President Obama’s Recovery Act is starting to trickle down into African-American communities across the country with investments made in schools, health care, clean energy and various infrastructure projects. His administration has issued the “100 Projects, 100 Days” report that includes all the ways in which the Black community has been impacted by the Recovery Act. The federal stimulus package has included funding toward the Summer Youth Employment program in various states allowing youth, between 16-24, to work. Additional funding has been provided to health centers to put towards staffing, extended hours and expanding existing services. Federal money is being used to pay for hundreds of teacher’s salaries for at least the next year. Not to mention the following benefits have been awarded to all individuals and families across the country:
• Laid-off individuals began collecting an extra $25 a week in unemployment benefits paying 65 percent less for their COBRA health insurance premiums.
• Ninety-five percent of working families saw their take-home pay increase because of the Making Work Pay tax credit.
• $2.3 billion for child care and child vaccinations
Have you felt the impact of the Recovery Act first hand or in your community?