CCH Executive Director Ed Shurna is among five activists on a 5-day
hunger strike to draw attention to the suffering that will be caused by
the proposed Illinois budget cuts. Calling themselves Hungry for
Justice, the protesters range in age from 24 to 87.

Organized by members of the Grassroots Collaborative, the hunger strike, based in
Springfield, will last until a final budget vote on Sunday, May31.
Those on strike are Eric Tellez, age 24; Margaret Jackson, age 55; Ed
Shurna, age 63; Brenda Hobson, age 65, and Mahaley Somerville, age 87.

Mrs. Somerville was taken to a Springfield hospital Friday morning after
feeling weak during the third day of the hunger strike. She had high
blood pressure and an increased heart rate, but may return if she gets
a doctor’s clearance, according to reports by the Chicago Sun-Times and
St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

As the Sun-Times reported, “The group, named Hungry for Justice, plans to continue their strike through
Sunday, which is when the General Assembly is expected to adjourn after
dealing with a more than $12 billion budget deficit.

"The group said if the state has to cut social programs, countless seniors, children and working families would suffer.

"'This is life or death, it is not a game,’ said another woman participating,
Margaret Jackson. ‘For us to go hungry for five days without food —
that’s nothing.’”