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, ...