PathWays PA E-Newsletter: November 22, 2010
With the holidays right around the corner, it is time for PathWays PA's Adopt-a-Family. The Adopt-a-Family program offers the families who receive PathWays PA services many of the joys of the holiday season they may otherwise be without.
Thanks to the generous contributions of local donors, special memories of holidays past have been created for the families we serve. Thousands of client families have benefited from this program through the years!
This year, client families will again be partnered with donors based on their size and the ages of their children. After being paired up with a client family, a wish list will be sent to the donors with the receiving family's genders, ages, clothing sizes and their holiday wishes. The donor family chooses to purchase any or all of the items on the clients' list, or substitute items that they feel the client may enjoy. Non-perishable food baskets are also welcomed.
This program is a source of happiness, joy and satisfaction for all involved, and with your help it will once again be a huge success!
Download donor form here.
Questions? Please call Pam Przybylski @ 610-543-5022 x234.
Federal Policy Update
UPDATE ON LAME DUCK SESSION
The lame duck session of Congress has adjourned for the week of Thanksgiving and will reconvene Nov. 29. Members are expected to focus on tax cuts and passing a federal budget when they return.
Once Congress returns, it is possible they will remain in session for up to three weeks in an effort to make final decisions over many issues including some discussed below. There will not be much time get things done, so contact your members of Congress today and urge them to work on issues you feel are important.
IN THE US, 1 IN 4 CHILDREN ARE AT RISK OF GOING HUNGRYAccording to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "Household Food Security Report," more than 23 percent of children in the country live in food insecure households. For children under 6 that number exceeds 25 percent, an increase of 483,000 children from the previous year.
As Congress convenes for its lame-duck session, the U.S. House needs to pass a Child Nutrition bill to reauthorize school lunch and breakfast, summer meals, WIC and other programs that help children at risk for hunger. Just as importantly, Congress should not fund Child Nutrition by cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program). Earlier this year, the Senate slashed $2.2 billion from SNAP to pay for the bill-in effect robbing families to feed kids.
Please take action on this important bill today.
URGE YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO EXTEND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS The Unemployment Insurance program is a lifeline for millions of unemployed Americans and their families. Since January of 2009, there have been five job seekers for every one job opening. Despite continued efforts to find employment, the lack of demand for workers means that many must rely on their unemployment benefits to pay their bills and put food on their table.
However, many families relying on unemployment insurance will lose those benefits as the emergency unemployment compensation program expires at the end of December. In Philadelphia alone close to 18,000 people will lose the benefits. Congress can keep the program going for tens of thousands of Philadelphians and hundreds of thousands of Americans by extending the program. With only a few session days left before the program expires Congress must act quickly.
What can you do?
- Sign the petition to Congress to continue unemployment insurance benefits
- Send a letter to your member of Congress underscoring the importance of unemployment insurance benefits to family and economic well-being
State Policy Update
ADULT BASIC IS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY
Nearly 43,000 adults in Pennsylvania may be losing their health insurance early next year when adultBasic, an affordable health care option for adults who have recently lost health coverage and meet certain income guidelines, runs out of money.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, adultBasic will run out of funding by early next year. The reason for the lack of funding is that adultBasic was underfunded by $54 million in the 2010-11 Fiscal Year. The program was scheduled to end by the end of 2010, however, the insurance companies that fund part of the program agreed to extend it until July of 2011.
Please tell your legislators how important this healthcare program is to Pennsylvania. In addition to the 43,000 people using the program, over 434,000 are on the waiting list for coverage. adultBasic bridges an important healthcare gap until health care reform goes into effect in 2014. Please take a moment to write to your legislators right now!
Information/Events
FREE TRAINING: MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TO HIGH-RISK ADOLESCENT VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC TRAFFICKING FOR COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
This two-day workshop being held by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape will demonstrate and reinforce the need to understand the roles and responsibilities of CPS, law enforcement, prosecution, advocates, and medical personnel in identifying high-risk victims of domestic trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, investigating the crimes, and prosecuting traffickers/pimps and those who purchase children and adolescents. Additionally, this workshop will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools needed to develop best practices in interviewing non-compliant child/adolescent victims, interrogating traffickers/pimps, preparing victims as witnesses at trail, and enhancing the multidisciplinary team approach.
WHEN & WHERE:
State College
November 30 - December 01, 2010
Ramada Conference Center
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Philadelphia
December 02 - 03, 2010
Radisson Plaza - Warwick Hotel
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
For more information about the event and to register visit the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape's website. Please register by November 24, 2010.
For questions or further information please contact Krista Hoffman at 717-728-9740 or khoffman@pcar.org.
Tax time is one of the only opportunities for financially vulnerable individuals to save. They receive large refunds-perhaps the largest check they receive all year. Join the National Coalition on Aging to learn how to help them save with U.S. Savings Bonds at tax time.
WHEN: Thursday, December 16 3:00 - 4:00
Discover:
- How to help economically vulnerable families and older adults save through U.S. Savings Bonds at tax time
- How to implement and promote this opportunity in your community
- The basics of savings bonds, including Series I Savings Bonds and how to split a tax refund into a savings bond
- Where to go for more resources
Special PathWays PA Information/Events
NEW CLASS TIMES: PATHWAYS PA OFFERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE/CIVICS COURSES
PathWays PA is offering a course meant for those interested in learning and improving their English while also covering:- United States History
- Work Skills
- Citizenship Process
- Employment
- Math
- Reading
WHEN: Mondays & Wednesdays - 9:30 - 12:00 OR Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:00 - 7:30
WHERE: Darby Borough Hall, 821 Summit Street, Darby PA
For more information about the class, please contact Kelly Binder at 610-543-5022 X 227 or kbinder@pathwayspa.org.
Images courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Capitol-Senate.JPG, http://www.ehow.com/how_5307448_apply-unemployment-benefits-unemployment-insurance.html
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