Grassroots groups representing poor and working families rallied on Capitol Hill Wednesday to demand no cuts to essential social programs like Medicaid and SNAP. This is Serita Russell of the North Carolina activist group Action NC, whose family recently saw monthly food assistance benefits slashed from $440 dollars to just $54 dollars per month.

Serita Russell: “Our churches, which already struggle to keep their food pantries stocked, will be overwhelmed as more families turn to them for help. Our schools will see more children coming to class hungry, unable to focus on learning. Our homeless population will grow more, as families are forced to choose between rent and food. That ain’t right.”