PathWays PA E-Newsletter: September 27, 2010
PathWays PA Special Announcements
Save the Date: Help Bring Earned Sick Time to Philadelphia Workers
On October 12, 2010, join the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces in meeting with Philadelphia’s City Council members to discuss the need for earned sick time in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, 41% of workers are force to choose between going to work sick or losing their pay (or possibly their jobs).
Come let members of City Council know that earning a minimum number of paid sick time is a basic right that workers should have.
For more information and to register for this event please visit, http://earnedsicktimelobbyday.eventbrite.com/.
PathWays to the Stars 32nd Anniversary Celebration Sports-tacular!
PathWays PA will celebrate 32 years of services to low-income women, children and families this year by hosting the PathWays to the Stars 32nd Anniversary Celebration Sports-tacular.
WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 6:30 – 9:00PM
WHERE: Radisson King of Prussia’s Waterford Ballroom.
The silent auction will feature Phillies, Flyers, Eagles and Sixers tickets and memorabilia. Also, as part of the festivities, we will present this year's Trailblazer Awards to five inspiring individuals. To read about the 2010 Trailblazer Honorees, click here.
To bid on silent auction items or see what is available, click here.
Tickets to the event are $50 ($60 at the door) and may be purchased online. Further information on corporate and individual sponsorships can be found here.
Join PathWays PA at the WOW Building Bridges to Economic Security Meeting in Philadelphia
Please register online now for the Wider Opportunities for Women's (WOW) Building Bridges to Economic Security regional meeting in Philadelphia. Registration is free, but space is limited.
WOW's regional meetings will feature acute insights on how Americans are thinking about the economy, work, retirement - all the pillars of the American Dream - and what that means for advocates. Participants will choose from four policy workshops each led by national and local experts (including two speakers from PathWays PA ).
Join us in Philadelphia at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel on Monday, October 4th. The meeting will run from 9:00am-5:30pm, with registration and breakfast beginning at 8:00am. Lunch is included.
Please spread the word and register today! If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Stellrecht.
Federal
TANF Emergency Contingency Fund to Expire This Week Unless Congress Acts
We need to urge Congress to extend the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) before it expires on Thursday, September 30.
The ECF was part of the Recovery Act passed in early 2009, and it is designed to help states deal with the increasing number of people on TANF due to the recession. ECF dollars have helped states:
The Coalition on Human Needs has set up a toll-free number so you can call your Senators at no cost. To speak to your Senators, just call 888-245-0215 and ask for your Senator by name, and the Capitol operator will connect you to their office. Tell them that it is crucial that they support an extension of the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund, so that the states can provide help to struggling families in these hard economic times.
Below is sample language you can use when you make your call:
Help Protect Women’s Health
Health care reform was supposed to help people who have been unable to get health insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions. However, new rules from the Department of Health and Human Services issued for the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans denies women with serious medical conditions the coverage they desperately need to end pregnancies that are threatening their health. Women with pre-existing conditions, such as kidney disease and heart conditions, are at increased risk of complications when they become pregnant. Pregnancy can also make it difficult or impossible to continue with needed medical treatments, such as chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Health reform should safeguard women’s health not infringe upon it. Please tell Health and Human Services how this harmful restriction undermines women’s access to reproductive health care by sending a message to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius or submitting comments in response to the regulation. Comments are due Tuesday, September 28th.
State
Take Action to End Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania
Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Traffickers reap billions in profits by using force, fraud or coercion to rob victims of their
freedom. The federal government has estimated that 14,500-17,500 are brought into the U.S. for sex or labor trafficking each year, in addition to thousands of US citizens trafficked within the US. Experts have estimated that more than 100,000 American children are exploited in prostitution each year, a brutal form of human trafficking.
In Pennsylvania, victims of sex and labor trafficking include U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. In addition to the commercial front businesses such as massage parlors, nail salons, agricultural operations and hotels or motels that human traffickers utilize, Pennsylvania is also a “pass through” state due to the many interstate highways that connect major trafficking hotspots in Ohio and New York.
Legislation currently sits in the House and Senate that requires keep entities to post the Nation Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (888-3737-888) to provide a bridge to help for human trafficking victims in Pennsylvania. Because traffickers keep victims isolated, placement of the hotline is required in strategic locations where victims and community members are most likely to see it.
Please contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to cosponsor the human trafficking hotline bill by contacting the offices of Representative Clymer and Senator Leach, respectively.
Information/Events
Telling Amy's Story - Film Screening and Discussion
In conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WHYY is hosting a special screening of the powerful documentary film Telling Amy's Story.
Hosted by actress and advocate Mariska Hargitay, and told by Detective Deirdri Fishel, this stirring documentary follows the timeline of a domestic violence homicide that occurred in State College, PA on November 8, 2001.
Following the film, WHYY Health and Science Desk Reporter Maiken Scott will lead a Q&A session/discussion with filmmaker Joe Myers and others.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 7 pm - 9 pm
WHERE: WHYY - 150 N. Sixth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
This event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP to attend. WHYY Members receive preferred seating.
New Website for Anti-Bullying Effort
(from our friends at PHENND)
The US Department of Education has launched a new campaign to combat bullying in schools centered on a new website, http://www.bullyinginfo.org, a centralized location where state and local agencies can find resources on anti-bullying educational materials and connect with the Office of Civil Rights, the entity responsible for investigating allegations of bullying.
The website contains useful information for parents, teachers, administrators, caregivers, and other professionals that work with youth on identifying and stopping bullying.
The Department has also made available a variety of studies and current statistics on the bullying problem, as well as a map of anti-bullying programs and resources searchable by zip code.
The National Service Learning Clearinghouse also offers bullying and service-learning resources.
PathWays PA Spotlight Initiative
Paid Work Experience for 18-24 Year Olds
PathWays PA is excited to offer a program for 18-24 year olds where they can get paid work experience at Goodwill stores or healthcare facilities. The paid work experience is guarantee for 8 weeks but may extend until May 2011.
The program includes:
Save the Date: Help Bring Earned Sick Time to Philadelphia Workers
On October 12, 2010, join the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces in meeting with Philadelphia’s City Council members to discuss the need for earned sick time in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, 41% of workers are force to choose between going to work sick or losing their pay (or possibly their jobs).
Come let members of City Council know that earning a minimum number of paid sick time is a basic right that workers should have.
For more information and to register for this event please visit, http://earnedsicktimelobbyday.eventbrite.com/.
PathWays to the Stars 32nd Anniversary Celebration Sports-tacular!
PathWays PA will celebrate 32 years of services to low-income women, children and families this year by hosting the PathWays to the Stars 32nd Anniversary Celebration Sports-tacular.
WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 6:30 – 9:00PM
WHERE: Radisson King of Prussia’s Waterford Ballroom.
The silent auction will feature Phillies, Flyers, Eagles and Sixers tickets and memorabilia. Also, as part of the festivities, we will present this year's Trailblazer Awards to five inspiring individuals. To read about the 2010 Trailblazer Honorees, click here.
To bid on silent auction items or see what is available, click here.
Tickets to the event are $50 ($60 at the door) and may be purchased online. Further information on corporate and individual sponsorships can be found here.
Join PathWays PA at the WOW Building Bridges to Economic Security Meeting in Philadelphia
Please register online now for the Wider Opportunities for Women's (WOW) Building Bridges to Economic Security regional meeting in Philadelphia. Registration is free, but space is limited.
WOW's regional meetings will feature acute insights on how Americans are thinking about the economy, work, retirement - all the pillars of the American Dream - and what that means for advocates. Participants will choose from four policy workshops each led by national and local experts (including two speakers from PathWays PA ).
Join us in Philadelphia at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel on Monday, October 4th. The meeting will run from 9:00am-5:30pm, with registration and breakfast beginning at 8:00am. Lunch is included.
Please spread the word and register today! If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Stellrecht.
Federal
TANF Emergency Contingency Fund to Expire This Week Unless Congress Acts
We need to urge Congress to extend the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) before it expires on Thursday, September 30.
The ECF was part of the Recovery Act passed in early 2009, and it is designed to help states deal with the increasing number of people on TANF due to the recession. ECF dollars have helped states:
- provide cash assistance to low-income families;
- provide short-term rent assistance to families experiencing a housing crisis; and
- create 250,000 subsidized employment opportunities nationally, many of which will end on September 30 if Congress does not act to extend the funding.
The Coalition on Human Needs has set up a toll-free number so you can call your Senators at no cost. To speak to your Senators, just call 888-245-0215 and ask for your Senator by name, and the Capitol operator will connect you to their office. Tell them that it is crucial that they support an extension of the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund, so that the states can provide help to struggling families in these hard economic times.
Below is sample language you can use when you make your call:
Hello, my name is ____________. I’m calling to ask Senator _____________ to support the extension of the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund, which expires on October 1st. The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund has enabled states to help families who are struggling in this recession, and to create over 250,000 jobs for low-income parents nationwide. Please support the extension of this important program!
Help Protect Women’s Health
Health care reform was supposed to help people who have been unable to get health insurance because of pre-existing medical conditions. However, new rules from the Department of Health and Human Services issued for the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans denies women with serious medical conditions the coverage they desperately need to end pregnancies that are threatening their health. Women with pre-existing conditions, such as kidney disease and heart conditions, are at increased risk of complications when they become pregnant. Pregnancy can also make it difficult or impossible to continue with needed medical treatments, such as chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Health reform should safeguard women’s health not infringe upon it. Please tell Health and Human Services how this harmful restriction undermines women’s access to reproductive health care by sending a message to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius or submitting comments in response to the regulation. Comments are due Tuesday, September 28th.
State
Take Action to End Human Trafficking in Pennsylvania
Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. Traffickers reap billions in profits by using force, fraud or coercion to rob victims of their
freedom. The federal government has estimated that 14,500-17,500 are brought into the U.S. for sex or labor trafficking each year, in addition to thousands of US citizens trafficked within the US. Experts have estimated that more than 100,000 American children are exploited in prostitution each year, a brutal form of human trafficking.
In Pennsylvania, victims of sex and labor trafficking include U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. In addition to the commercial front businesses such as massage parlors, nail salons, agricultural operations and hotels or motels that human traffickers utilize, Pennsylvania is also a “pass through” state due to the many interstate highways that connect major trafficking hotspots in Ohio and New York.
Legislation currently sits in the House and Senate that requires keep entities to post the Nation Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline (888-3737-888) to provide a bridge to help for human trafficking victims in Pennsylvania. Because traffickers keep victims isolated, placement of the hotline is required in strategic locations where victims and community members are most likely to see it.
Please contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to cosponsor the human trafficking hotline bill by contacting the offices of Representative Clymer and Senator Leach, respectively.
Information/Events
Telling Amy's Story - Film Screening and Discussion
In conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WHYY is hosting a special screening of the powerful documentary film Telling Amy's Story.
Hosted by actress and advocate Mariska Hargitay, and told by Detective Deirdri Fishel, this stirring documentary follows the timeline of a domestic violence homicide that occurred in State College, PA on November 8, 2001.
Following the film, WHYY Health and Science Desk Reporter Maiken Scott will lead a Q&A session/discussion with filmmaker Joe Myers and others.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 7 pm - 9 pm
WHERE: WHYY - 150 N. Sixth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
This event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP to attend. WHYY Members receive preferred seating.
New Website for Anti-Bullying Effort
(from our friends at PHENND)
The US Department of Education has launched a new campaign to combat bullying in schools centered on a new website, http://www.bullyinginfo.org, a centralized location where state and local agencies can find resources on anti-bullying educational materials and connect with the Office of Civil Rights, the entity responsible for investigating allegations of bullying.
The website contains useful information for parents, teachers, administrators, caregivers, and other professionals that work with youth on identifying and stopping bullying.
The Department has also made available a variety of studies and current statistics on the bullying problem, as well as a map of anti-bullying programs and resources searchable by zip code.
The National Service Learning Clearinghouse also offers bullying and service-learning resources.
PathWays PA Spotlight Initiative
Paid Work Experience for 18-24 Year Olds
PathWays PA is excited to offer a program for 18-24 year olds where they can get paid work experience at Goodwill stores or healthcare facilities. The paid work experience is guarantee for 8 weeks but may extend until May 2011.
The program includes:
- Work Readiness training
- Skills building
- Educational support/training
- Resume writing
- Workplace communication skills
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