PathWays PA E-Newsletter: 13 April 2009

To receive our policy e-newsletter each week, please send your email address to policy@pathwayspa.org.

Attend The Economic Stimulus Impact on Children, Child Welfare and Families: A State and National Perspective

Join us as we hear from the region's leading voices on the current state of the economy in Pennsylvania, and how the recent budget and stimulus will affect vulnerable children and families throughout the state.

Guest speakers include:

Estelle Richman, Secretary of Public Welfare
Linda Spears, Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs, CWLA
John Sciamanna, Co-Director of Goverment Affairs, CWLA

Moderator:
Carol Goertzel, President/CEO, PathWays PA

April 22, 2009
10AM- 12PM
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103

To RSVP, please contact Ann DelCollo at 610-543-5022 ext. 221, or at adelcollo@pathwayspa.org.

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The PPA is Coming to Philadelphia- Today!

The PPA (Partnership for Prescription Assistance) is coming to Philadelphia!

Need help paying for your prescription? The PPA Bus is coming to Philadelphia and will be there to help your unemployed members.

They may qualify for programs that provide free, or nearly free
prescriptions. The Help-Is-Here-Express and their helpful
counselors will be on-hand to help you find out if you, or
members of your family, are eligible.

Help-Is-Here Express & Community Health Fair

Monday, April 13, 2009

2 PM until 4 PM

(3 PM informational press conference)

Love Park, 16th St. and JFK Blvd., Philadelphia

This event will feature free tee shirts, a live radio broadcast,
and promises to be fun for the entire family!

To download a flyer for this event visit:
http://www.bravogroup.us/ppa/ppaphila.pdf

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Sign a Petition to Save Children's Services

A budget deficit will force cuts to important services for children and families. Join PCCY by signing a petition to City Council supporting a temporary increase in wage or property tax to save children's services and our city's future.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

We can't afford to cut child and family services. In this time of economic crisis, we're all going to have to chip in a little extra to avoid service cuts in this year's city budget. Mayor Nutter has proposed a temporary property tax increase to fill the budget hole. It's up to City Council to make the next move.

Sign today!

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Join Maternity Care Coalition at their Rally on May 4th in Harrisburg!

Maternity Care Coalition is gearing up to promote their latest report and are looking forward to spreading the word about the report at their rally on May 4th in Harrisburg!

Insuring Healthy Births, available for review on their website at www.MOMobile.org, reviews the healthcare services childbearing women need and the kinds of health insurance currently available in the state. They examined other states' solutions and considered the lessons they've learned. This report summarizes their research, and recommendations for change are on pages 13-16.

Please RSVP for the rally by calling 215.989.3554 or emailing kcarolan@momobile.org

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Call your Senators and Urge them to Cosponsor the Bill to Hold a White House Conference on Children and Youth!

Senator Mary Landrieu, along with her bipartisan cosponsor, Senator Richard Burr, is set to re-introduce her bill to hold a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010. They have circulated a Dear Colleague letter asking other senators to become original sponsors when the bill is introduced. Each new Congress requires all bills to be re-introduced for the new session.

Join Child Welfare League of America by calling your Senators TODAY and asking them to cosponsor the bill to hold a White House Conference on Children and Youth.

Tell them to contact Senator Landrieu (D-LA) or Senator Burr (R-NC) and ask that they be included as a cosponsor for the new bill. A White House Conference is needed to focus community and national attention on the nation's most vulnerable children, and as a result, on the most critical issues facing children in the United States in the 21st century.

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard to be connected to your Senator at 202-224-3121.

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Sign Statement of Principles for Child Nutrition Reauthorization

The Food Research and Action Center, along with members of the Child Nutrition Forum, needs your help. Congress gets back from its Spring Recess on April 20th, and they want to tell them that more than 1,500 organizations from every state in the country have signed onto the Statement of Principles.

You can help them make it happen! Take these two steps. First, if you haven't signed the Statement of Principles, click here to sign on. Second, if you already signed onto them, click here and tell five organizations in your community to join you.

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Spread the Word About Unemployment LifeLine!

The Unemployment LifeLine is a one-stop guide that links workers to the resources in their area, from unemployment offices to veterans' services to child care. It also offers the opportunity to talk to others and share support and lessons learned.

Visit: http://www.unemploymentlifeline.com

Tell your unemployed (and underemployed) friends and family about the Unemployment LifeLine. No one should be without the help they need, and no one should feel alone in a difficult time.

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Urge Congress to Make Long-Term Care a Top Priority!

Join WOW, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and allied organizations across the country in calling upon the U.S. Congress to make long-term care a priority in broader health care reform.

URGE YOUR MEMBERS TO:

· Include Long-Term Care in Health Reform
· Co-sponsor the CLASS Act

HOW to TAKE ACTION:

· Click HERE to send an e-mail and learn more
· Visit with your legislator during the April recess

Set up your own meeting or join meetings alongside other health care advocates to make the case for supporting home and community-based long-term care.

Click HERE to find contact information to set up your appointment.