PathWays PA Policy Blog

From our friends at the Coalition Against Hunger This week, the House is likely to vote on a Farm Bill that would slash $8.6 billion from SNAP (food stamps), our country's most effective program in fighting hunger. Please make your voice heard today, and urge your members of Congress to oppose cuts to SNAP. If these cuts take effect, hundreds of thousands of households across the country would see cuts to their SNAP benefits--on top of cuts that already took place last November. In Pennsylvania alone, 175,000 households would lose an average of $65 a month in food assistance. Many would lose much more. Seniors living on fixed income as low as $800 a month could see see their SNAP benefits reduced by more than $130 a month. This is unthinkable. Speak out today on behalf of the many people in our community who struggle to put food on the table. Contact your elected officials . Urge them oppose cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill.

Today, American women are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, nine out of ten American workers don't have paid family leave and nearly 40 million don't have a single paid sick day. Plus - there is a critical need for affordable, quality child care in this country. We can change that. Tomorrow, PathWays PA, our allies, and champions in Congress invite you to join an unprecedented national conversation - moderated by actor Cynthia Nixon - about these issues and the changes that will advance income equality and economic security for women and families in America. Can you make it? Here are the details: WHAT : Let's Talk About It: Advancing women and families in 2014 A National Tele-Townhall Event on fair pay, paid leave, and access to child care WHEN : Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act 8:30 p.m. ET  WHERE : From the comfort of your phone No numbers to dial, we'll call you to connect to the event 

Join the Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition for their 6th Annual Conversation with Elected Officials: Supporting the Critical Role of Women and Families in PA Keynote speaker Carol Tracy, Executive Director of the Women's Law Project, will set the stage for the dialogue with information about the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women's Health, recently introduced by the bipartisan Women's Health Caucus of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Friday, April 4, 2014 at 8:30-10:30 a.m. BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 2040 Street Road, Warrington, PA Breakfast and attendee sign-in will begin promptly at 8 a.m. RSVP here .

NASI is recruiting for their summer internship programs. With your help, NASI can ensure that talented students learn about NASI's internships. This will mean that the most qualified upper division undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates looking to explore their next career choices, will have access to an unmatched internship experience. NASI internship programs offer a wide array of opportunities and a $3,500 stipend. Descriptions of the programs and the online application form are available on the individual internship pages and on NASI's Internship Opportunities page . The internship program has focused on developing young leaders in the social insurance field. Last year, sixteen outstanding young scholars were selected to spend their summer in Washington, DC working at various agencies and organizations and supervised by members of NASI. Application deadline: March 1, 2014 If you have any questions, feel free to call NASI at 202-452-8097

From our friends at CLASP and NNSP CLASP and NNSP are hosting a free webinar Thursday from 2:00PM-3:30PM on workforce development systems. In this webinar co-sponsored by the Center for Law and Social Policy(CLASP) and the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), participants will learn about two successful and complementary approaches that states and communities have adopted to help individuals attain skills and credentials, help meet employers' workforce needs, and strengthen the economic vitality of communities. Sector initiatives (regional industry-focused workforce partnerships) customize solutions for multiple employers and increase access to good jobs for low-income individuals. Career pathways connect progressive levels of basic skills and postsecondary education, training, and supportive services to optimize the progress and success of individuals. Webinar participants will learn about the characteristic strengths of each approach and how they can be combined f

From our friends at Maternity Care Coalition MCC will host a twitter chat this afternoon on Early Childhood Education for all (Immigrant and Non-Immigrant) South Philadelphia Babies and Infants using #SPhillyBabies @MccPolicy . Sample tweets can be seen here. For more information contact Koyuki Yip, kyip@maternitycarecoalition.org , 215.989.3563.

From our friends at PHAN. On, Monday January 20th from 10:00am- 1:00pm, PHAN will be at Bright Hope Baptist Church at 1601 N 12th Street in Philadelphia. If you would like to set up an appointment please call 1-877-570-3642. **Free flu shots will be available for those that need it at this event! Can't Make It Monday ? PHAN has Certified Application Counselors Available to Help you Enroll! To set up an appointment please call 1-877-570-3642 or go online to www.pahealthaccess.org/helpline Open enrollment goes until March 31, 2014 Don’t need help? Go to www.healthcare.gov to enroll now * Certified Application Counselors can help you enroll in the health insurance marketplace if you are uninsured or if you are paying too much for the insurance you have. They can help eligible people sign up for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and/or Medicaid. CACs have been certified and extensively trained to help people sign up for health insurance,

PathWays PA's Annual Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate Spring Event has been scheduled for Thursday, April 24. Our cocktail reception will feature wines, cheeses, and chocolates from the region as well as a fabulous silent auction. Live entertainment will be provided by Lights Out , a tribute band to Frankie Valli and The Four Season. For sponsorship, ads, and ticket information, please contact Fran Franchi at 610-543-5022 x 205 or at ffranchi@pathwayspa.org .

Today is the last day to submit comments on Governor Corbett's plan to extend Medicaid to low-income workers, also known as Healthy PA. Project Home has set up a link to help individuals submit comments online . The Governor's proposal is available for your review on the state's website . The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center also has a summary of the bill . Please visit http://bit.ly/1115waiver to share your thoughts today. You can also submit your comments to the Department of Public Welfare via their website at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/healthypa .

From our friends at CLASP On Friday, January 10, from 3:00pm-4:00PM, Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity and Childcare Aware® of America will sponsor a national audio conference to explore exciting developments in child care as part of the Work Supports Strategies (WSS) initiative. The audio call will also examine issues such as how a conservative state embraced safety net programs; the effectiveness of particular streamlining strategies; and what lessons from WSS can be applied to child care and other programs in the other 44 states. For a sneak preview on WSS and child care, check out this j ust-released report from the Urban Institute and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Speakers Include:  Richard Armstrong, Director, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare  Olivia Golden, Executive Director, CLASP Hannah Matthews, Director of Child Care and Early Education, CLASP Register here . Space is limited.

Program Manager (Media, PA) PathWays PA is seeking a Program Manager for our Delaware County residential program for women and children. The candidate shall understand the clinical and concrete day to day issues that disadvantaged families struggle with and shall possess the knowledge to generate and promote programming designed to address those issues. They shall possess the ability to promote team cohesiveness and foster a non-punitive, strength based environment. The Program Manager will be responsible for the overall daily operations and management of the Center and staff. Master's Degree in Social Work or related Master's Degree and minimum two years of program management and supervision experience. Send cover letter and resume via email or fax to 610-328-2807 attn: JL/CFF. EOE Financial Educator (Chester, PA) Innovative program that promotes economic well-being in low-income families seeks a BS/BA level Financial Educator. You must be comfortable with people, compu

From our Friends at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Contact your legislator and ask that they vote "YES" to House Bill 1796 (Nuisance Ordinances). Victims of a crime should never be punished for seeking help from those who are charged to serve and protect. Victims of domestic violence and other crimes are being evicted from their homes as a result of seeking protection from law enforcement or emergency services. This scenario is possible through municipalities adopting nuisance ordinances requiring landlords to evict an individual deemed a nuisance if police are called to the residence on multiple occasions (usually three times in a 12-month period). If a landlord does not evict the tenant, they will face fines and penalties-such as revocation of their rental license. At least 19 Pennsylvania communities-including Pittsburgh, Allentown, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre and York-as well as 59 other U.S. municipalities have similar laws that requi

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center will host their annual Budget Summit on February 20th at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg, PA to discuss the upcoming state budget negotiations and Governor Corbett's proposed funding levels. Issues that will be discussed include: Budget deficit in 2014 Education funding Human services funding A list of speakers will follow as the date of the event nears. Register Here

The PA House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HB1807 , a bill that would take away local control over the ability to pass paid and unpaid leave policies like paid sick days. If the State takes away that right, they may continue to strip away local power until communities are no longer able to adopt policies that area citizens support. Policies like paid sick days are popular in many local communities and supported by all demographics, including working moms, as a good way to protect employees from working sick and customers from getting sick by employees. This is not an issue that should be preempted by State government. Please call your legislators and ask them to oppose HB1807. Find your legislator here .

From our Friends at National Women's Law Center Today, the Senate will be voting on extending federal unemployment benefits. The bill may also come up in the House soon. Please Call Senators and urge them to restore federal emergency unemployment insurance. Why should Congress restore these benefits? Here are just a few reasons: Unemployment insurance kept more than 1.7 million people, including 655,000 women and 446,000 children, from falling into poverty in 2012. Long-term unemployment remains near record-high levels; nearly 4.1 million jobless workers have been searching for a job for more than six months. Unemployment rates for single mothers and other vulnerable groups are higher than they were when the recession began. If Congress doesn't act to renew the federal unemployment insurance program this year, another 3.6 million people and their families will lose access to these benefits by the end of 2014 (in addition to the 1.3 million who have already seen the