PathWays PA Policy Blog

Please consider completing Widener University's brief survey on assessing violence against sexual minority youth and feel free to disseminate to any and all throughout the county, including youth, community members, professionals, etc.

Payday lending proponents just unveiled their proposal in the Senate to bring predatory payday loans to Pennsylvania. The payday lenders are promoting legislation that would authorize a nearly 300% APR on a typical two-week payday loan, significantly weakening the state’s current strong laws against such practices. The proposal seeks to hide the dangerous nature of these loans by calling it “micro credit.” There is nothing “micro” about the high cost and large debt trap that comes with these payday loans. But there’s another problem with the proposed legislation. Pennsylvania doesn’t need it. As recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and Pew Charitable Trusts, Pennsylvanians already have some of the strongest consumer protections in the country. We don’t need debt trap legislation disguised as credit innovation. Please email and call your legislators TODAY through this link . Tell them we don’t need to bring 1,000 payday loans storefronts to Pennsylvania peddling h...

This year the Governor proposed a small budget increase for Pre-K and Head Start, and an even smaller one for subsidized child care. We know these increases aren't nearly enough to meet the needs of young children and families in this region. Nevertheless, the legislature is poised to act on the state budget in the next few weeks. Unfortunately state revenues are tight so some legislators are considering cutting the modest increases for child care and other early learning programs so they can balance the budget. Click here to urge your legislators to voter against any cuts to early childhood programs.

PathWays PA will be offering 2 FREE 40 hour Adult Math Classes in Philadelphia. The first class is scheduled to begin in late June and will be held at the Nicetown Public Library at 3720 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19140. The second class is tentatively scheduled to begin in early September. This program is open to all adult residents of Philadelphia, and is specifically geared towards adults who need to improve math skills for successful employment. Interested students should contact Eve Thomas, Manager of Workforce Development at Pathways PA: ethomas@pathwayspa.org ; 610-543-5022 x 256.

Now is the time to add your organization to the letter in support of a FY '14 appropriation of $5 million for the State Paid Leave Fund in the U.S. Department of Labor budget. The fund would provide grants to states considering self-sustaining paid leave programs similar to successful paid family leave insurance programs in California and New Jersey and pave the way for a national paid leave program. National, state and local organizations are all encouraged to sign. Read and sign on to the letter ! Deadline is May 31st.

Women in Transition (WIT) is now accepting used iPods and iPads in its Cell Phone Recycling Program. At the moment, only Apple products can be accepted. WIT continues to accept any and all of your used cell phones and Smartphones. Click here for more information or call WIT's Development Department at 215.564.5301 ext. 125.

Participate in these upcoming events and learn how to navigate and understand the various nutrition programs that are starting up around the country and in your area this summer. Summer Meals Matter: Conference Call - Participate in Summer Meals Awareness Week and Develop an Ongoing Communication Strategy about the Program  Monday, June 3rd at 1 p.m. EDT  Register here ... June 10 will be the start of the third annual Summer Food Service Program Awareness week. Discuss upcoming events and talk about ways you can become involved in celebrating and promoting the Summer Nutrition Programs. Share strategies for ongoing communications about the program to keep your community engaged and maintain high attendance at summer meal programs. Conference Call - Troubleshooting Problems that Arise During the Summer  Tuesday, July 2 at 1 p.m. ET  Register here ... After months of preparing, your Summer Food Service Program is now in full swing and unanticipated iss...

Tomorrow continues a week long call-in effort to ask the Governor and legislators to support Medicaid expansion in PA. We ask women in the health community to contact the Governor and their elected Representatives and to let them know we want them to support the Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania. The Medicaid expansion would extend coverage to up to 200,000 uninsured Pennsylvania women, promoting the health and economic well-being of women and families in our state. Please also join us tomorrow from 3PM-7PM at Child Guidance Resource Center located at 2000 Old West Chester Pike in Havertown for a photo and call-in event for parents and children to have their voices heard.

Take action now and tell your Senators today to end the extreme policy that prohibits women in the Peace Corps who become pregnant due to rape or whose life is at risk because of pregnancy from getting an abortion. The Peace Corps is a federal program that sends over 8,000 American volunteers abroad each year to promote world peace and friendship. Women make up more than 60 percent of these volunteers. And though other women who receive health care coverage through the federal government have coverage of abortion in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the woman, Peace Corps volunteers are prohibited from receiving the same coverage as federal employees. It's time to end the unconscionable ban on abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers in the cases of rape, incest and life endangerment to the woman. Tell your Senators to support the Peace Corps Equity Act to end this extreme policy.

Just as AmeriCorps VISTA members work to expand and build the capacity of community projects, VISTA Leaders work to expand and build the capacity of individual AmeriCorps VISTA members and their respective service sites. Leaders have demonstrated leadership skills and qualities during their initial term of service and have accepted a new level of responsibility. If you have already done one year of AmeriCorps VISTA and are interested in using your leadership skills to work with other VISTAs, please consider coming on board at PathWays PA. You can learn more about being a VISTA Leader at http://vistacampus.org/mod/book/view.php?id=2093&chapterid=2143 . PathWaysPA-LEAD VISTA for Self Sufficiency VLDR 08/27/2013 PA PathWays PA's Self Sufficiency Department focuses on building career ladders for low-income individuals and providing financial education and resources to become self-sufficient.

The National WIC Association encourages organizations to please SIGN our coalition partner to the Senate and House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Members, which urges them to fully fund WIC in FY 2014 at a level that ensures that no eligible applicants are turned away and which supports current and anticipated WIC participation levels. Serving nearly 9 million mothers and young children, including 53% of all infants in the country, WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support, referrals to medical and social services and a small nutritious food package. Click here to view the letter. Click here to sign the letter. Please sign by close of business on Thursday, May 23rd.

The National Women's Law Center has been working hard to make sure you and your families know about the preventive coverage provided through Obamacare. We've heard from many women about how much this coverage has helped them! Some women have reported obstacles. Have you gone to the pharmacy to get your birth control thinking you wouldn't have a co-pay - only to find out that you did? Or have you gone to the doctor thinking your annual visit would be covered without a co-pay - but it wasn't? This new tool kit will help guide your way through the new system of care you are entitled to. If you have a question, or you have trouble getting a preventive service covered and you're unsure why contact NWLC at: 1-866-PILL4US or via email at pill4us@nwlc.org .

Ask Governor Corbett to support House Bill 993 , sponsored by Rep. Thomas Murt (R- Montgomery), and the identical Senate Bill 840 , sponsored by Sens. Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery) and Jay Costa (D-Allegheny). Both bills would change the name from the Dept. of Public Welfare to the Dept. of Human Services at an absolutely minimal cost to taxpayers. Ask him to join with the 49 other states who have dropped the name 'welfare' from their departments that provide human services. You can find more DPW name-change resources, including our petition supporting the effort, by clicking here .

The Cover the Commonwealth Campaign (CtC) is organizing a statewide week of action to get the Governor and legislature to move on accepting the Medicaid expansion. Next Wednesday, May 29th, will be a call-in day for the women's health community to contact the Governor and their elected Representatives to ask them to support the Medicaid expansion. We need to mobilize all of our networks to make this a success! Share our link on your social media pages encouraging your friends to make calls. Do you know someone who is uninsured? Ask them to share their story about why getting health insurance is so important to them. This link will lead you to a webpage where they can find your legislator and a script to make calls.

On Wednesday, May 22nd, healthcare workers, law enforcement, social workers, teachers, and any interested community members are invited to join in a panel discussion on domestic violence awareness at a free public event in Penn Hall at Bucks County Community College. The informational workshop is sponsored by the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP) with St. Mary Medical Center . The discussion panel consists of four distinguished speakers: State College Detective Deirdri Fishel Bensalem Detective Kevin Cornish Director of Doylestown Hospital's Emergency Department Barbara Taubenberger A client of A Woman's Place will share her journey from victim to survivor. Check-in for the event begins at 5:30 pm and activities conclude at 9 pm. If any media plans to attend please contact Community Educator Carla Odell at 215.343.9241 x114. Permission is needed before publishing any photos. For general event information, please contact Michelle Mooney at 215-...

Senator Browne issued a co-sponsorship memo about soon-to-be filed legislation that would legalize high-cost predatory payday loans in Pennsylvania. The bill is not expected to be any different than last year's HB 2191 in that at its core it legalizes the same debt trap payday product. Adding up all the fees and interest, it would legalize a 288% APR on a typical, two-week $300 payday loan. This product is grossly inconsistent with protections in place for Pennsylvanians and the entire U.S. military (which cannot be offered loans with interest above 36% APR), and puts the state's veterans and families at risk. Reach out to your legislators ASAP and ask them not to support Payday Loans in PA !

The Senate Agriculture Committee has scheduled its markup for next Tuesday, May 14th at 10am ET. Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow's (D-MI) mark includes a $4.1 billion/10 years cut to SNAP/food stamps. The $4.1 billion 'Heat and Eat' cut would limit states' ability to coordinate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and SNAP benefits, and, counter intuitively, reduce SNAP benefits for households eligible for but receiving the smallest, least adequate LIHEAP benefits. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is now looking for co-sponsors for her 'Restore SNAP Cuts' amendment. This amendment restores the $4.1 billion/10 years cut to SNAP made in the Farm Bill, and offsets this cost by reducing payments to crop insurance companies without reducing the crop insurance subsidies the government pays directly to farmers. If you support this restoration, please contact your Senators and ask that they co-sponsor Senator Gillibrand's amendment to restor...

All too often pregnant women are given an impossible choice - endanger your pregnancy or lose your job. That's because when some pregnant workers ask for adjustments in their job duties so they can continue safely working - like avoiding heavy lifting or staying off ladders - their bosses deny their requests, even when the adjustments were offered to other workers. As a result, some women who want and need to continue working throughout their pregnancies have been fired, forced to quit, or forced onto unpaid leave. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is a commonsense bill that requires employers to make the same types of accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions that they already make for disabilities. Please contact your Members of Congress today and ask them to co-sponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Low or no cost shingles vaccines will be available on Friday from 9AM-1PM at Harrah's Casino and Racetrack located on Route 291 in Chester. One out of three people will develop shingles. Risk factors include age (50+ years), weakened immune system (due to diseases, cancer treatments, medications), and history of chickenpox. To participate, you must be 50 years of age or older and uninsured, or your insurance does not cover the vaccine to be eligible. To schedule an appointment, or if you have questions, please call Delaware County State Health Center at (610) 447-3250.

On Thursday, May 30 at 1:00 PM there will be a free teleclass presented by the Pennsylvania Conference for Women :"Mindfulness as a Career Strategy: How to Use Centuries-Old Techniques to Enhance Your Leadership Presence Today" with Emily Bennington. You'll learn specific techniques to define the leader you want to be, observe your own thoughts without judgment, call out what doesn't serve you, and call forth what does. But most of all, you'll walk away from this experience with a deeper appreciation of why you must be a magnificent woman first to have a magnificent career. To lead effectively, you have to understand there is a cause and effect relationship between what you think and what you do. Click here to register and learn more.

This Thursday at 4PM at The Original Coffee Bar located at 943 MacDade Blvd in Collingdale. State Representative Nick Miccarelli (R-Ridley Park) will cohost an event with the Delaware County Asset Development Group . This event will put residents in touch with services and programs designed to make them financially aware year-round. The event is specifically targeted to assist women who are not only responsible for family care, but are increasingly becoming more responsible for the financial security of their families. It also precedes The Original Coffee Bar's movie night - free for all to enjoy. DelcoAD is a network of agencies, educational and financial institutions dedicated to building the financial health and stability of individuals and families in Delaware County. No RSVP is needed, just stop by!

Join the Friends of the Delaware County Women's Commission Annual Dinner to honor the talents and aspirations of women and girls in Delaware County. The keynote speaker will be Catherine M. Cahill of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts . The event will be held at the Springfield Country Club, 400 W. Sproul Road in Springfield. Doors open at 5:30 for vendor and silent auction preview.  Proceeds support the work of Friends of the Delaware County Women's Commission and The Delaware County Women's Commission. RSVP here!

Members of our state government are working to introduce new legislation that will help our state protect victims of trafficking, prosecute offenders, and prevent human trafficking from happening in the first place, but they need your help! Advocates will join together on Tuesday, May 7th in Harrisburg to meet with State Senators before attending a press conference on anti-trafficking legislation in the afternoon. If you can't attend, pledge to call your State Senator and urge him/her to support anti-trafficking legislation. Register using this link for the event and call information.

The Coalition on Human Needs has been compiling stories about real harm. Poor people with disabilities, one step away from homelessness, who were given a rental voucher only to have it snatched back because of federal sequestration cuts. Three to five year olds dropped from Head Start, or losing summer programs. Seniors only getting home-delivered meals every other Friday. Long-term unemployed with benefits cut 10 percent or more (nearly 18 percent in California). The country needs is a comprehensive fix to all the cuts caused by sequestration - fixing the cuts that leave people hungry, threaten homelessness and health care, shortchange children's education and the unemployeds' chance at jobs, just to name some of what is happening around the country. Email Your Congressperson Now!

On Wednesday, May 8 from 2-3PM The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the Center for Family Policy and Practice (CFFPP), and The Clapham Group are offering an audio conference about unwed fathers. The authors of " Doing the Best they Can: Fatherhood in the Inner City"  Kathryn Edin, professor of public policy and management, and Timothy J. Nelson, lecturer in social policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, conclude that we all should take another look at the father-child bond in the inner city and its critical importance to our nation. Register Here-Space is Limited

Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown will be hosting a brown bag lunch on Wednesday, May 8 beginning at 12PM in the Caucus Room of City Council. The theme of the May 8th lunch is " Financial Literacy for Women on Corporate Boards ". The lunch will be led by Women in Banking and Finance who have experience in the financial industry. This interactive workshop is designed to educate the Next Generation of Women Leaders on how to understand financial statements, and use analysis tools to assess performance of corporate boards. Limited Seating Available, R.S.V.P. to Katherine J. Gilmore at (215)686-3438 or Katherine.gilmore@phila.gov .