I’m in Pennsylvania, and I’m honestly tired of acting like this is normal. I went to the grocery store the other day and bought one bag of groceries: two things of Turkey Hill ice cream to make sundaes with my daughter, a box of brownie mix, cherries, and eggs. That was $40 for one bag. One bag. Meanwhile, our minimum wage here is still $7.25 an hour, and it has been stuck there since 2009.

Everything around us has gone up, but pay has not. Rent has skyrocketed. Gas just cost me $80 to fill my tank, and when I got my license 10 years ago, I would never pay more than $20 or $25 to fill up. I look at jobs around here and so many are still offering around $14 or $15 an hour, and even warehouse jobs that put real stress on people’s bodies are often only around $15 to $18. That is not matching the actual cost of living, and everybody knows it.

Pennsylvania lawmakers need to raise the minimum wage now so full-time workers are not forced to live with roommates forever, stay with their parents, work multiple jobs, or depend on assistance just to survive. If the floor stays at $7.25, employers will keep paying as low as they possibly can while families keep falling further behind. People who work every day should be able to afford groceries, rent, gas, and the basics without feeling like one normal errand can wreck their whole budget.

I’m speaking up because this is not just about me. Everybody I know is feeling this. If you are tired of watching working people do everything right and still barely get by, please sign this petition and help demand that Pennsylvania raise the minimum wage now.