PathWays PA Policy Blog

Sign-on: WIC Coalition Partner Letter

2013-05-23T15:44:00.000-04:00

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.

Make Sure You Know-Women's Preventative Health Services Have NO Co-Pay!

2013-05-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

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.

Looking to Serve Your Country and the Community? Consider AmeriCorps VISTA!

2013-05-20T13:37:00.001-04:00

PathWays PA is excited to announce several openings for AmeriCorps VISTA positions among our partners across the state. If you are interested in serving your country and your community, please see if one of these positions is right for you.

PathWays PA/American Red Cross VISTA 08/27/2013-08/26/2014 PA
Help the American Red Cross serve those who serve! We seek 2 VISTA members to develop programming related to direct and indirect services serving military and veteran families in Southeastern PA.
PathWays PA/Boat People SOS HAPP VISTA 08/27/2013-08/26/2014 PA
The VISTA will support our work to reduce long-standing health disparities by implementing creative outreach/education projects to increase access to health care for all Vietnamese community members.
PathWays PA/Boat Project SOS ECO VISTA 08/27/2013-08/26/2014 PA
Support the BPSOS-DelV team to deepen and broaden our work with the Vietnamese community in Philadelphia! Help us plan community events, recruit volunteers, and sustain our media outreach efforts.
PathWays PA/St. Vincent de Paul VISTA 08/27/2013-08/26/2014 PA
Interested in using your marketing skills to help low-income families? Market St. Vincent de Paul to help families find employment today!
PathWays PA/ Just Harvest VISTA 08/27/2013 PA (added 5/22/2013)
Help empower community members in fight to end hunger! Work to engage TANF consumers, youth, and the community at large through outreach, education, and recruitment.

Please check back for more positions soon, including some right here at PathWays PA!

Take Action Against Payday Loans!

2013-05-17T11:10:00.000-04:00

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!

Shingles Vaccine for 50+ This Friday!

2013-05-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

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.

Family and Finance Open House Tomorrow at 4PM!

2013-05-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

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!

Celebrate Women and Girls In Delaware County on Thursday!

2013-05-07T11:20:00.000-04:00

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!

Email Congress Today: Fix Life-Changing Cuts, Not Just Inconveniences!

2013-05-03T13:03:00.000-04:00

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!

Audio Conference: Unwed Dads in the Inner City-What's Changed and Why it Matters

2013-05-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, May 8 from 2-3PM The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the Center for Family Policy & 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 Blondell Reynolds-Brown Free Brown Bag Lunch for Women!

2013-05-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

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.

Pew Charitable Trusts Invites You to Join the Discussion: Philadelphia Taxes-Past, Present and Future

2013-04-30T17:07:00.000-04:00

On Friday, May 3 from 9AM-12PM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 119A located at 1101 Arch St in Philadelphia there will be a discussion on local taxes.

It will be the subject of a half-day symposium featuring tax-policy experts, business and community leaders, government officials, and a group of bi-partisan city and state elected officials. A first panel discussion, moderated by Steve Highsmith, host of NBC 10's weekly program, NBC10 @Issue, will focus on Philadelphia's tax structure, tax policy, and various ideas for changing them. The second panel discussion, moderated by Sandy Shea, editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, will provide perspectives on political aspects of tax policy choices.

RSVP

Ask Congress to Preserve the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits!

2013-04-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

More than 100,000 children in PA are lifted out of poverty each year by the federal Earned Income Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits (EITC and CTC).

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) help working families make ends meet by both rewarding work and recognizing the additional expenses of raising children. These tax credits have a strong history of bipartisan support and have been praised and expanded by Republican and Democratic administrations alike. The EITC and CTC have an incredibly beneficial impact for children, families and the economy.

Protect these essential tax credits and ask that 2009 enhancements to the credits be made permanent by adding your name to our sign-on letter. Read the letter and add your name.

For more information about the 2009 enhancements and the economic impact of these credits in Pennsylvania, check out PCCY's fact sheets.

Learn More About the Federal Comp Time Bill!

2013-04-25T13:08:00.000-04:00

The Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1406) is a smoke-and-mirrors bill that offers a pay cut for workers without any guaranteed flexibility or time off to care for their families or themselves.

The bill's supporters claim H.R. 1406 would give hourly workers more flexibility and time with their loved ones by allowing them to choose paid time off, rather than time-and-a-half wages, as compensation for working more than 40 hours in one week ("comp time"). But the irony is that workers will only get more time with their families after they've spent long hours away at work. And there is nothing in H.R. 1406 that guarantees that workers will be able to use the comp time they have earned when they need it.

The next step for the bill is floor consideration, which is expected in the second week of May. Please read the letter and sign on in opposition.