 |
 |
WHEDco on the Issues: Public Policy AdvocacyCreating a more beautiful, more equitable, and more economically vibrant Bronx SIGN UP to receive our advocacy alerts and updates! Through participation in community initiatives, boards, and public testimony, WHEDco is helping to provide a more prosperous, healthy future for low-income women and their families. On March 5th, WHEDco joined over 70,000 advocates on the streets of Lower Manhattan, and thousands of others across the state, to rally against extreme budget cuts in education, healthcare, and social services, including a $2.5 billion slash in classrooms and schools. For more information, please visit http://fairsharereform.com/. WHEDco joined the One New York:Fighting for Fairness Coalition at a rally in Albany on November 18, 2008 to protest proposed budget cuts to vital community services such as health, housing, and education. While over 1,000 people representing diverse New York City communities marched and chanted outside, the Governor was holding a special legislative session to discuss his proposal for $2 billion in immediate cuts, with $12.5 billion projected next year. Cuts to New York City's budget are also expected. WHEDco became active in the One New York Coalition when it launched in October 2008, to help fight across-the-board budget cuts and to demand that our communities be prioritized and protected in this time of economic difficulty.Read more about the rally here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/nyregion/19budget.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion
Highly experienced WHEDco staff members provide expertise to community, local, and national decision makers on a myriad of issues. In addition to advocating for high quality childcare and education, WHEDco staff is working closely with other advocates to reshape the debate surrounding affordable and sustainable housing development and offer a compelling model of green building. We have created a panel of experts from the finance, foundation, government, and technical/engineering realms to steward the Urban Horizons Retrofit Project and make policy recommendations to ensure that our work becomes a replicated model for upgrading and preserving affordable multi-family housing throughout New York City. Diana Perez, Director of WHEDco's Home-based Childcare Microenterprise Network has been at the forefront of an effort to improve the quality of childcare in New York City for nearly fifteen years. Ms. Perez is currently an active advisory committee member of the New York City Association for Children’s Services (NYC ACS). Rose Rivera, Director of WHEDco’s Head Start serves on the NYC ACS Working Group that is developing one set of guidelines for childcare for Head Start, day care centers, and universal pre-kindergarten. Doxene Roberts, Director of WHEDco’s Family Support & Housing Services serves on the Conference and Advocacy Committees for Prevent Child Abuse NY, and was the co-chair in 2008. Prevent Child Abuse New York exists to "prevent child abuse in all its forms, [through] promoting and initiating efforts to develop, improve and expand quality services and effective policies to prevent child abuse and neglect and to protect all children." Founder and President Nancy Biberman is a sought-after expert on community, economic, and housing development. Nancy’s most recent presentations include:
The Issues Social Entrepreneurship and Global Challenges In 2007,WHEDco founder and president Nancy Biberman spoke on sustainable development at an International Business Leadership Forum event in London which brought together over 80 leaders from international business, nonprofit organizations and government in discussions on how social entrepreneurs and business can partner to fight global poverty. Back in New York, Nancy spoke about WHEDco's work in the South Bronx at a roundtable discussion with international business executives as part of an event entitled Global Leadership for Sustainability. Read more about WHEDco and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) here. The girls' advocacy project attracted citywide attention and their story was featured on WNBC-TV Newschannel 4, the Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC 93.9 FM, the AM New York, the New York Post and the Daily News. Find out more about the girls' project here.
|