PathWays PA E-Newsletter: November 16, 2009
Federal
Help Stop Restrictions on Women’s Reproductive Rights in Health Care Reform
Last weekend the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which was a huge step forward for health care reform. However, this Act includes an amendment that puts devastating new restrictions on women's access to abortion, limiting a woman's ability to choose, especially those who are low-income. The purpose of health care reform is to expand access to health care for all, not to shrink it.
The Stupak/Pitts Amendment takes away a woman’s ability to purchase coverage for abortion care with their own money in the health insurance exchanges and public plan that the House legislation created. Health care reform should include the full-range of reproductive health services for all women, which includes access to abortion services.
The House bill does include some positive provisions, such as making health insurance more affordable, prohibiting insurers from charging women more than men and from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, pregnancy and domestic violence, and by expanding Medicaid eligibility for people whose incomes are less than 150 percent of poverty. While these advances are great, the Act falls short on reproductive health services.
Take Action: The U.S. Senate is now combining two health care bills. Please contact your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose efforts that would restrict abortion coverage for millions of women! Tell them that reproductive health care is a basic need for women, and should be treated like any other type of health care.
Contact Information for PA U.S. Senators:
Email Senator Specter or call (202) 224-4254
Email Senator Casey or call (202) 224-6324
Ask Your Senators to Improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 (S. 2749) would improve young children’s access to nutritious meals in child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Please urge your Senators to improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The bill, which would strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), calls for:
Information/Events
Generocity: Take 5, Give 5
Generocity is a nonprofit organization that is building Greater Philadelphia's first online publication dedicated to telling the stories about individuals, schools, charities, nonprofits and businesses in the region working to make a positive difference in their communities.
The site will also be offering unique set of online tools and resources that will make it easier for nonprofits to harness the fundraising potential of the Internet, and for businesses and individuals to find and support these causes and groups.
While building the site, Generocity wants your input, stories, and ideas. Right now, you can help by completing this brief questionnaire. Spend five minutes telling what you think, and they will give $5 in your name to any charitable organization in the region you choose (please show your support for PathWays PA when you are completing the survey!).
You’ll need to hurry! This offer will only be available to the first 4,000 people who participate.
Do You Need Help Paying for Post-Secondary Education?
PathWays PA offers Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), a matched savings program that offers financial education while helping you save for school. Through the program, your savings can be matched at a rate of three-to-one. If you save $500, we will give you an additional $1500 to go towards your school expenses.
Applicants must meet program income guidelines, be working (full or part time), and be enrolled or accepted into an accredited institution.
If you are interested or have any questions, please e-mail Greg Potestio at gpotestio@pathwayspa.org.
Need Assistance With Public Benefits Applications?
PathWays PA provides assistance to those who need help applying for food stamps or other benefits. For further information, you can contact our office in Philadelphia 215-387-1470 or Delaware County 610-543-5022.
For more information about the services provided by PathWays PA please visit our website.
Support Earned Sick Days in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia!
Become our friend! Show your support for earned sick time by visiting Facebook. Visit this link to support earned sick time in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Support both!
Tell us your story! Are you a parent who lost their job to stay home with a sick child? Are you a business owner who provides/supports paid sick days? Email your story to us at policy@pathwayspa.org.
Call your Representatives! If you live in Philadelphia, call your City Councilperson and urge them to support "Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces," which guarantees earned sick time for all working Philadelphians. Not sure who your City Councilperson is? Click on this link and type in your home address to find out which district you live in: http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/districtform/districtform.html.
If you live in Pennsylvania (but outside of Philadelphia), call your state Representative. Tell him/her you support earned sick time for workers. Not sure who your Representative is? Simply type your address here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.
Help Stop Restrictions on Women’s Reproductive Rights in Health Care Reform
Last weekend the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which was a huge step forward for health care reform. However, this Act includes an amendment that puts devastating new restrictions on women's access to abortion, limiting a woman's ability to choose, especially those who are low-income. The purpose of health care reform is to expand access to health care for all, not to shrink it.
The Stupak/Pitts Amendment takes away a woman’s ability to purchase coverage for abortion care with their own money in the health insurance exchanges and public plan that the House legislation created. Health care reform should include the full-range of reproductive health services for all women, which includes access to abortion services.
The House bill does include some positive provisions, such as making health insurance more affordable, prohibiting insurers from charging women more than men and from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions like breast cancer, pregnancy and domestic violence, and by expanding Medicaid eligibility for people whose incomes are less than 150 percent of poverty. While these advances are great, the Act falls short on reproductive health services.
Take Action: The U.S. Senate is now combining two health care bills. Please contact your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose efforts that would restrict abortion coverage for millions of women! Tell them that reproductive health care is a basic need for women, and should be treated like any other type of health care.
Contact Information for PA U.S. Senators:
Email Senator Specter or call (202) 224-4254
Email Senator Casey or call (202) 224-6324
Ask Your Senators to Improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Access to Nutritious Meals for Young Children Act of 2009 (S. 2749) would improve young children’s access to nutritious meals in child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Please urge your Senators to improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
The bill, which would strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), calls for:
- Increasing reimbursement rates for child care centers and family child care homes.
- Adding a third meal or snack option for children in child care, helping to cover the costs of food for children who are in care for longer hours.
- Expanding CACFP family child care home area eligibility to make more family child care providers eligible for higher levels of reimbursement.
- Increasing the administrative reimbursement rate for CACFP-sponsoring organizations.
- Streamlining and simplifying program and paperwork requirements for states, sponsoring organizations, child care providers, and parents.
Information/Events
Generocity: Take 5, Give 5
Generocity is a nonprofit organization that is building Greater Philadelphia's first online publication dedicated to telling the stories about individuals, schools, charities, nonprofits and businesses in the region working to make a positive difference in their communities.
The site will also be offering unique set of online tools and resources that will make it easier for nonprofits to harness the fundraising potential of the Internet, and for businesses and individuals to find and support these causes and groups.
While building the site, Generocity wants your input, stories, and ideas. Right now, you can help by completing this brief questionnaire. Spend five minutes telling what you think, and they will give $5 in your name to any charitable organization in the region you choose (please show your support for PathWays PA when you are completing the survey!).
You’ll need to hurry! This offer will only be available to the first 4,000 people who participate.
Do You Need Help Paying for Post-Secondary Education?
PathWays PA offers Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), a matched savings program that offers financial education while helping you save for school. Through the program, your savings can be matched at a rate of three-to-one. If you save $500, we will give you an additional $1500 to go towards your school expenses.
Applicants must meet program income guidelines, be working (full or part time), and be enrolled or accepted into an accredited institution.
If you are interested or have any questions, please e-mail Greg Potestio at gpotestio@pathwayspa.org.
Need Assistance With Public Benefits Applications?
PathWays PA provides assistance to those who need help applying for food stamps or other benefits. For further information, you can contact our office in Philadelphia 215-387-1470 or Delaware County 610-543-5022.
For more information about the services provided by PathWays PA please visit our website.
Support Earned Sick Days in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia!
Become our friend! Show your support for earned sick time by visiting Facebook. Visit this link to support earned sick time in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. Support both!
Tell us your story! Are you a parent who lost their job to stay home with a sick child? Are you a business owner who provides/supports paid sick days? Email your story to us at policy@pathwayspa.org.
Call your Representatives! If you live in Philadelphia, call your City Councilperson and urge them to support "Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces," which guarantees earned sick time for all working Philadelphians. Not sure who your City Councilperson is? Click on this link and type in your home address to find out which district you live in: http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/districtform/districtform.html.
If you live in Pennsylvania (but outside of Philadelphia), call your state Representative. Tell him/her you support earned sick time for workers. Not sure who your Representative is? Simply type your address here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.
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