Amy Jo Hutchison is an American economic justice advocate who campaigns against poverty and hunger in West Virginia.
Amy Jo Hutchison | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Organizer |
| Known for | Economic justice advocacy |
Career
editIn 2017, Hutchison began working as an organizer for Our Future West Virginia.[1][2][3] Hutchison organizes in twenty counties in West Virginia, which includes meetings with members of the community and organizing lobbying campaigns at the state capitol.[4]
In December 2017, she visited the United States Congress as part of a lobbying campaign organized by First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, to advocate for a reauthorization of the C.H.I.P. health insurance program.[5][6]
In 2018, Hutchison was one of the leaders of the Poor People's Campaign in West Virginia, during a national effort to conduct forty days of demonstrations and other action to support economic justice.[7]
On February 5, 2020, as part of the Healthy Kids and Families Coalition in West Virginia, Hutchison testified before the United States Congress in opposition to a Trump administration proposal to change the formula for calculating the poverty rate, using real-life examples.[8][9][10][11] Her testimony included "nights she went to bed hungry, nights she had to nurse her gallbladder with essential oils and eat ibuprofen "like Tic-Tacs" because she didn't have health insurance."[12][13]
Hutchison then focused on the Census, because West Virginia is the most reliant on the related funding.[12] In March 2020, Hutchison explained how and why Our Future West Virginia was supporting the U.S. Census to the Times West Virginian.[14]
In February 2021, at a Poor People's Campaign rally, she said, "If we are going to be a society that insists we have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, then we can’t refuse to give people the bootstraps they need to pull themselves up."[15] She was speaking in support of a gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour and in response to opposition from Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.[16] She also co-wrote an opinion article in February 2021 with Indivar Dutta-Gupta, the Co-Executive Director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality, advocating for Congress to "go big" on COVID relief.[17]
On October 28, 2021, Hutchison appeared on The Problem with Jon Stewart, and discussed topics relevant to working-class people, including infrastructure and child care.[18]
On March 8, 2024, Hutchison received the T. Berry Brazelton Friend of Children Award from the Southern Early Childhood Association. [19]
Personal life
editHutchison has two daughters.[7] She has described herself as "working poor," because she earns too much to qualify for government assistance but "it’s a struggle to make it check to check."[12]
References
edit- ^ cafb (January 21, 2021). "CLC Behind the Scenes: Learning from Amy Jo Hutchinson". Capital Area Food Bank. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "2020 West Virginia Wonder Woman Amy Jo Hutchison". WV Living. October 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ "Amy Jo Hutchison". Soul Tent Stories.
- ^ Kaufman, Greg (June 25, 2018). "The Poor People's Campaign Is Just Getting Started". The Nation. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ King, Jocelyn (December 20, 2017). "Wheeling resident to speak on C.H.I.P." Herald-Star. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Pear, Robert (December 19, 2017). "With Children's Health Program Running Dry, Parents Beg Congress: 'Do the Right Thing'". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ a b Waggoner, Martha (April 10, 2018). "Poor People's Campaign to begin 40 days of action next month". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Wright, D.K. (February 13, 2020). "Wheeling woman's plea to Congress makes national news". WTRF. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "Hearing: A Threat to America's Children? The Trump Administration's Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation.". House. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ 116th United States Congress Hearing, February 5, 2020
- ^ "Ms. Hutchison Testimony on Proposed Changes to the Poverty Line Calculation". YouTube. United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
- ^ a b c Stewart, Chris (March 13, 2020). "Woman praised for testimony on poverty stresses importance of census". ABC Denver 7. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Guidiano, Nichole (February 6, 2020). "House panel examines impact of proposed SNAP changes on children". Politico. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Trizzino, Eddie (March 5, 2020). "Fairmont nonprofit becoming hub to aid in 2020 Census". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Dolan, Karen; Nagarajan-Swenson, Uma (March 3, 2021). "Opinion: Democrats' relief plan could cut child poverty by 4 million". MarketWatch. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Dolan, Karen; Nagarajan-Swenson, Uma (March 3, 2021). "Democrats' COVID Relief Plan Could Cut Child Poverty by 4 Million". Institute for Policy Studies. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Hutchison, Amy Jo; Dutta-Gupta, Indivar (February 6, 2021). "Hutchison, Dutta-Gupta: WV needs Congress to go big on COVID relief". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Little, Rebecca (October 29, 2021). "Wheeling Activist Amy Jo Hutchison talks infrastructure on 'The Problem with Jon Stewart'". WTRF. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "SECA Outstanding Member Award Recipients" (Document). Clarksburg, West Virginia: Southern Early Childhood Association. March 8, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website- www.rattlethewindows.com