|
|
 |
National Women's Groups Join Women of the Storm, Urge Congress to Visit New Orleans and South Louisiana
WASHINGTON, DC -- Four national
women's organizations announced today that they are joining the efforts
of Women of the Storm, a non-partisan, non-political citizens' group of
mothers, housewives, lawyers and business owners that was created to
persuade Members of Congress to visit hurricane-ravaged Louisiana.
At a press conference in Washington, DC, The Association of Junior
Leagues International; The National Women's Leadership Council, United
Way of America; The Links, Incorporated; and the National Council of
Jewish Women each pledged their support for Women of the Storm's
mission to persuade Members of Congress to visit metropolitan New
Orleans and see first-hand the region's devastation.
"We are honored to be joined by these four highly-respected women's
organizations," said Women of the Storm Founder Anne Milling. "We like
to consider all of their members official 'Women of the Storm', so our
membership just grew dramatically - from 130 to more than 300,000."
The inclusion of the four national women's organizations greatly
expands the national reach of Women of the Storm, which was originally
made up of women from South Louisiana and the New Orleans metropolitan
area. The group will continue urging national decision-makers to tour
the area in hopes of raising awareness about the rebuilding and coastal
protection needs of South Louisiana, an area also known as America's
WETLAND.
"The Association of Junior Leagues is proud to partner with other
women's leadership organizations in this non-partisan effort to raise
awareness for the urgent need for additional initiatives to rebuild the
Gulf Coast area and protect these communities from future disasters,"
said Pam Newby, President of the Association of Junior Leagues
International, an organization of 293 Junior Leagues with over 170,000
women volunteer leaders committed to improving their communities.
Through the efforts of Women of the Storm, 13 Senators and 42 members
of the House of Representatives accepted the Louisianans' invitation to
visit their battered state, including key Congressional leaders like
Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), Speaker of the
House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA).
"It is imperative that our senators and representatives take the time
to witness firsthand the results of this overwhelming disaster," said
Stacy Kass, Executive Director of the National Council of Jewish Women.
"They control our nation's purse strings and can enact the programs
needed for full recovery."
"Women in the United Way Family willingly reach out to our sister
organizations and the women in the Gulf Coast region. We believe in the
power of rebuilding communities using all the talents and energy
available," said Ann Stallard, Chair of the National Women's Leadership
Council, United Way. "By joining hands and hearts across America,
together we will urge our national leaders to see for themselves what
must be done to make progress real and long lasting."
"The catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina binds us all and leaves none of
us unscathed. The Links, Incorporated understands the importance of
working together and the necessity of collaborating with like-minded
organizations to strongly urge Members of Congress to tour metropolitan
New Orleans, pass legislation to rebuild the Gulf Coast Region, and
protect our most vulnerable citizens. Our members took the lead in
November (2005) and visited the Gulf Coast. Congress must make this
journey in order to experience the needs of the people." said Gladys
Gary Vaughn, Ph.D., National President of The Links, Incorporated.
Women of the Storm is a non-partisan, non-political alliance of
Louisiana women whose families, businesses and lives were impacted by
the hurricanes. Members are culturally, socially and economically
diverse and are bound by their passion for their communities and the
need for the elected leadership of this country to respond to the
urgent needs of the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Women of the Storm is in partnership with America's WETLAND: Campaign
to Save Coastal Louisiana. For more information, please visit
www.womenofthestorm.net.
The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. (AJLI) is an
organization of women whose mission is to promote voluntarism, develop
the potential of women and improve communities through the effective
action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively
educational and charitable. Founded in 1901, AJLI now includes 293
Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the
United States with more than 170,000 members. For more information,
visit www.ajli.org.
The Women's Leadership Council, United Way of America links the efforts
of women in 110 cities (so far) to work on what matters through
leadership, fundraising and advocacy. Building strong, healthy
communities and stronger families yields benefits for all. We believe
that women provide powerful voices and passionate solutions for the
roots causes of our most pressing social problems.
The Links, Incorporated is an international not-for-profit corporation
of accomplished, dedicated women who contribute more than 500,000
documented hours of community service annually and has a membership of
over 10,000 professional women of color in 275 chapters located in 42
states, the District of Columbia and three countries: Germany, South
Africa and Bahamas. For more information, visit www.linksinc.org.
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a volunteer organization
inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life
for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and
freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and
volunteers nationwide. For more information, log on to www.ncjw.org.
|
|
