Carbondale Mother’s Day rally highlights healthcare, financial struggles facing Southern Illinois
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
CARBONDALE, Ill. (KBSI) — A Mother’s Day rally in Carbondale Monday night brought together mothers, caregivers and community advocates calling for stronger healthcare access and financial support for families across Southern Illinois.
The “More Than Flowers” rally at Town Square Pavilion featured speakers discussing rising healthcare costs, food insecurity, childcare expenses and concerns over potential cuts to federal programs families rely on.
Many attendees wore red cloaks and white bonnets inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale,” using the imagery to symbolize concerns over women’s healthcare and reproductive rights.
“We’re calling on our state legislators to support bills to close tax loopholes for billionaires in the state of Illinois, and to cap prescription drug costs for mothers,” said Charlie Miller with Citizen Action Illinois.
Miller and other speakers encouraged attendees to contact lawmakers and support legislation they say could help offset cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid.
According to speakers at the rally, Illinois’ 12th Congressional District has roughly 185,000 residents who depend on Medicaid, including thousands of children, seniors and disabled adults.
Citizen Action Illinois member Mandy Czyz said the group believes Illinois lawmakers should increase state funding protections for healthcare and family assistance programs.
“This Mother’s Day, we are supporting moms by supporting progressive revenue bills in the Illinois legislature,” Czyz said. “These would raise money to support programs in our state that are being cut federally, like SNAP, healthcare and Medicaid.”
Throughout the night, several speakers shared personal stories about the challenges families face accessing healthcare in rural Southern Illinois, including long travel distances for emergency care, maternity services and specialists.
One speaker described healthcare in Southern Illinois as “a fight,” pointing to staffing shortages, hospital access concerns and rising medical costs affecting rural communities.
Other speakers highlighted programs providing reproductive healthcare, postpartum care and wellness services regardless of income or insurance status.
The event also focused on broader financial struggles facing families, including rising grocery prices and childcare costs.
“So happy Mother’s Day to everyone who has survived a system designed to crush them,” one speaker told the crowd.
Speakers said the goal of the rally was to emphasize that supporting mothers requires more than symbolic appreciation on Mother’s Day.
Attendees ended the rally by removing their white bonnets and red cloaks in a symbolic moment organizers described as rejecting oppression and advocating for women’s rights and healthcare access.
Organizers said they plan to continue advocating for healthcare access, family assistance programs and women’s health resources across Southern Illinois.
To learn more visit Citizens Action Illinois.
