PathWays PA E-Newsletter: May 26, 2009

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May 29 - PathWays PA Presents

Overlooked and Undercounted: Struggling to Make Ends Meet in Pennsylvania

Seating is Limited.
Registration is Required.
WHAT: Discussion of PathWays PA's latest publication -- Overlooked and
Undercounted: Struggling to Make End Meet in Pennsylvania

WHO: Carol Goertzel, President and CEO of PathWays PA
Dr. Diana Pearce, author of the study

WHEN: Friday, May 29th 10:00 - 12:00

WHERE: United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
For parking information please click here.

One-fifth of the 3.4 million households in Pennsylvania lack adequate income to meet their basic needs, representing a large and diverse group of families experiencing distress. That's one of the findings from PathWays PA's latest study of the economic needs of the state's working families, Overlooked and Undercounted: Struggling to Make Ends Meet in Pennsylvania.

The release of the report marks the first time that demographic data relating to the Self-Sufficiency Standard has been collected in the state. Previously, the Standard had simply been calculated but the number and types of households affected had not been determined.

PathWays PA partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to produce the first edition of Overlooked and Undercounted. The report was developed by Diana M. Pearce, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Women's Welfare at the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Come and learn about the study directly from its author and the President and CEO of PathWays PA.

Please register by clicking here. Seating is limited. Registration is required. If you have problems registering online, please R.S.V.P. with Kate Scully at kscully@pathwayspa.org or 610-543-5022 x 255.


Join the Save Our Homes Coalition in Supporting the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP)!

HEMAP is a popular and greatly needed program that offers financial assistance to help unemployed citizens facing foreclosure. HEMAP is designed to loan money to unemployed or ill homeowners to make mortgage payments until they can get back on their feet.
Due to inadequate funding the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) has been reluctant to grant ongoing assistance to the unemployed. At this time, only about 20% of HEMAP loans go for ongoing assistance. With a 74% increase in foreclosures over last year and an unemployment rate in the state that has gone from 5.6% in September 2008 to 7.8% in March, programs such as HEMAP must be expanded.

To help please call your state legislators and ask them to support funding for HEMAP to help unemployed Pennsylvanians make it through the recession without the loss of their homes. Please click here if you need your legislator’s contact information.

Also, the Save Our Homes Coalition will be holding a lobby day in Harrisburg to urge more funding for HEMAP.

WHERE: The Capitol Rotunda
WHEN: June 9 12:00

If you are interested in participating please come to Harrisburg. For more information please contact Tim Styer or John Dodds at 215-557-0822. Homeowners are encouraged to take part!!


Take Action: Expand Funding for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Programs!!

Congress is currently reviewing the budget for FY 2010 - including funding for VITA programs. We are asking that Congress increase federal funding for the VITA Grant Program to $14 million. The National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC) believes that increased funding is needed to ensure that community tax preparers can meet the constant demand for our services.
NCTC is mobilizing VITA programs across the country to advocate for increased funding for the field. Click here to find out how you can help.


Senate Bill 850 Will Cut Key Service for Women and Children!

The PA Senate has passed a Bill that would substantially reduce funding for critical programs that serve women and children. In devaluing the needs of women and children, the Senate is debilitating families and the communities in which they live.

Senate Bill 850 will dramatically cut or eliminate the following services:
• PA Commission for Women
• Medical Assistance- Obstetric and Neonatal Services
• Community based family Centers
• Childcare Services
• Childcare Assistance
• Teen Pregnancy and Parenthood education
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
• Maternal and Child Health
• Accessible Housing
• Public Library subsidy
• Industry Partnership

It is important to note that there is a companion Bill in the House of Representatives (House Bill 1416) which would restore funding for these essential services. We strongly urge you to contact your legislators immediately to support HB1416.

It is time to speak up on behalf of women and families in this Commonwealth. Call your legislators and make your voice heard. To find your legislators’ contact information please click here.


Support the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Reauthorization Bill, S. 687!

The JJDPA provides grants to states to assist with juvenile crime prevention and intervention programs. In order to be eligible for these grants, states must comply with the four core protections
  • To ensure that status offenders are not detained
  • To remove children from placement in adult jails except in limited circumstances
  • In those limited circumstances to ensure sight and sound separation from adults, and
  • To reduce the over-representation of youth of color in the justice system.
S. 687 strengthens and updates critical components of the JJDPA, by making meaningful improvements that expand several of the core protections and other areas contained in the bill.
For more information and to show your support please click here

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