Sweeping changes to SNAP are making it harder for millions of people to get help putting food on the table. In a new NPR article, Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO of CDF, spoke about how these changes are affecting children and families across the country: https://n.pr/3RsmuxB

Today, we celebrate Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO of CDF, on his 50th birthday. In honor of his 50th, Dr. Wilson launched a #50For50 campaign with a goal to raise $50,000 to build power for children and families. Make a gift to CDF today: https://bit.ly/4fBkEna

Today is the final day to apply to become an Ella Baker Trainer. Ella Baker Trainers are pillars of the CDF Freedom Schools® movement. They train and guide the leaders who create spaces where scholars are affirmed, challenged, celebrated, and loved. Apply by the end of today: https://bit.ly/3Tk9aMi

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Become an Ella Baker Trainer Each year, exceptional leaders who have worked at least two years in the CDF Freedom Schools Program are selected as…

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Each year, CDF selects exceptional leaders who have served in the CDF Freedom Schools program to train the next generation of site staff & keep the heart of the program strong. Applications for the next Ella Baker Trainer cohort close Aug 1. This is your moment, apply today: https://bit.ly/3Tk9aMi

Get ready to laugh, because joy is taking the stage on the Vineyard. Joy is part of the work, and this summer, we’re making room for plenty of it. Join Children’s Defense Fund for the Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest Opening Night Benefit: https://bit.ly/4x0iVxu

Joy looks good on 50. This August, we’re celebrating Dr. Starsky Wilson’s 50th birthday on Martha’s Vineyard. Dr. Wilson is raising $50,000 for his 50th, and we’re already more than halfway there. Raise a glass. Make a gift. Join us on the Vineyard: https://bit.ly/4vGtZPa

Days 3-4 at #HallProctor2026 brought us deeper into the work. From the pulpit to the classroom to the conversations between sessions, #CDFHaleyFarm continued to hold what this moment demands: honesty, care, and a community committed to children. Here are some moments from our last days at the Farm.

Today, on #NationalDayOfSocialAction, we’re asking: Are the children well? Ms. Latisha Gyden of The Y in Central Maryland reminds us that children are navigating real challenges, and they need adults who are willing to step in with love, guidance, and care. #AreTheChildrenWell #CDFFreedomSchools

Day 2 of #HallProctor2026 is in the books! Yesterday, #CDFHaleyFarm was full of the kind of energy this gathering was built for: spirit-stirring preaching, honest conversation, and folks recommitting to centering children in our work and lives. Here are a few moments from yesterday at the Farm.

Today is #NationalDayofSocialAction, and we’re asking: Are the children well? For Anthony Orozco of Roberts Family Development Center, the answer is: not yet. Children need counselors and caring adults who are truly doing the work for them. #AreTheChildrenWell #NDSA #CDFFreedomSchools

#HallProctor2026 has begun! Here are some first looks from #CDFHaleyFarm, where faith leaders, child advocates, organizers, scholars, and community members are gathered for a week of preaching, teaching, renewal, and advocacy for children.

A powerful word from Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley of Alfred Street Baptist Church at #HallProctor2026. The cousins of injustice are still with us. But so are the people, communities, and movements called to confront them together. Watch the full sermon here: https://bit.ly/4fedZOt

Are the children well? For Keely Norris, Managing Director of Alex Haley Farm, the answer requires honesty about our country. Learn how you can take action with us for our 2026 National Day of Social Action: https://bit.ly/3QKMPXn #AreTheChildrenWell #NationalDayofSocialAction #CDFFreedomSchools

We know what freedom sounds like. Children singing. Parents discussing dreams for their community. Elected leaders responding. We just don’t get to hear this enough. That’s why, alongside our deep programmatic work in CDF Freedom Schools, we've been organizing a #FreedomSummer. Will you join us?

Children’s mental health cannot wait. Next week, CDF Freedom Schools® scholars and communities will come together for National Day of Social Action. Here's how you can participate: https://bit.ly/3QKMPXn #AreTheChildrenWell #NationalDayOfSocialAction #CDFFreedomSchools

Sunday sounds from the Farm. “Love Lifted Me” is the spirit of Hall-Proctor: faith that restores us, community that steadies us, and love that sends us back to the work of justice for children. Let love lift you to Alex Haley Farm. Register for #HallProctor2026: https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M

250 years later, freedom is still unfinished for too many children. Children should be safe, heard, housed, healthy, and free. America’s promise must include every child.

Welcome home. Hall-Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry is so more than a conference. Watch our 2024 recap and see what makes Hall-Proctor unlike any other gathering. Then register for #HallProctor2026 here: https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M

There's still time to meet us at the farm! Hall-Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry is more than a conference. It is part family reunion, part tent revival, part theological study session, and part policy think tank. Come to the farm. Register for #HallProctor2026: https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M

Sounds from the historic Alex Haley Farm. The 2025 Hall-Proctor choir reminds us: building up the kingdom means building a world where children are protected, cherished, and free. Want to hear the magic live? Register for #HallProctor2026 at https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M

Registration is open for #HallProctor2026. Meet us at Alex Haley Farm this July for four days of renewal, beloved community, and preparation for the work ahead. Register here: https://www.childrensdefense.org/events/hall-proctor-institute-for-child-advocacy-ministry-2/

Stories matter. Recently, CDF Freedom Schools® welcomed Black children’s book creators to Alex Haley Farm, continuing a tradition of gathering storytellers whose work helps young people see themselves, their history, and their power on the page.

The children are well when they are safe, supported, heard, nourished, and protected. This year, CDF Freedom Schools® National Day of Social Action will focus on children’s mental health and social-emotional wellness. Join us on July 15: https://bit.ly/3R2bmah

Tonight, CDF-NY will host its 2026 Celebration of Joy! We cannot wait to see you all at the Manny Cantor Center for an evening rooted in hope, resilience, and collective action. It's too late to grab a ticket, but you can still donate here: https://bit.ly/4usdjdM

Last week in Tennessee, more than 1,300 CDF Freedom Schools® leaders gathered to prepare to serve nearly 12,000 scholars at more than 180 sites nationwide. Learn more about our upcoming summer of literacy, joy, and civic action: https://bit.ly/4otzYVA

Join CDF-New York on June 17 for Celebration of Joy: “Begin Again: Rooted in Joy, Rising in Power" as we honor young people, uplift community, and celebrate leaders advancing justice for children and families. Purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or donate here: https://bit.ly/4usdjdM

Today, on Marian Wright Edelman's birthday, we celebrate CDF’s founder and president emerita. Her lifelong work for children, families, and justice continues to shape the movement for every child. Learn more about our founding: https://www.childrensdefense.org/about-us/our-history/

A sermon can remind us who we are and what we are called to do. For more than 30 years, Hall-Proctor has gathered prophetic voices to tell the truth, inspire courage, and call us toward justice for children. Join us at Alex Haley Farm this July: https://bit.ly/4omAncJ

Tonight in Huntsville, CDF Southern Regional Office will gather for A Celebration of Joy to honor leaders and youth advocates rooted in joy, rising in hope, and investing in every child. Learn more about the awardees and the event here: https://bit.ly/4dzXVa9

Knox County Schools made the right decision by returning Alex Haley’s Roots to school library shelves. But it should never have been removed. Books that reflect America’s true history and diversity belong in the hands of young people. Read more: https://bit.ly/49IOjYr