home Visits, and real increases to childcare reimbursement rates —because "every Illinois family, regardless of where they happen to live, should have access to the same success story."

Read her full statement: https://bit.ly/4y7EoFJ

My daughter was 7 months old the first time I shifted from a worried gut feeling to ‘I know something is off’. She still couldn’t…

09/23/2026

LIFT-Chicago member NaaTsotsoo Wright testified before Illinois legislators about how home visiting and early intervention helped her two young children grow in confidence and her whole family build a stronger foundation.

Her message on the FY28 Illinois budget: parents need programs "that are accessible, consistent, and responsive to the realities of our lives."

Read her full testimony:

Good afternoon. My name is NaaTsotsoo Wright. I am a parent, a member of the LIFT community, and the Chairperson of the Start Early Parent…