Upcoming Events
Women Making A Difference
Please join the National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles on December 18, 2008 at 7:30 pm for a Thrift Donation. For more information, please call (323) 852-8512 or email susan@ncjwla.org.
CSW's FREE Self-Defense Classes
This event will be held on Friday, December 19, 2008 from 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. at 4000 South La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90008. For more information, please contact Rayshell Chambers at (213) 978-0300 or via email at rayshell.chambers@lacity.org
Downtown Women's Center: December Events
Are you in need of day services? If so, join the Downtown Women's Center in December for a variety of enrichment events. Some of the many events include dancing, massages, HIV testing, art workshops and much more. For more information, please contact Jenine at (213) 680-0600 or via email at
Jenineg@dwcweb.org
Commission Meeting
This meeting will be held in City Hall (200 N. Spring Street, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012) on Friday, January 9, 2009 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. For more information, contact the Commission at (213) 978-0300 or via email at CSWinfo@lacity.org.
Women in Labor Forum
This event will be held on January 12, 2008 from
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the National Council of Jewish Women. Join the Commission on the Status of Women along with an expert panel as we discuss women in the labor movement. We will also have a resource fair with information on opportunities for women. For more information, please contact the Commission at (213) 978-0300 or via email at cswinfo@lacity.org.
3rd Annual Women in Leadership Symposium
Join the California Diversity Council (CDC) on January 23, 2008 for this stellar event. Additional information about this event will follow. For more information about CDC visit http://http://www.
californiadiversitycouncil.org/
Career Opportunities
Local Union 250 now accepting applications for apprenticeship program
If you know someone interested in a career in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning trade, let them know that UA Local 250 Pipefitter's Union is currently accepting applications for their apprenticeship program. They only take applications on Fridays between 8:00 am and 11:00 am in person at the training center. They will only be accepting applications until the last Friday of January. For more information, visit http://ua250.org/
apprentice_refrig.html
Visit the Commission Website at
www.lacity.org/csw
|
CSW offers Workshops for Women at Jim Gilliam Park
 CSW continues to serve the women in the community of Baldwin Village through it's Women of Baldwin Village Initiative. The initiative is directed at providing crucial resources to the community of Baldwin Village, in an effort to empower women to effectively use community-based resources.
Each month the Commission will sponsor workshops that address the many needs of women living in Baldwin Village. These FREE events are open to the public and will be held at the Jim Gilliam Recreation Complex (4000 South La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90008). See Commission website for upcoming workshops.
Here are just a few workshops that we have planned for the upcoming year:
January: CSW will partner with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to provide cervical cancer screenings in an effort to address the growing number of incidences of HPV and cervical cancer.
February: CSW will host a series of birth defect prevention seminars and various events to commemorate Black History Month.
March: CSW will partner with PhRMA to provide information on its prescription drug assistance program. We will also offer a healthy cooking class during the month.
April: CSW will host a vigil in observance of Denim Day that commemorates a rape case conviction that was overturned because the victim was wearing tight jeans. Now, we celebrate this day as a rape prevention education day. April will also feature a luncheon for senior women.
May: CSW will partner with a local community based organization to host a mental health clinic and teen pregnancy prevention seminar.
June: CSW will host a 3-kilometer Cancer Walk and community job fair.
If you would like to volunteer, sponsor an event, or be a sponsor for the 3-kilometer Cancer Walk, please email Monica Ballagh at monica.ballagh@lacity.org or Rayshell Chambers at rayshell.chambers@lacity.org.
Commission Partners with M.E.V. Free Legal Clinic to Address Re- Entry Issues
 Did you know that there are currently more than 1 million women under the supervision of the criminal justice system in the United States? Studies show that more than half of the women in the system are imprisoned for non-violent offenses, the majority being drug related. Shockingly, while in prison, most women do not receive the adequate resources needed to effectively assist them with transitioning back into mainstream society.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, each year 650,000 men and women are released from federal and state prisons to return to their communities and families. Upon re-entry, many women face barriers such as unemployment, mental health problems, low levels of educational attainment, drug abuse, lack of stable housing, and poor family connections.
Among these barriers, one of the most chronic issues is accessibility to opportunities in the workforce. According to the Department of Labor, it is estimated that unemployment rates among ex-prisoners are between twenty-five and forty percent. Many ex-offenders claim that they are unable to obtain employment due to their previous run-ins with the law. These roadblocks typically contribute to their return to criminal activity, re-arrest and re-incarceration.
The Commission has included re-entry within its overall workforce policy area. On December 6th, Commission Executive Director Kellie Hawkins in partnership with the M.E.V. Free Legal Clinic spoke out on the issue at a Live Radio Discussion with Jacquie Stevens of KJLH 102.3. The discussion was aimed at informing the public about opportunities for free legal services such as record expungement.
The upcoming legal clinics will be held on Saturday, January 10th, 25th, 31st from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at 1900 W. 48th Street, (Corner of 48th & Gramercy) Los Angeles, CA 90062. For more information about free legal clinics, call (323) 296-0187 or visit http://www.mevfreelegalclinic.com/.
Teen Corner
Self-Esteem From a Young Woman's Perspective
By: Chante Sherwood, CSW Intern
 According to a recent report by the New York University Child Study Center, "a girl's self-esteem peaks when they are 9 years old, then takes a nose dive."
Self-esteem reflects a person's overall perception of her or his own worth. As a young woman it is very hard to have high self-esteem due to the many pressures from the media and friends. Low self-esteem is most often associated with being overweight; while high self-esteem is characterized with "thinness." One study showed that, 6 out of 10 girls thought they'd be happier if they were thinner. Many young women in high school that battle with low self-esteem have issues with finding help to deal with their issues. Emily Westmoreland, a 15-year old student at Palisades Charter High School, said, "It goes either one way or the other. Either people have very high self-esteem and are perfectly content with them selves or they have really low self esteem and they have no way of dealing with it so they end up not caring." There are many girls like Emily who think that there is no way of dealing with low self-esteem.
As a result of my research, I plan to work with the Commission to create a workshop on how to deal with issues of low self-esteem. These workshops will focus on building a positive self-imagine; ways to encourage one's self and how to be assertive. In closing, it is very important to pay attention to how we truly define high self-esteem and find ways of supporting others that struggle with the issue.
MOCHA MOMS: San Fernando Valley Chapter
 Are you a stay-at-home or working mom in need of some support? If so, MOCHA Moms, a community-based support group, might be a perfect fit to alleviate some of the many pressures of having one of the world's most important jobs!
MOCHA Moms is a nationwide organization with hundreds of chapters across the United States. The San Fernando Valley Chapter of Mocha Moms (SFVMM) is one of many local chapters in Southern California. SFVMM seeks to encourage mothers of color who have made parenting a priority in their lives. This promising organization aims at both developing mothers internally through support group meetings, Moms Only events and chapter/potluck meetings, while developing externally through: community service, fundraising, and other extracurricular activities. SFVMM also serves as an advocacy group for mothers and encourages political and community activism of its members. MOCHA MOMS welcome and include all women interested in being a part of their organization. For more about MOCHA MOMS, visit http://www.mochamoms.org/ or http://www.sfvmm.org/ for the San Fernando Valley Chapter. |
