Why I Keep Showing Up

By Fawn Holdridge in Pennsylvania, longtime SEIU member with Local 668

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I was raised to believe you don’t put down working people. My grandmother taught me that if someone tries to do that, you stand up and say something. Because of what my grandmother instilled in me, I’ve made it a point to be a part of my community.

I’ve participated in it all: No Kings rallies, Mondays with McKenzie (where we show up to U.S. Rep. McKenzie’s office every Monday since he refuses to host a townhall in person), Fight the Oligarchy rallies with Bernie. I show up because silence sends the message that nobody cares. And I care too much to stay home.

I bring my kids with me. Only my oldest is of age to vote, but I want them all to understand that showing up matters, that their voice matters, and that there’s so much power in that voice and vote. We show up not just for ourselves, but for those who physically can’t be there.

When Rights Depend On Your Zip Code

One of the most memorable interactions I’ve had with others at these rallies is when I met a woman who had to travel from Pennsylvania to Colorado for an abortion. She had been told late in her pregnancy that her baby would be born with severe genetic disorders and would not survive long after birth. Because of Pennsylvania’s restrictions, she couldn’t get care here at home.

That should never happen anywhere. Health care is health care, and no one should have to cross state lines to access life-saving care.

This is deeply personal to me. I make it a point to vote for women as long as they hold views that uplift other women. My biggest frustration is that we’ve never had a woman president, even though women make up more than half this country. Meanwhile, politicians keep playing games with our health care. They treat women’s bodies and families’ well-being like bargaining chips. Representation matters, but it’s not enough. We need leaders who will protect our health and our lives, not trade them away for power.

Healthcare Shouldn’t Depend On Your Paycheck

The recent national budget that was passed does the opposite of what people need. It slashes Medicaid and leaves working families behind while billionaires continue to hoard wealth. The income limits for Medicaid are already too restrictive. Families working full-time jobs are still being denied care - they’re doing everything right, yet they still can’t get the care they need.

Medicaid should be available to everyone who needs it. It shouldn’t matter where you live or what job you have. A country is judged by how it takes care of its people, and right now we are failing that test.

From Lobby Days To The Streets

Through my union, I’ve been to Lobby Days in Harrisburg and in Washington, D.C. I’ve sat across from politicians and told them directly what my clients face: denials, impossible choices, families pushed to the brink. Those conversations matter. They need to hear us and know we’re holding them accountable.

But it doesn’t stop there. Real change comes when thousands of us take to the streets together, across the country. That’s when they realize we’re paying attention. And if they don’t deliver, we’ll vote them out.

Why I Keep Showing Up

For me, activism isn’t abstract. It’s how I live out the values I was raised with, the world I want for my kids, and the belief that working families deserve dignity, respect, and care.

And if people in power don’t like seeing the waves of thousands taking to the streets? Good. That means it’s working.