Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights
POWER is an organization of low-income parents and allies advocating for a strong social safety net while working toward a world where children and care giving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty has been eradicated.
Join us on Monday, August 6th
at Black Lake’s Kennydale Park
for an afternoon swim and barbecue for the whole family!
Bring your swim gear and food to grill/share!
We’ve reserved a picnic shelter from 3 – 8.
There are no buses to Kennydale Park,
so let us know if you need a ride or can offer one.
Call 360-352-9716 or email monica@mamapower.org.
Monday, July 23rd, 5:30 – 8 pm
Family Tree Apartments, 10110 19th AVE S.E., Everett, WA
Would you like to receive comprehensive information about various benefit programs and know what the eligibility requirements are? Would you like to know how to look up Washington Administrative Codes and the proper steps to advocate for your family to get the public benefits they need? Would you like to encourage your caseworker to follow these WACs?
Then come to our workshop to learn about your RIGHTS. Learn to advocate for yourself and feel emPOWERed!
Friday, July 13, 2012
6:30pm until 8:30pm
Come celebrate Jamie’s dedicated work at POWER for the past year and her bright futu
re at the Center for Community Based Learning and Action.
We will have a picnic at Lion’s Park, so bring food to share. Also bring your kids because they are Jamie’s best friends! Afterwards, join us at The Clipper for some seriously amazing karaoke at 9pm.
Jamie has been working as our Special Projects Coordinator through the AmeriCorp Volunteer Program. She has developed our most recent projects: POWERDOWN and Olympia Childcare Collective. She has been a POWERful asset to our endeavor.
What are we uniting around?
What does it mean to have a strong social safety net?
What are the steps to ending poverty?
… What does economic equality look like?
We will be building from the answers to these questions to delve more specifically into a clear plan of action and intention to help us shape and define POWER’s work and future goals.
Join us in this collaborative process on Monday, July 2nd
5:30-6:00pm Potluck * 6:00-8:00 Discussion
at Darby’s Cafe 211 5th Avenue in downtown Olympia
Childcare will be provided by the fabulous Olympia Childcare Collective at the POWER office, 309 5th Avenue.
For more information on this event, contact us at 360-352-9716 or info@mamapower.org
We will celebrate our hard work with a barbecue on the first Monday in August!
Join POWER for our April POWER Outage: Sue the &^&$%?%#!
Monday April 2nd
Darby’s Cafe * 211 5th Ave SE * Wheelchair Accessible
5:30pm – 6pm Potluck * 6pm – 8pm Presentation
Welcome Scott Crain, a legal services attorney who last year used a lawsuit to stop a budget cut that would have financially devastated thousands of families with disabled family members. He will join us for a conversation about using lawsuits as a social justice tool and how we can work together to help our communities.
For more information, contact 360-352-9716 or info@mamapower.org
Childcare provided by the Olympia Childcare Collective at the POWER Office, 309 5th Ave SE.
Join us for May’s POWER Outage: Mama Care Fair!
Monday, May 7th
Darby’s Cafe * 211 5th Ave SE * Wheelchair Accessible
5:30pm – 6pm Potluck * 6pm – 8pm Rest and Relaxation!
Join us for a little rest and relaxation. After the kids head over to childcare, mamas will be pampered with foot baths, desserts, massages, and more delights. We want to recognize how hard you work and give you a little of the care you deserve!
For more information, contact 360-352-9716 or info@mamapower.org
Childcare provided by the Olympia Childcare Collective at the POWER Office, 309 5th Ave SE
Poverty Scholars Visit Olympia!
Willie Baptist & John Wessel-McCoy
Friday, March 23rd
Olympia Center, Room 103
222 Columbia St. NW
On Friday, March 23rd, two Poverty Scholars will visit Olympia from
the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
Willie Baptist is the Poverty Initiative’s Scholar-in-Residence, a
formerly homeless father with over 40 years of experience organizing
among the poor. John Wessel-McCoy is a project organizer with the
Poverty Initiative, which is dedicated to raising up generations of
religious and community leaders committed to building a movement to
end poverty, led by the poor (http://www.povertyinitiative.org/).
Join us from 1:00pm – 2:00pm for a special potluck lunch meeting with Willie Baptist and John Wessel-McCoy where we will discuss our poor people’s movement in Olympia. This event will be specifically for POWER members because we want to hear from you what you think is important in this community!
From 2:30pm – 4:00pm, Willie and John will be giving a talk on the
book, “Pedagogy of the Poor” (http://pedagogyofthepoor.org/).
Join us at the Olympia Center, located at 222 Columbia St. NW, Room
103. This event is free and open to the public, but donations are
welcome to help cover the cost of airfare for Willie and John.
Childcare provided by the Olympia Childcare Collective at the POWER
Office, 309 5th Ave SE.
We hope to see you there!
For more information on POWER and this event, contact
info@mamapower.org or 360-352-9716.
The sun will come out…… to support POWER! 
Saturday, February 18th 2pm
Capitol Theatre * 206 5th Ave. SE Olympia
$10 suggested donation, pay what you can but keep in mind that it is a fundraiser!
The film will screen at 2:30 and will be a sing-a-long, join us at 2:00 for a costume parade, to learn more about the work that POWER does and to have your picture taken as Orphan Annie!
Proceeds benefit Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights, which advocates for a strong social safety net while working toward a world where children and caregiving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty has been eradicated. If you would like to volunteer, contact Sfirah at 360-352-9716 or by email at sfirah@mamapower.org.
Know Your Rights with Child Protective Services
Monday, February 6th
5:30pm – 6pm Potluck * 6pm – 8pm Presentation
Darby’s Cafe * 211 5th Ave. SE, downtown Olympia
Childcare provided by the Olympia Childcare Collective
Child Protective Services was created to protect children from abuse, but nearly 90% of dependency cases these days are established due to “neglect”, which is vaguely defined. These policies allow for children to often be placed in foster care because their parents are poor or because a report is made by someone who does not understand the family’s culture.
Sharon Amamilo, an attorney who works with parents who are involved in CPS dependency cases will present information for parents who want to know what their rights are, what to do if CPS comes to your door or your child’s school, and what resources are available for parents and children to prevent a dependency case from being opened in the first place.
For more information, contact Sfirah at 360-352-9716 or at info@mamapower.org.
Rights and Resources for Pregnancy & Childbirth
Monday, March 5th
5:30p – 6p Potluck * 6p – 8p Presentation
Darby’s Café * 211 5th Ave. SE, Downtown Olympia
From the moment you find out you are pregnant and throughout your pregnancy and birth, you have choices no matter who you are. Come and share what you know and learn more about the resources that are available in this community so that everyone can welcome their children to the world in the way they want to.
For more information, contact Sfirah at 360-352-9716 or info@mamapower.org
Childcare provided by the Olympia Childcare Collective, Wheelchair accessible