January 2017 Newsletter: Video on the Cost of Caregiving.
Watch our recent video on the cost of caregiving.
A NOTE FROM EMILY
Hi everyone,
Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2017 by focusing on caregiving. Oregon women and girls spend over half a billion hours each year caring for family members, friends, and neighbors. However, Oregon is also one of the least affordable states in the country for child care and other forms of care—which has a dramatic negative effect on the wellbeing of women in our state. Learn more in Count Her In, and in the new report from our friends at Oregon CareWorks: Oregon's Care Economy (PDF).
At our most recent "Eight That Can't Wait" Community Discussion, we dove deep into the root causes of our broken caregiving systems in Oregon and what can be done to address them. We featured experts from Family Forward Oregon, Providence Elder at Home Operations, and OSU, and we'll share excerpts and list of resources in the coming weeks. Additionally, as one of our "Eight That Can't Wait," caregiving is one of the focus areas for our 2017 grantmaking (more on that below!).
There's much to be done this year, and thanks to you, we're hitting the ground running.
With much gratitude,
Emily Evans
Executive Director, Women’s Foundation of Oregon
CALL FOR STORIES: SHARE YOUR STORY
Last year, we heard from 1,000 women and girls on our statewide "Listen to Her" tour. We highlighted what we heard in Count Her In. This year, we're continuing to listen—online.
Sharing stories is one of the most powerful and effective ways to create change.
Your story can help show Oregon's leaders why it's important to take action on the "Eight That Can't Wait"--a set of urgent issues facing Oregon's women and girls.
This month, we're particularly looking for stories about Barriers to Reproductive Health.
STAT OF THE MONTH
In Oregon, a year of child care is more expensive than a year of tuition at the University of Oregon.
The average cost of childcare in Oregon is nearly $12,000. For more on the the costs of caregiving, download the report at CountHerIn.org (page 30).
FOUNDATION UPDATES
INVESTMENT UPDATE
This year, we'll be granting $75,000 to organizations serving women and girls in Oregon, with a specific focus on the "Eight That Can't Wait" -- violence against women, systemic racism, the cost of caregiving, barriers to reproductive health, the wage and wealth gap, economic fragility, mental health, and the public/private glass ceiling.
Our Grants Committee has released an open call for grant requests to all organizations that meet our 2017 criteria. Our survey is open now and closes January 18, so please participate and share it with any relevant organizations! Specifically, we want to hear from organizations or programs that:
Operate in Oregon
Primarily serve women and/or girls (70%+ of the population served)
Are registered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations or a sub-program of such organizations
If you lead an organization or program that meets the above criteria, please complete our brief survey and tell us about your work. At the end of the survey is an optional request to be considered for 2017 funding. And please forward this survey to your favorite organizations that qualify. We're eager to hear from them!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Name: Shari Dunn
Age: 40s
Occupation: Executive Director, Dress for Success Oregon
Member of the Women's Foundation since: 2015
What’s your favorite spot in Oregon?
Mt. Tabor.
What quality do you most admire in others?
Loyalty.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Ability to play the piano.
What was your first volunteer experience?
Helping an elderly neighbor turn over her garden.
What’s the best place to eat in our great state?
The state? Well, I’m new, so I can only say in SE. I love Cibo and Nuestra Cocina.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
When I was practicing law, I was able to grant a woman her dying wish: to see her son.
Which woman (living or dead) do you most admire?
Zora Neale Hurston. She wasn’t who she supposed to be, she was who she wanted to be.
What’s your most treasured possession?
A piece of beach rock from Cannon Beach I had made into a necklace.
What is your personal motto?
"To thine own self be true."
What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
Everyone (including the dog, cat, or whatever) in one bed.
What makes you laugh uncontrollably?
YouTube videos.
Why are you a member of the Women’s Foundation?
I believe the power of women helping women.
Thanks, Shari!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
On January 21, there is a Women's March in Washington, DC. Portland is having its own family-friendly, peaceful march the same day, starting at 12:00pm on the west side of the Burnside Bridge. Learn more here. Marches are also planned in Eugene, Salem, Astoria, Newport, Ashland, and Bend -- info here. See you there!
The marches are nonpartisan, inclusive, and free.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Jan. 24: "Eight That Can't Wait" Discussion: Public/Private Glass Ceiling, Portland
Join the Women's Foundation of Oregon for a discussion on root causes, common myths, and potential solutions.
Feb. 6, 13, & 20: Fair Shot Lobby Days, Salem
Join Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon (2/6), Urban League of Portland (2/13), the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (2/20), and others throughout February.
Feb. 8: "Eight That Can't Wait" Discussion: Systemic Racism, Portland
Join the Women's Foundation of Oregon for a discussion on root causes, common myths, and potential solutions.
Feb. 10: No One Eats Alone Day, Everywhere
No One Eats Alone Day fights social isolation by teaching students how to make friends at lunch. Teachers, administrators, and parents can launch it at their schools.
Feb. 16-17: Stronger Than You Know 2017 Annual Conference, Eugene
Presented by Ophelia's Place, the conference will allow youth-serving professionals to share and learn through a gender-specific, trauma-informed lens.
Mar. 2: Count Her In Celebration
Join the Women's Foundation of Oregon for this special event! Dinner. Drinks. Extraordinary Oregonians. Celebrity Quiz Show. Live Auction. Get your tickets today!
If you would like your event added to our calendar, please email info@w-for.org.
OREGON NEWS TO KNOW
OPB: Multnomah County Swears In All-Female Commission
Three new members were sworn in, including the first Asian-American ever to serve on the commission.
Street Roots: Raising the Red Lodge: Lowering Recidivism Among Native Americans
"Native American practices around mental health and solidarity are helping women recover from the trauma of prison."
Jefferson Public Radio: Book Tracks Influence Of Women In The Northwest
Listen as Sue Armitage shares stories of powerful women from her new book Shaping the Public Good: Women Making History in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland Monthly: Are Oregon’s New Birth Control Laws Actually Helping Anyone?
Two pioneering bills were intended to make contraceptive access easier than ever. One year later, not much has changed.
WE'RE HIRING
The Women's Foundation is growing! We're going to be adding two exciting new positions to our team in 2017. Check out the job descriptions and please share these opportunities with your networks!
Associate Director of Membership and Communications
Office and Database Administrator
THESE OPENINGS ARE NO LONGER ACTIVE.
