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“What would you do if you were in my shoes? If you had to work two jobs to take care of your kids and it still wasn’t enough? And then the government tells you you can’t have Food Stamps to feed your kids…what would you do?”
Imani was recently featured in this Philadelphia Inquirer story. Imani has also shared her story with the Praise in the City on 103.9 WPPZ, Channel 6 Action News, the Washington Post and the Associated Press.
Click below to see Imani's testimony on the importance of the SNAP (food stamp) program. The video was made for the Coalition on Human Needs.
Imani is 31, with two boys ages 10 and 3. She formerly worked as a janitor and took home just $111.20 a week. “I took a picture of my paystub because I don’t make enough money to support my children the way that I want to. I try to do overtime to cover all my bills. But the economy is so messed up, jobs don’t want to pay you what you’re qualified to be paid.” Imani's job was to clean women’s bathrooms in an office building. She developed her work ethic from her mother, who works for the IRS. Imani’s mother led by example, doing the best she could to take care of her children, including working three jobs at once. “To make money for us, she’d sell our appliances to pawnshops,” Imani said. “She once sold a toaster she’d gotten as a wedding gift. She sold a deep freezer she had. We didn’t need it no more cause we didn’t’ have all that much food.” Imani’s biggest complaint is how welfare workers treat her.
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