PathWays PA Policy Blog

COME TO THE RALLY AND HEARING ON EARNED SICK DAYS! Everyone Gets Sick— Not Everyone Has the Time to Get Better 2 out of every 5 workers in Philadelphia do NOT have a single paid sick day. Help Us Tell City Council to Give ALL Workers a Chance to Earn Paid Sick Days. WHEN: March 1, 2011 9:00 AM WHERE: Room 401, Philadelphia City Hall Join the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces at City Hall for a Rally and Press Conference and then help us pack the Hearing Room to show the importance of this bill. Enter City Hall at the north-east corner and remember to bring a picture ID. Register to attend at: http://rallyforearnedsicktime.eventbrite.com Even if you have paid sick days remember a majority of restaurant, child care, and health care workers do not—the lack of paid sick days in Philadelphia impacts us all! Federal Policy Update NEW REPORT SHOWS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WOULD SUFFER UNDER HOUSE BUDGET PLAN At a time when 14 million people are out of work more may beg

An article this week in The Daily Local News discusses the issue of suburban poverty, a problem that is worsening for many families.  Affordable housing is considered one of the main problems, according to the article. Also according to the article, "Single-parent families are hardest hit. A single mother in Chester County with one infant preschool child needs to earn $69,613 yearly to be self-sufficient, according to the most recent survey performed by Pathways Pa., an organization whose goal is to keep low-income, vulnerable women together with their children. Self-sufficiency measures the real costs of meeting basic needs and is meant to assess the costs facing working-age, nondisabled and nonelderly households."

EITC Coordinator This position will coordinate and provide data management and support in preparation for, during, and after the 20010/11 tax season. Site Coordinator experience preferred. This position coordinates scheduling of tax sites and preparers and also trains tax season staff and volunteers. Bachelor’s Degree required. Familiarity and commitment to helping low-income/TANF recipients preferred. This is a 6-7 month position beginning in January. Please fax resumes to: LD/EITC at 610-543-6483. ABE/GED/ESL Full-Time – Seasoned instructor to teach reading, writing, math, ESL, GED® prep and computer basics in North Philadelphia and Delaware County. Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of teaching adults or children required. Strongly prefer instructor who has experience with the EL/Civics program sponsored by the state Bureau of Adult and Basic Education. Some evening work required. Must have access to reliable transportation. Training in CASAS and TABE preferred. Provide instruction

From our friends at AmeriCorps Alums . This weekend, the House passed H.R. 1, legislation that would make deep cuts in government spending for the rest of the fiscal year. The measure – which eliminates AmeriCorps -- passed 235-189 . After hearing the news that AmeriCorps was being threatened, AmeriCorps alum Caleb Jonas decided he had to do something. From a coffee shop in Massachusetts, Caleb created a petition asking Congress to "Save AmeriCorps.” Caleb’s inspiring alumni action has already been signed by 40,000+ Americans -- without significant promotion from any major organization. Until now. Your signature will help AmeriCorps Alums and Caleb reach his goal of 85,000 signatures -- one signature for every AmeriCorps member currently serving their country. DEADLINE: Thursday, 5 p.m. The House vote is just one step in the legislative process. The bill has been sent to the Senate for their consideration, and the Senate and the President will have opportunities to shape

COME TO THE RALLY AND HEARING ON EARNED SICK DAYS! Everyone Gets Sick— Not Everyone Has the Time to Get Better 2 out of every 5 workers in Philadelphia do NOT have a single paid sick day. Help Us Tell City Council to Give ALL Workers a Chance to Earn Paid Sick Days. WHEN: March 1, 2011 9:00 AM WHERE: City Hall, Philadelphia Join the Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces at City Hall for a Rally and Press Conference and then help us pack the Hearing Room to show the importance of this bill. Register to attend at: http://rallyforearnedsicktime.eventbrite.com Even if you have paid sick days remember a majority of restaurant, child care, and health care workers do not—the lack of paid sick days in Philadelphia impacts us all! If you have a story about how having or lacking paid sick days has impacted you please email kscully@pathwayspa.org . In addition please take a few moments to write a letter to your members of City Council . Federal Policy Update HOUSE APPRO

Over the weekend, the House cut $60 billion from the remaining budget for the fiscal year, according to The New York Times .   Since the Senate is not expected to follow suit, Congress only has four days next week to come up with a bill to fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year.  If no agreement is reached, the government could enter a shutdown in early March. Hundreds of amendments were included in the bill, and The New York Times offers an amendment tracker to view key votes.  Here is a breakdown of some of the key amendments: Elimination of financing for Planned Parenthood Prohibition of the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases Prohibition of financing for health care law Prohibition of financing to enforce the insurance mandate Restoration of financing for special education Reduction of EPA financing by $8.5 million Among amendments that were rejected was a restoration of $50 million in LIHEAP funding and a reduction of Amtrak financing .

This coming March marks the 15th year that National Women’s History Month is being celebrated in the United States. This important designation, which started as Women’s History Week in Sonoma County, CA, in 1978, has grown into a celebration of women throughout the country. This year’s National Women’s History Month theme, “Our History is Our Strength,” focuses on the tenacity, courage, and creativity of women and how these skills led to important historical achievements. It pays tribute to the millions of women who have taken action to improve the lives of other women, both in their own era and for future generations. This National Women’s History Month also marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day (March 8) and the 100th Anniversary of California women winning the right to vote. The National Women’s History Project suggests many options for celebrating National Women’s History Month in your community. You can talk to teachers about planning events in school

Apologies for not writing about this sooner, but the Policy Department has been in the midst of attending a national conference and preparing for a local hearing on earned sick time.  While we were busy, a budget proposal for the rest of the fiscal year (from March 4 until September 30) was announced, as well as President Obama's proposed budget for 2012. Note: Congressional Staffers are also looking for your thoughts on HR 1.  A new service, POPVOX, is among organizations collecting statements.  To learn more about POPVOX, please visit https://www.popvox.com/home.  Also, The New York Times has put together a graphic representation of the federal budget proposal, showing the various cuts and increases to spending.  You can check it out on their website . Here is a roundup of budget information that we have gathered from our friends and colleagues. Tell us about more in the comments! Adult Education AmeriCorps/Corporation for National and Community Service Food and Nut

EITC Coordinator This position will coordinate and provide data management and support in preparation for, during, and after the 20010/11 tax season. Site Coordinator experience preferred. This position coordinates scheduling of tax sites and preparers and also trains tax season staff and volunteers. Bachelor’s Degree required. Familiarity and commitment to helping low-income/TANF recipients preferred. This is a 6-7 month position beginning in January. Please fax resumes to: LD/EITC at 610-543-6483. ABE/GED/ESL Full-Time – Seasoned instructor to teach reading, writing, math, ESL, GED® prep and computer basics in North Philadelphia and Delaware County. Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of teaching adults or children required. Strongly prefer instructor who has experience with the EL/Civics program sponsored by the state Bureau of Adult and Basic Education. Some evening work required. Must have access to reliable transportation. Training in CASAS and TABE preferred. Provide instruction

STOP THE ATTACKS ON WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE! Join Raising Women’s Voices of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a coalition which PathWays PA is a member of, for a Rally in Support of Women’s Health Care WHEN: Thursday, February 17th at 11:30 AM WHERE: Thomas Paine Plaza in front of the Municipal Services Building, 1417 JFK Blvd (across from City Hall) WHAT’S AT STAKE? Legislation in both Harrisburg and Washington DC aims to stop women from using their own money to purchase health insurance that covers abortion. Some members of Congress are proposing to entirely eliminate all federal funding for family planning and reproductive health services which will lead to more unintended pregnancies. They are also proposing deep cuts in federal funding for maternal and child health. For more information please visit www.raisingwomensvoices.net or follow Raising Women’s Voices of Southeastern PA on Twitter @RWVofSEPA COME TO THE RALLY AND HEARING ON EARNED SICK DAYS!  Everyone Gets Sick— Not

Federal Policy Update URGE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THAT SUPPORT VULNERABLE AMERICANS The House of Representatives is poised to pass a bill which will cut $100 billion from the current-year federal budget, with most reductions focused on federal support for basic health and human services for vulnerable Americans. Below are some of the cuts in the proposal: An end of funding for Title X, the federal family planning program, in this current fiscal year. Title X provides Pap tests, birth control, STD screening and treatment, breast exams, and more to millions of low income Americans. It's care that saves lives. A $1.1 billion cut in Head Start, a program that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. A $758 million cut to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides supplemental food to infants, health care referrals, and nutritio

The United Way of Pennsylvania , The Southeastern Pennsylvania Budget Coalition , and many other organizations are circulating a survey to gauge the impact of state budget cuts to organizations across Pennsylvania. Please take a moment to answer this short, 12 question survey about the impact of cuts on your organization !

(Employers or community organizations: Want to offer free tax preparation at your location? Call 610-543-5022 to schedule on site tax service today!) Path Ways PA offers FREE certified tax preparation at our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites throughout Philadelphia and Delaware counties! FREE TAX PREPARATION is for taxpayers with an annual gross household income less than $50,000. Call 610-543-5022 or 1-800-209-2914 to schedule your FREE tax appointment today! Keep your full refund and save your money! No tax preparation fees No F-filing fees No check cashing fees Open a no-fee savings or prepaid debit card account Purchase a risk-free US Savings Bond Find out if you’re eligible for SNAP (food stamps) Taxpayers MUST bring all necessary identification and required tax statements for taxpayer, spouse and dependents. Locations: Delaware County 310 Amosland Road, Holmes, PA 19043 620 Engle Street, Chester, PA 19013 2501 Seaport Drive, Chester, PA 19013 Ph

All are invited to attend DelCoAD's first annual Financial Services Fair at the Booker T. Washington Community Center in Chester on Saturday, February 12th from 10am-4pm at their premiere site, Chester Housing Authority's Booker T. Washington Community Center, 611 Central Avenue in Chester. DelCoAD, sponsored by Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, is a member of the National Community Tax Coalition . Chester, PA-The rush for the tax refund is on and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs nationwide are working to assist taxpayers in accessing that refund free of cost. Delaware County Asset Development group, a consortium of agencies, educational and financial institutions sponsors nine of these sites in Delaware County. This year for the first time, DelCoAD and its partners are offering a day-long "Super Site"--a Financial Services Fair where anyone who made under $50,000 i