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Closing the Gap on Health Disparities in the United States
Women & Public Policy Luncheon Featuring Guest Speaker Tonya Lewis Lee
Wednesday, November 2 · Registration 11:30 am, Luncheon Noon to 1:30 pm
 Tonya Lewis Lee is the national spokesperson for A Healthy Baby Begins with You campaign initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. Through this initiative, Lee is raising awareness about the infant mortality crisis in the African-American community and advocating for healthier lifestyles for all women.
Healthy women and healthy babies are both issues of critical importance to Milwaukee and to the Women's Fund. The Women's Fund, along with other organizations, is engaged in an initiative called the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF). The initiative has completed an action plan that will focus on decreasing the number of black infant mortality related deaths in the Milwaukee area.
The black infant mortality rate in Milwaukee is among the highest in the nation. An African American woman in Milwaukee is three times more likely to lose her baby in its first year than her white counterpart. Complications from premature births are responsible for more than half of all these infant deaths. In Wisconsin, prematurity cost BadgerCare Plus, the state health plan for families and pregnant women with limited incomes, $81 million in the 2010 fiscal year and more than $300 million over the past four years. Just think what could be done if we had similar funds to spend on preventing infant mortality.
Please join us for our Women & Public Policy luncheon on November 2. Proceeds from the event support funding for social change through women and girls.
WANT THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE?
Become a sponsor! Table sponsorships are still available. Individual tickets are $75. We are close to selling out, so be sure to register soon by visiting the Women's Fund website.
Prior to the Women & Public Policy Luncheon please join us for an informative discussion on Sex Trafficking.
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Sex Trafficking in Milwaukee
Social Change Exchange
Wednesday, November 2· 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Sex trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Through coercion, abuse and imprisonment, as many as 300,000 American children, particularly girls, are at risk for being commercially sexually exploited each year in our neighborhoods. Did you know that Milwaukee is a rapidly growing city for sex trafficking? Join us for an informative discussion about sex trafficking in the greater Milwaukee area, the conditions that put young women and girls at risk, and local efforts to abolish sex trafficking.
Panelists include:
- Monica Rowsey, FBI Victim Specialist
- Beth Eisendrath, Attorney
- LaShawndra Vernon, Mediator and Principal, Eternal Sunshine Productions
- Claudine O'Leary, Community Educator and Youth Worker
Free and open to the public. No RSVP or pre-registration is necessary. |
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Apply for a grant from Latinas en Acción or the Lesbian Fund!
Latinas en Acción and the Lesbian Fund, Cultures of Giving programs at the Women's Fund, are now accepting applications from eligible organizations for the 2011-2012 grantmaking cycle.
Each program will separately award grants to nonprofits that meet its grantmaking criteria. Applications are due October 17, 2011, 5 p.m. CT. Visit the Women's Fund website for more information on how to apply.
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| MORE ABOUT THE WOMEN'S FUND:
Our mission is social change through women and girls. Our vision is simple: a world that is just and fair. We support women-led solutions that result in sustainable and long-lasting change for our community by engaging women in the power of collective philanthropy, and by supporting robust organizations that address issues that impact women and girls. We have supported the Milwaukee community for 25 years and are proud to be a member of a network of 166 women's funds worldwide. |
