Bethlehem, PENNSYLVANIA – On Saturday July 11, 2026, Affordable Pennsylvania and For Our Future PA Action hosted an SOS! Chalk Party at Payrow Plaza, where Lehigh Valley families came together to share their experiences with the rising costs of everyday essentials. The family-friendly event offered opportunities for constituents to speak about the high costs they are facing for groceries, housing, healthcare and utility bills.

Using sidewalk chalk, 60 community members transformed the plaza into a colorful display of personal messages calling attention to the affordability crisis and urging Rep. Ryan Mackenzie to hear the stories of the people he represents.

"Every trip to the grocery store, every fill-up at the gas station, and every medical bill forces my family to make difficult choices. We work hard, but it feels like we're falling further behind every month," said Maurice, a resident of Easton, PA. "Rep. Mackenzie promised to fight for working families, but families here are still waiting to see him fight for lower costs. We shouldn't have to write SOS messages in sidewalk chalk just to get our congressman's attention."

See more photos from the event here.

While Congressman Mackenzie has held zero town halls to meet with his constituents in 2026, his vote to cut Medicaid and SNAP, his support for cost-raising tariffs and the Iran war, and allowing health care tax credits to expire, has increased his constituents’ costs substantially, causing an average household increase of $3,201 from 2025 to 2026.

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