Americans believe strong communities - rural, suburban, and urban - are built on hope, compassion, and shared responsibility. My family is a private humanitarian parole sponsor of two Ukrainian families from Sumy and Zaporizhzhia, respectively and a supporter of many others including mom and her family in the above picture. Our church community has also walked alongside another family from Odessa, Ukraine, helping them find safety and stability in central North Carolina.  Providing a form of immigration extension for these Ukrainian families empowers our communities’ ability to live out our faith in transformative ways.   Losing these individuals who work hard and pay taxes, who gladfully repair our appliances, who joyously serve in retirement centers and who proudly deliver our food would be a devastating loss for our communities. Let’s let them stay until it’s safe to go home.

To: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Members of Congress We call on you to add COVID-19 and Shingles vaccines to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and recognize Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) as a serious and preventable injury deserving of compensation, regardless of vaccine type. We are pro-vaccine, we also believe that those injured due to incorrect vaccine administration deserve support. Many people have suffered SIRVA after receiving COVID-19 or Shingles vaccines injected too high into the shoulder joint instead of the deltoid muscle. Currently, these vaccines are not part of VICP. Instead, claims must be filed through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP)—a program that a bipartisan congressional report labeled as dysfunctional, understaffed, and failing to process or pay valid claims. Personal Story I am a yoga instructor and licensed psychologist. Before my injury, I lived a healthy, active life with pain-free shoulders.  I received a COVID-19 vaccine administered too high into my shoulder.  And by the next day, I had little to no use of my arm and constant, searing pain. My career, daily activities, and passion for movement have all been disrupted. Ten months later, I still have limited mobility and daily pain, even after surgery at month 7. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on MRIs, orthopedic consults, physical therapy, surgery and lost work. I went from thriving to living with a chronic, life-altering injury—in just one day.  And I’m not alone. There are thousands of others just like me—sharing very similar experiences in online SIRVA support groups. This petition is for the thousands with SIRVA whose life is now filled with daily pain and limited use of their impacted arm. Most were never warned about improper landmarking. Most have been dismissed. And those harmed by shingles and COVID cannot access VICP(government compensation fund paid by pharmaceutical companies) because these vaccines have not been added to the VICP the vaccine table. SIRVA is life-altering. • Only 2/3 of individuals recover; 1/3 live with permanent disability. • It causes chronic pain, reduced mobility, and loss of work, hobbies, and physical activity. • Treatment is expensive—MRIs, orthopedic care, months of physical therapy, and often surgery—with no financial recourse if your injury came from a vaccine not listed under VICP. We urge you to: 1. Add COVID-19 and Shingles vaccines to the VICP vaccine injury table immediately. 2. Ensure SIRVA is compensable across all vaccines, including newer ones. 3. Support stronger training and enforcement of proper injection technique to prevent SIRVA. It’s time to modernize the VICP and bring justice to those who’ve been harmed—not by vaccines themselves, but by how they were administered.

I am reaching out with an urgent appeal that directly affects your health and wellness. Our access to essential healthcare services through the UC Health System is at risk. If Blue Shield does not settle their negotiations with the University of California’s Health Care system by August 9th, 2025, CalPERS Health Care members likely will lose access to vital healthcare providers, including specialists who are otherwise unavailable in many areas.  This is not just about access for those currently using the UC Health Care system; it impacts all of us. Many CalPERS members could find themselves without the necessary specialist care they need, forced to rely solely on local hospitals and emergency care centers. That’s why I urge you to take immediate action. Please consider signing the petition urging CalPERS to advocate for its members and facilitate an agreement between Blue Shield and the UC Health System. By signing, you are standing up for your rights and the healthcare access that we all deserve.  Time is of the essence! It is critical that this partnership is maintained for both current and future healthcare needs, even if you don't currently use a UC doctor.  We would appreciate your response by August 7, 2025, so we can forward the petition to CalPERS and Blue Shield before the end of their negotiations. However, we will leave this petition open until this matter is resolved. Your voice matters! Let’s act now to safeguard our access to essential healthcare services.   Thank you for taking swift action on this vital issue. 

My life is in danger and so are the lives of millions of your constituents. I have a rare form of leukemia that requires daily medication costing $23,885 per month. Medicaid is the only reason I can afford it. Without it, I would not survive. But now, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, recently passed in the House, threatens to take that coverage away - not just from me, but from 8.6 million Americans. If this bill passes the Senate, countless people like me could lose access to life-saving care simply because of their health. This is not just about policy. It is about life or death. We, the undersigned, are asking you - as one of our most vocal advocates for healthcare and disability justice, to do everything in your power to block, delay, or amend this dangerous bill in the Senate. Even as a member of the minority, you still have tools available. You can: • Filibuster or speak out on the floor to delay the bill’s progress • Place a hold to stop unanimous consent • Propose amendments that remove harmful Medicaid cuts • Work with Senate committees to demand revisions • Use your platform to raise awareness and apply public pressure • Rally moderate senators who may be persuaded to oppose these provisions We know where you stand - you have made it clear you are strongly against any bill that cuts Medicaid. We are asking you to lead by action, not just words, and to be the voice we need right now in Washington. Protect our lives and we will stand with you, our lives are in your hands. We urge you to use every tool you have to fight this bill and protect Medicaid for the people of Pennsylvania and across the country.

When it comes to the bird flu, RFK Jr.’s unfounded claims are once again causing experts to sound the alarm. He has carelessly suggested that farmers should allow bird flu to run unchecked, a plan that scientists are calling “inhumane and dangerous.” The bird flu has already devastated the commercial poultry industry after 173 million birds were culled—causing the price of eggs to skyrocket. And while the 70 people infected have been mostly farm workers, the virus continues to spread aggressively among cattle herds and poultry flock, raising concern about how it will mutate and become more infectious between humans.  Once again, the Trump administration is putting debunked science ahead of public health. The Trump administration must prioritize public health and safety by fully funding vaccine research, including for the bird flu. Add your name now >> 

Attacks against LGBTQ+ communities have spiked in the last five years. In 2020, only 100 anti-LGBTQ+ laws were introduced in states across the country—today, it’s eight times that. Republicans are stoking homophobia—including intentionally spreading disinformation and misinformation—in order to instill fear and distract the general public while they cheat the American people and give tax breaks to their wealthy friends. But we refuse to be divided.  The majority of Americans support LGBTQ+ equal rights. Republicans are out of step with the American people and pushing a discriminatory agenda in order to enrich themselves.  State governors have a responsibility to represent everybody in their state and to protect LGBTQ+ residents from attacks that threaten their freedom and fundamental rights. Add your name to the petition to urge your governor to take action NOW! 

I am writing to urge you to consider sponsoring and supporting a proposed piece of legislation called Topher’s Law. (Together on Protecting Human Ethical Rights) This bill is designed to reform Missouri’s guardianship laws to ensure that adult wards who are disabled or otherwise under guardianship retain their right to maintain family relationships—without unnecessary court hurdles or isolation imposed by overreaching guardians. Currently, immediate family members often face significant barriers in simply visiting, calling, or taking their loved one on an outing, even with the ward’s full consent. In some cases, families must petition the court just to spend time together—placing an unjust burden on those who should be presumed to act out of love and care. Topher’s Law flips that burden: if a guardian wishes to deny access, they must go to court and prove why it is necessary. This legislation: Centers the ward’s own voice and consent. Provides a court-appointed advocate regardless of the ward’s ability to pay. Protects against unjustified isolation from immediate family. Brings transparency and accountability to guardianship practices. I’ve included a full draft of the proposed law with this letter. I would be deeply grateful for the opportunity to meet with you or your staff to discuss this further. Families across Missouri—and more importantly, the individuals placed under guardianship—deserve protection, dignity, and a law that puts their humanity first

Our healthcare system is under threat, and millions are at risk of losing essential care. If we stand together, we can protect access to life-saving vaccines and treatments to ensure a healthier future for all. Your voice matters—join us and demand action now!

While business is important for our state's growth, responsible, regulated, and TAXED business is necessary for our state's survival. We demand that our representatives speak up for the people in our community, renegotiate the  standards upon which we solicit and accept industry in Texas by increasing the hire local requirement and instituting measurable accountability, and remediate, reinvest, and revitalize the environment and infrastructure in the communities they benefit from. 

Even if you are not personally on Medicaid or Snap, it will affect you too. Your hospital may not be able to stay open. Your doctor may not be able to afford to stay here. People you know and love will be hurt. 

My freshman year of high school, I was on the Max, when our Max was stopped for several minutes while the TriMet Safety and Response Team arrived, to help a man who has overdosed. Fortunately, the man was fine, but had there been more drugs in his system, without Narcan, he would have died in the time it took for the Safety Team to get there. I have had multiple people tell me about how they are on drugs, and have been multiple people be kicked off the Max for the illegal possession of fentanyl. Currently, the TriMet system is relying on passengers to carry Narcan and save lives. This burden should not be on children. “The number of unintentional overdose deaths related to illicitly manufactured fentanyl nearly quadrupled between 2020 and 2022, increasing from 223 to 843 overdose fatalities.” (Data source: CDC SUDORS Dashboard: Fatal Drug Overdose Data).  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: • More than 645,000 people in the United States have died from overdoses involving opioids since the epidemic began; • The number of annual opioid overdose deaths remains more than six times higher than it was in 1999; • There were approximately 81,806 opioid overdose deaths in 2022 Years and 90% involved synthetic opioids other than methadone • There were nearly 290,000 hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to opioid poisoning in 2016 In 2024, a bartender named Tanaz Polson was forced to use her Narcan (that she started to carry with her after observing several previous overdoses on Public Transportation) on a man who overdosed on her Max. After giving several doses, the man ultimately passed away.  The driver had originally urged the woman to wait for Emergency Services to arrive, but the brave women defied this and made an effort to save his life. Later, she described this ordeal as “traumatizing.” She believes that “If we treated addiction like we treated any other disease, cancer, diabetes- everybody would carry Narcan. The fact that drivers don’t carry it, security guards don’t carry it, is huge. Had that security guard done something, had they alerted somebody, had they administered themselves, maybe we wouldn’t be talking about a guy that died.” Narcan would save lives.

Sweeping cuts to the VA imposed by the Trump administration have already caused many veterans to be without critical services to treat head and neck cancers, kidney disease, and traumatic brain injuries. Vital services are on the line, including the VA’s cancer research program, support for unhoused veterans, and lifesaving resources for veterans seeking basic health care.  Millions of Americans depend on the VA for critical services—and Trump’s budget is threatening to rip them away.  Add your name to protect health care and assistance for veterans and their families! >>