It's been another heavy week, with the tragedy in Las Vegas and the ongoing crisis in Puerto Rico weighing heavily on our hearts and minds.

But… don’t give up! Never doubt that groups of committed people like us have had - and will continue to have - an impact on issues like these. Sometimes change might feel incremental. But we are making progress, and defending programs that matter to our families and communities. When parents talk, our leaders listen.

Please take a a few moments to complete the top #5Actions of the week, below. And share them with family and friends, too.

Thank you! 

1. ACT NOW -> Stem the Tide of Gun Violence

Enough is enough. Our hearts are broken, and we will not wait. We demand real progress on gun safety, starting with a ban on military-style assault rifles and high capacity magazines; passage of universal background checks on gun sales; and a full stop to the SHARE ACT that is in front of Congress now, which aims to deregulate silencers to disguise the sound of gunfire. —> Our elected leaders have to stop wasting time! We need action now to stem the tide of gun violence. Join us in demanding that Congress finally moves forward gun safety policies like limiting military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

2. Say NO to Tax Cuts for Wealthy Corporations!

President Trump and extremist Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are busy writing a plan that will hand out massive tax breaks to millionaires, billionaires and wealthy corporations―at your expense.To pay for their scheme, they will make deep cuts (to the tune of trillions of dollars!!) to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, WIC, disaster relief, and early education programs harming our families, communities, and economy. This is the health care fight all over again. We have learned that we can win, but only if we all speak out. **Watch our video and sign our letter to the U.S. Congress NOW and tell them to reject cuts to health care, nutrition, and early education programs that boost our families in order to give massive tax breaks to the mega-rich and powerful.

3. Tell Congress: Pass emergency funding for Hurricane Maria!

The situation is dire. Americans are experiencing what has been described as a full-blown humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Families are in desperate need of help. Some experts estimate that the damage could cost in the tens of billions of dollars and the recovery could last over a year. Sign our letter and tell the U.S. Congress to appropriate major emergency funding to help Hurricane Maria victims NOW!!!

4. Sign Up to Deliver a Healthy School Power Pack!

It's that time of year when the kids head back, the weather turns cooler, and everything seems to accelerate a bit. It's also a great time of year to make some friendly noise for healthy schools! We have done *so much* in recent years, from implementing new healthy meal standards to updating school wellness policies. We've spoken out about the importance of dual-language learning, and creating supportive spaces for our kids to learn. With great success! But as any parent knows, getting the swing of new habits takes time. That's where you come in! Can you deliver a packet of useful tips to your local school this month? It takes just a minute. Sign up to deliver a Healthy School Power Pack full of tips and resources here!

5. Tell Congress: Act quickly to extend CHIP!

CHIP funding expired on September 30th! Our voices are urgently needed to get Congress to act. Nearly 9 million children rely on CHIP to meet their health care needs, so an extension of—and stability for—the program is critically important! Democratic and Republican lawmakers created CHIP together in 1997 because it was a low-cost, sound investment in our children’s health and future—and they were right! Since enacted, the uninsured rate for children has dropped by nearly 68%! Sign now! Tell lawmakers to act quickly to extend CHIP!

Thank you for all you do! #KeepMarching!