I grew up in Northwest Pennsylvania in Corry, a small town like any other. My family was split and I spent time in two households that worked hard for their money, but both sometimes struggled to pay the bills. Even then I felt lucky because others didn’t have as much as we did.

When I had children of my own, I worked, but my little family also had to rely on credit as well as different forms of public assistance to get by. We did our best with what we had, but sometimes it just wasn’t enough and I’m glad we had those systems in place to help us work our way out. I’m so lucky that I was able to do that, but it took years of hard work and advancements in the workplace. Many people don’t have those same opportunities.

With your help, I plan to work toward a more level playing field for those who spare no effort to provide for themselves and their families yet still somehow can’t seem to get ahead. It’s time our government worked for us, and the best way to make that happen is to elect people like us.