Sheri Lecker, executive director of Adsum for Women and Children, on the obstacles poor people encounter when dealing with isolation in the days of COVID-19. “One answer is simple and affordable: give everyone on income assistance a phone and an internet connection. There need be no ‘medical proof’ for justification. Loneliness and isolation are reason enough.”

Sheri Lecker of Adsum for Women and Children writes about gaps in the response to hurricane Dorian. “The storm’s adverse effects aren’t just arbitrary. They are most impactful on those of us with the fewest resources. It’s not just luck of the draw. While climate change promises to unleash increasing weather events like Dorian upon us, we need to better prepare for our community’s most vulnerable.”