To Whom It May Concern,

I write this letter on behalf of myself and countless families silently struggling to survive in a system that feels increasingly unsustainable. We wake up each day emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted — not from a lack of strength, but because the demands placed on everyday people have become unbearable. Rent and housing costs are out of reach, food prices are soaring, childcare and transportation costs are increasing, and wages are not keeping up. We work tirelessly just to afford survival, not peace, joy, or stability. Meanwhile, our children are being raised under constant pressure, waking up tired, expected to perform in a system that neglects their emotional well-being. They’re losing their joy before they even understand it.

As parents, we feel this pain deeply. We go to work with fake smiles and hidden anxiety just to keep our jobs, pushing through emotional distress while trying to hold our families together. There’s barely time to clean our homes, connect with our kids, or simply breathe. For single parents especially, the pressure is unrelenting — and the fear of not having enough money for an emergency keeps us from ever fully resting.

We are not asking for luxuries. We are asking for fairness. For the ability to raise our children in safe homes, to put food on the table without constant worry, and to live with dignity. We need reforms that reflect the true cost of living: increased wages, affordable housing, access to mental health care, and real investment in families and children. Policies must be designed with the human spirit in mind — because right now, that spirit is being broken.

Please hear us. People are barely holding on. We are surviving, but we are not living. We ask that you take bold, compassionate action to support working families, single parents, and all citizens who are doing their best in a system that offers them so little in return.

Sincerely,
Lynn Eccles
A mother, a survivor, and a voice for the unseen