Michigan Women's Foundation Awards $10,000 to Local Non-Profit
For Immediate Release
August 1, 2003 MICHIGAN WOMEN’S FOUNDATION AWARDS $10,000 to LOCAL NON-PROFIT
MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation Continues Valuable Work for WomenLANSING- The MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation announced today that it has been awarded $10,000 in Social Impact grant funds by the Michigan Women’s Foundation to continue educating young women throughout Michigan on the value of community and political activism to protect reproductive freedom. The grant will be used specifically for the MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation’s Activating the Next Generation of Choice Advocates project, a campus-organizing program, which seeks to empower young women across the state of Michigan with the education and skills necessary to become the future leaders of the pro-choice movement. The MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation uses this project to educate college-aged women about the imminent threats to reproductive rights, and teaches them to create real social change through direct action. “Perhaps more than ever before, we appreciate the values and freedoms that make America unique. The freedom to choose is as fundamental an American right as the freedom to worship, speak and vote and it cannot be taken for granted. It is constantly threatened by politicians, government and religious extremists. To ensure that the freedom to choose endures, we must teach the next generation to articulate our pro-choice values openly, effectively and proudly,” said Rebekah Warren, MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation Executive Director. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor once said that the ability of women to participate in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives. (Planned Parenthood v. Casey). By teaching young women the importance of reproductive rights; giving them the skills to articulate their views and mobilize their community; and providing them with practical organizing experience and the support needed to ensure success the MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation seeks to guarantee the future of the pro-choice movement. The Activating the Next Generation of Choice Advocates project promotes awareness of reproductive rights while at the same time providing training in the areas of leadership, volunteer recruitment, public speaking, group facilitation, grassroots organizing, and lobbying. The ultimate vision is for this project to result in the transformation of young women on the new edge of citizenship into activists and politically involved adults. “We know that the ability to control our reproductive health means that women control our own destinies. We need the next generation to continue to fight to ensure that the promise of Roe v. Wade is fulfilled,” said Warren. “We are grateful to the Michigan Women’s Foundation for their investment in this important work.” “The Michigan Women's Foundation is pleased to again partner with the MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation on their Activating the Next Generation project,” commented Michigan Women’s Foundation President and CEO Margaret Talburtt, P.h.D. “Now more than ever, it is critical that today's college student understand the history and the issues surrounding their reproductive health rights." The Michigan Women’s Foundation is the first and most experienced statewide foundation that identifies, supports, and invests in women and girls. Founded in 1986, the mission of the Michigan Women’s Foundation is to promote the economic self-sufficiency for women and girls in the state of Michigan. Over those seventeen years, MWF has granted more than $3 million to over 325 nonprofits throughout the state. The MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan Foundation was incorporated in 1999. The Foundation’s mission is to support and protect, as a fundamental freedom, a woman’s right to make reproductive choices. This mission is accomplished through support of education, training programs and public policy initiatives. For more information, please email Rebekah Warren or call 517.327.4707.
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