WOMEN'S FUND OF MISSISSIPPI NEWSLETTER
JANUARY  2012
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New Grantees Announced  

 

Your ongoing support of the Women's Fund has made it possible for the Fund to award $50,000 in social change grantmaking. These organizations were awarded grants in December 2011 for work throughout 2012. Please visit the Current Grants section of our website to learn more about each grantee. New grantees include: 

 

Children's Justice Center: $10,000  

To provide youth-friendly preventive health services to young women who have been victims of sexual abuse. Statewide.  

 

Domestic Abuse Family Shelter: $10,000

To provide the Batterer's Intervention Program and law enforcement training in the Hattiesburg area.  

 

Mississippi First: $10,000 

To support advocacy to school boards concerning the need for abstinence-plus, evidence-based sex education programs. Statewide.  

 

Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative: $15,000

To support a targeted communications/advocacy campaign titled "Child Care Matters" that will emphasize child care as a work support for low wage-earning parents. Statewide.  

 

The Center for Violence Prevention: $5,000 

To support the Batterer's Intervention Program and legal services in seven targeted rural counties.  

Women's Fund Co-Sponsors 1st Teen Pregnancy Prevention Summit

On December 8, 2011, over 200 teachers, school nurses, community leaders, principals, and health educators (and many more!) gathered at the Jackson Convention Center to learn more about 1) Mississippi's new sex education law and 2) how to use evidence-based research and best practices to prevent teen pregnancy in their communities. This "Mississippi Teen Pregnancy Prevention Summit" was a partnership between the Women's Fund of Mississippi, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Delta Regional Institute at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. To view all of the presentations, click here.

Highlights of the day included:
  • The release of first-ever polling data by the Center for Mississippi Health Policy describing Mississippi parents' attitudes on sex education. The poll found: 
    • 92% of parents surveyed thought sex education should be taught in public schools.
    • 72% of parents surveyed approved of condom demonstrations in the classroom (this is illegal under current law).
  • A presentation of evidence-based strategies to prevent teen pregnancy by Dr. Susan Tortolero of the University of Texas. 
  • A video of  Mississippi parents and young people discussing sex education and teen pregnancy. This video was prepared by University of Mississippi journalism student Margaret Ann Morgan.  
In the News

The Associated Press Interview: "Barbour Reflects as Term Ends." Gov. Barbour cites births to unwed mothers as the biggest problem facing Mississippi. He also talks about the Women's Fund, the role of race in this discussion, and his thoughts on more comprehensive forms of sex education.

Clarion Ledger Editorial: "Sex Ed: Boards should heed parents." The editorial cites the recent poll indicating 92% of Mississippi parents want sex education in schools. A clear majority also want more comprehensive, "abstinence-plus" sex education.

WAPT video of the Summit

Laurel Leader Call via The Associated Press: "Advocates: Enhanced sex ed may cut teen pregnancy"

Commercial Appeal Editorial:  "Mississippi's Biggest Problem"  
Our Mission
The Women's Fund of Mississippi is dedicated to improving the lives of women and families in communities across Mississippi by promoting social change and economic self-sufficiency through advocacy and strategic grantmaking.
 
Women's Fund Board Announces New Chair and Board Members

The Board and Staff is excited to announce LoRose Hunter will be the Board Chair for 2012.

New Board Members include:

Jillian Compton
Tiffany Graves
Carolyn Jefferson
Elta Johnston
Diane Morse
Wendy Mullins
Dr. Aisha Nyandoro
Erica Thompson, MD
Sarah Welker
Meet Katharine Miller and Lily Womble

The Women's Fund is excited to have 2 interns join us for the first half of 2012. Katharine Miller is a public health graduate student at the University of Texas. She will be moving to Jackson in January to  finish her degree and complete an internship at the Women's Fund. Katharine will focus on the Fund's teen pregnancy prevention work.

Lily Womble is a sophomore at Millsaps College. She is completing her internship at the Women's Fund as part of the Lilly Faith and Work Initiative. Lily will focus on advocacy, communications, and grantmaking initatives while at the Women's Fund.