SPRING NEWSLETTER 2003

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Judy Victor (top) and members of Day Care Justice Co-op advocate for providers.

I was organizing before I knew what the word meant," says Judy Victor, executive director of the Day Care Justice Co-op, a Fund member agency. When her children outgrew their shoes and clothes, she organized a clothing exchange in their school. When parents had problems at the school, Judy became their advocate. When Judy volunteered at her daughter's Head Start center in Harlem, she soon found herself on New York's citywide Head Start Council, rubbing elbows with representatives of the Mayor, the Children's Defense Fund and federal officials. She even spent a week in Washington helping draft regulations.

            "I don't know how I get into these things," says Judy, smiling, "I think it must be my big mouth. I want to get to the bottom of things. I always want to look out for the underdog."

            Judy's sympathy for underdogs comes from first-hand experience. Her grandmother in

Trinidad kept Judy out of school, and she dropped out of high school in New York. She went on to earn her GED and a full scholarship to the University of Washington, but her mother refused to let her go to college. As a single mother of three children, Judy relied on welfare until her children were in school, then worked nights at a hospital to be at home for them after school.

            Judy joined her sister in Providence in 1991 and after her first employer closed its doors, turned to child care as a way to earn a living. The money was terrible, but the lack of health insurance nearly killed her. As an uninsured patient, Judy was neglected by doctors and under-treated for a condition she eventually learned was life-threatening. To get health coverage, Judy had to quit work and go on public assistance.

            That experience led Judy to DARE's Day Care Justice Committee. DARE (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) formed the Committee to win health insurance for child care providers, and soon Judy became its chairperson. That DARE campaign set a national precedent, winning first-in-the-nation health care coverage for child care providers in 1997. DARE then proposed a three-year process of transition to independent status for the Committee.  

            Today, the independent Day Care Justice Co-op represents 300 state-certified family daycare providers. The state subsidizes daycare to encourage the transition from welfare to work. Families pay according to income and the state pays the rest. In Providence, a family daycare provider receives $134 a week to care for a toddler.

            Rhode Island is considered a national leader in this area. Yet, the cost of that leadership is largely paid by child care providers, mostly low-income working mothers themselves. A Day Care Justice Co-op study released last year found that certified providers earn just $2.76 per hour on average, less than half of the minimum wage. Providers work at least 55 hours per week-the average is over 70. Thirty percent of the providers actually lose money after covering their costs.

            The Co-op responds to many member needs. They operate a toy lending library and a purchasing cooperative. A roving reader from DCJ conducts a drop-in story time at member homes, distributes books to children and helps providers with any problems that come up during her visit. DCJ connects members with training and business services, such as Next Level supported by Fleet Bank.

            "This is not just babysitting. But the state still looks at child care as women's work. So far, the contract that providers sign hasn't been a real contract. It's just something they shove at us." Judy shakes her head in resignation. "Policy-makers don't hear you until you are right in their faces." says Judy. "You not only have to get to the table, but you need to be able to stay at the table and say, 'Listen, we want this, and this, and this'."  JWH

From Vision to Reality
Women's Fund of Rhode Island

Judy Victor, Simone P. Joyaux and Brenda Clement celebrate the announcement of the first grants. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION

The Fund is proud that two of its member organizations, Day Care Justice Co-op and The Housing Network of R.I., were awarded charter grants from the Women's Fund of Rhode Island, a new field of interest fund at The Rhode Island Foundation. Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, its founder and first chairwoman, announced in February that the Women's Fund awarded $75,000 to six innovative projects, three of which focus on family child care providers.

            A few years ago, The Fund presented Simone with a book, Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide to Giving Your Money for Social Change, in appreciation of her long-term support of our social justice collaborative. She phoned us after reading the book and said, "I need to do more. I'm starting a women's fund." The Rhode Island Foundation seeded the effort with a $2.5 million challenge grant. Today, her ambitious goal is a reality as dollars have already been distributed to organizations to level the playing field for women and girls.

            Day Care Justice Co-op was awarded the largest grant of $21,000 for their Cost of Care Campaign to obtain legislative authorization to bargain with the R.I. Department of Human Services in support of the providers. The Housing Network earned a $15,000 grant to provide educational assistance to enable daycare providers to create assets and purchase homes.

            Brenda Clement, executive director of the Housing Network, said, "We are, of course, very pleased to be selected as one of the inaugural recipients of the Women's Fund. We are also very pleased to be working with fellow Fund member, Day Care Justice, on our project which is called ABC (Asset Building Capital)." The ABC project will link daycare providers with the Housing Network's Homeownership Education Center and also with some business development training for their home-based businesses.

            After 20 years of promoting social change philanthropy, The Fund is proud to welcome another fund for social justice.  NHV

Christian L. Stephens (right) PHOTO: JEAN DUFFY

Chris Stephens and NRI Win Big

Christian L. Stephens is one of the biggest cheerleaders when it comes to the value of organizations devoted to advocacy, human service, and healthcare collaborating with each other. As the head of NRI Community Services, he has shepherded the expansion of NRI from a community mental health center into a multi-service agency that also provides housing, employment, alternative education, substance abuse services and trauma and violence services.

            Chris' accomplishments were celebrated in April with two awards. The National Council of Behavioral Healthcare Organizations selected him to receive its highest honor, the Harold C. Piepenbrink Award for career accomplishments and professional leadership in the mental health field.

            In Rhode Island, Chris received the President's Award from the Rhode Island Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence to celebrate the career accomplishments of an executive in the substance abuse field. Chris' nomination cited his leadership in integrating mental health and substance abuse services and in addressing the housing needs of people in recovery.

            "Without local and statewide collaborations with The Fund's organizations," notes Chris, "our clients' voices would not be heard. We are proud of our membership."  CMR

Deceit and Denial
What They Claimed about Lead Paint

One of the children Childhood LeadAction Project seeks to protect. PHOTO: DAVID O'CONNOR

Childhood Lead Action Project announces two upcoming events and two grant awards. The first is a presentation by Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner, the authors of Deceit and Denial. This book exposes the lead industry's campaign to market lead paint as a benign, child-friendly substance. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 6, from noon to 2:00 p.m. and will be held at Casey Family Services, 1268 Eddy Street, Providence. Also, the Project will sponsor the Newport/East Bay Lead Poisoning Prevention Conference that will be held on Friday, May 16, at the Newport Public Library, located at 300 Spring Street. This event will take place from 9:00 a.m. till 3:30 p.m.

            Recently the Project received grants from the Frank Hazard Foundation and the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. For more information about the events or the awards, contact Childhood Lead Action Project at 785-1310.  CMR

Celebrating Changemakers
Coalition Recognizes Donors and Workplaces

The Fund will host its annual Awards Ceremony honoring workplace donors on May 15 from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Amica in Lincoln. Brown University, Citizens Bank, Save The Bay, and Cavanagh Company will receive awards. Amica, NRICASSP, Ness Motley and SER will be honored for community leadership in opening their workplaces for employee giving in 2002. Celebrating two decades of advocating as a collaborative for social justice, The Fund will recognize individuals and organizations that have contributed to The Fund's success during the last year. 

            Brown University will receive the "Most Total Contributions over 100 Employees" Award, and Citizens Bank will win "Most Improved Campaign over 100 Employees" for its 123% increase in giving from the 2001 campaign. Cavanagh Company will receive "Most Total Contributions under 100 Employees," and "Most Improved Campaign Under 100 Employees" will be awarded to Save The Bay, whose giving increased by 72%.

            Peter Walsh, senior vice president at Bank Rhode Island, who chaired Campaign 2002, will present the campaign awards. Marsha Rice, chair of The Fund's Board of Directors, will present the Sister Carol McGovern "Voice for the Voiceless Award," the Media Spotlight Award and the Member of the Year Award. For the first time, the Sue Welin Award for Nonviolence will be given to the individual or organization which contributed the most toward nonviolence during the previous year. This award is named in honor of the late Susan Hamilton Welin, co-founder of the Community Mediation Center of R.I. and a former Fund Board member, who died in July 2002 after a long illness.

            To make a reservation for the May 15 reception and ceremony, phone 941-7100 or email nondas@fundcp.org no later than Wednesday, May 7. The cost is $25 per person.  CMR

Leave a Legacy for Justice

A near state of shock was our reaction to learning from a Connecticut attorney that The Fund was to receive a bequest of $43,000 from the Josephine A. Willard Revocable Trust. This third largest gift in our history was from a widow who quietly supported organizations committed to social justice.

            By leaving a bequest to a nonprofit organization in your will, you can be assured that your gift will continue to support the mission and values you cherish. Only 4.3% of Rhode Islanders have made a charitable bequest versus 6%, the national average.

            You can also name our organization as a beneficiary (any percentage you choose) of your retirement plan or life insurance policy. Another possibility is a gift through The Fund's Joseph Vanni Endowment at The Rhode Island Foundation, which is a donation maintained in perpetuity. The principle amount will always remain intact because only a part of the funds are used by us each year while the major portion continues to grow the endowment.

            It is also possible to restrict the use of the funds you donate to purposes that you believe are most important, and your gift can be named in honor of yourself or someone else. While most gifts are monetary, you can leave specific property. Please consider thinking ahead to your estate settlements and making a decision that will continue to build a better world for future generations.  CMR

NOTES
Member Agencies

ACORN Institute's lead organizer David Lagstein was mentioned in a recent Providence Journal article that spoke of the limited heating assistance being provided for the needy. David was working with Ms. Xiomara Santana to try and restore her heat that had been shut off since last fall. She could not afford to pay her heating bill due to the spike in gas prices and the lack of aid she receives. This story had a happy ending when readers paid her heating bill. However, this is only one success story. The work has just begun, as ACORN is pushing for the Public Utilities Commission to implement an "Affordable Energy Bargain." It will take the efforts of many people working together and taking action to win this fight.

R.I. Parents for Progress held an action at the State House asking legislators to restore a $100 weatherization benefit that was cut from families on cash assistance in March and affects over 14,000 families. Members handed out mock $100 bills, reminding legislators that with this past winter's frigid temperatures heating costs skyrocketed, leaving a dramatic impact on families. Parents for Progress also held an action in February coinciding with Valentine's Day. Called "Have a Heart," it focused on protecting programs for low-income families. Members of the agency and their children handed out hearts with messages pertaining to specific programs.

Xiomara Santana displays the donor's check which paid off her heating bill.

Childhood Lead Action Project was featured in Newsweek (February 17, 2003). The article cited cases in Rhode Island of children being lead poisoned, and what the state intends to do about it. It listed some paint companies which were sued by the state, and their stance on the matter. The state is working to prove that lead paint is dangerous, and it seeks help in cleaning it up from the companies that were responsible for producing it.

SWAP executive director, Carla De Stefano, and student intern, Erin Cabral, were recently at Flynn School in Providence educating the ESL class on restoring old homes. The students are coloring pictures of a house that burned over the summer as part of a coloring contest. SWAP will paint the restored house the same colors as chosen by the winner.

Community Mediation Center of R.I. recently conducted a 15-hour training session for peer mediators. On February 25, Mayor David Cicilline swore in 22 Hope High School students as peer mediators. The Center has an extensive history of teaching youth to resolve conflicts constructively. Last year CMCRI trained 125 peer mediators in six Providence schools. Its newest program at Hope High is expected to be one component in improving safety and building community in their school.

The Mental Health Association of R.I. was awarded a $399,995 grant for a two-year period from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement its ACCESS-RI program. This program will serve individuals with mental illness and substance abuse issues who are homeless. This program is expected to begin operations this summer.

West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation director Sharon Conard-Wells has been working to transform an abandoned factory into an affordable housing complex with artists' lofts and townhouses. In January, federal, state and local officials okayed the plan to redevelop a former brownfields site, Rau Fastener on Westfield Street in Providence. This three-building, three-acre complex will serve as a model of how a ruined site can be turned into a neighborhood focal point.

IPAE participated in the International Women's Day Festival, hosted by Women's Advocates Networking Together. The theme was "understanding feminism and sexism," and the festival included workshops and performances, and offered educational and artistic activities for children. The highlight of the festival was the panel discussion about feminism, which featured GiGi Colson. Also, GiGi's work was also featured in an art exhibit at Family Resources Community Action entitled, "A Look At IPAE." This exhibit showcased her watercolor, oil, knife-cut silkscreen collage, and photography images.

NRI Community Services launched an initiative four years ago to prepare for critical incident response and crisis debriefing. In the midst of the losses suffered in the Station fire, the Department of Health recognized the NRI team for its excellent work during the crisis. NRI is being credited for the time, compassion, and expertise they brought to the Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross efforts at the Crowne Plaza, the disaster site, and later at the Family Resource Center. NRI will continue to play an active role in providing resources and care to the victims of this disaster.

Coalition for Consumer Justice, in conjunction with Single Payer Rhode Island/SPRI, Physicians for a National Health Plan and the American Medical Students Association, held a Health Care Activist Speaker's Training on April 12 at Brown University. The session prepared individuals to speak in front of small groups about the current healthcare crisis and the need for universal health insurance. If you are interested in helping CCJ with health care issues, email arlineb1@cox.net.

Housing Network of R.I. is presenting a series of free workshops on home repair and maintenance sponsored by the Network's Home Ownership Education Center. The workshops cover a variety of topics, from wallpapering to repairing windows to plumbing and electricity. For more information call 521-1461.

George Wiley Center held a news conference to celebrate the release of a new form for food stamp applicants. This shorter, more user-friendly application was made available to the public on April 1. The Wiley Center has argued that thousands of Rhode Islanders who are eligible for food stamps do not get them due primarily to the fact that the application forms are excessively long. The Wiley Center has been advocating for easier-to-use forms for the past two years.  CMR

PROGRESS is published to inform friends of The Fund for Community Progress about the activities and concerns of its member agencies. Gifts to The Fund have a definite impact on solving problems of poverty, hunger, homelessness, mental illness, housing, discrimination and other issues of injustice. PROGRESS stresses the importance of your continued support as together we "build a better community."