9to5’s Community Internship Program (CIP), offered at different times of year at each of our chapters, combines a thorough introduction to the nuts and bolts of community organizing with hands-on field work to further local campaigns. 9to5 Los Angeles is currently hosting an 8-week CIP, offering 10 hours per week paid organizer training to four chapter leaders.  In LA this year, CIP has two focuses:  1) voter outreach, education and mobilization leading up to California’s primary election and 2) the statewide campaign to repeal the Maximum Family Grant. This law denies aid to children born into households receiving government assistance.  It wrongly tries to control the reproductive decisions of poor women by denying aid to newborns.

On May 27th 9to5 CIP interns (pictured here), along with coalition partners, met with state Senator DeLeon, to ask that funding be put into the state budget to cover all children in families receiving government assistance.  The group presented petitions in support of this legislation and personal testimony from 8 directly impacted women.

Vanisse Corona says, “The Maximum Family Grant Rule affects my family. I had my first daughter when I started receiving assistance, but when I got pregnant again and had my second daughter she did not qualify for support. Because of this I only get a little bit of money for the 4 of us, and it’s really hard for me to support my family. It is hard to pay rent and other expenses on that little support. With the repeal of the Maximum Family Grant Rule I could support my children and be able to get them shoes, clothes, and other basic needs I can’t always provide right now because of the Maximum Family Grant Rule. I urge you to repeal this unjust rule and approve the money in the state budget to do so!”

Along with partner organizations across the state, 9to5 Community Interns continue to champion the repeal of the Maximum Family Grant. The pressure is on, and our momentum is building!