Barbara Izquierdo
Barbara Izquierdo is a working mom with two children. As a part of the program Witnesses to Hunger, Barbara works with mothers of young children who photograph and describe their first-hand experiences with poverty. Through their work, they inform policymakers about needed legislation to put an end to hunger. She works full-time and is eligible for the earned-income tax credit and refundable child tax credit, two programs Congress will consider this year as they debate extension of the middle-class tax cuts.
Her son is about to turn three years old, her daughter will be five in the fall. For years, Barbara struggled to make ends meet, working and still not making enough. Two winters ago, when she was living without heat, Barbara said her children were sick all the time. She explained, "We practically lived in the emergency room." But she passionately explains her hopes for herself and her children: "I would not let my limited income limit my ambition or persistence. I would not let it interfere with my intelligence...I want to be a well-educated woman so I can provide a life for my children where canned food is not dinner. Where hot water does exist. ... Because I am more than a statistic."
Barbara will discuss how the earned-income tax credit and child tax credit have helped make work pay, and what's at stake for her family in this year's tax debate.
