NEW NEWS

The Nevada Empowered Women's (NEW) Project is a grassroots, multicultural alliance whose mission is to further the rights of women and children who are living in or near poverty by addressing relevant issues such as welfare, child care, child support, housing, and health care, and by changing negative public perceptions.

Tapping Into The Power of Young People...

YES, YOU CAN!

How many times have we said that to our children or other younger people as they embark on a challenging task? Well, the Children's Cabinet now has a program that communicates that very message - "Yes, You Can!".

Yes, You Can (YYC) is a six-week program for middle and high school students that focuses on building self-esteem, self-worth, and social, academic, and job skills. The goal of the program is to develop and enhance youth leadership in our community. In the program, students work to develop decision-making, problem-solving, and assertiveness skills while learning about governance and leadership development. In other words, this program strives to EMPOWER our youth.

YYC boasts some impressive accomplishments in its brief existence. Graduates of the program have gone on to participate in the Governor's Youth Advisory Council, the Western States Youth Services Network, Camp Anytown, Camp Start-Up (where girls develop entrepreneurial skills), Minority Medical Scholars (where teens interested in a medical career participate in UNR's Medical School curriculum), and the Student Peer HIV/AIDS Counseling Program. Two YYC graduates have been nominated for the Prudential Award for Excellence in Community Service and to the position of Regional Representative for the Western States Youth Services Network.

All middle and high school students are welcome to apply for the program. For more information, contact Juanita Westbrook, Youth Development Coordinator at the Children's Cabinet, 856-6200.

Earn While You Learn

Do you know someone age 16-24 who would like to get paid while learning a trade and continuing their education? If so, Job Corps might be just what they're looking for.

Job Corps provides a wide range of occupational training, as well as G.E.D., high school, and college opportunities for young people from low-income families. Job Corps trains young adults for occupations that are in demand and helps with job placement upon completion of the program. Training is available in many fields, including automotive, banking, clerical, electrical, nursing, painting, plumbing, and many others. There is no cost to attend the program, and students receive a base pay every two weeks. There is also a bonus for completing the program.

Students can live at the Job Corps Center or at home if they live close to the Center.

Job Corps Centers are located throughout the country. In Nevada, call (800) 736-5884. Nationwide, call (800) 733-JOBS.

NEW Project Southern Nevada Update

by Cyndi Stearns-Estes

NEW Project of Southern Nevada is pleased to announce that we will be holding an OPEN HOUSE at our Las Vegas office on Wednesday, January 20 from 6:00-8:00pm. It will be held at the NEW Project office, 3135 S. Industrial, Suite 200. We are located just north of Spring Mountain, across the street from the post office. (There's a bus stop about 1 Ѕ blocks away.) Our suite is upstairs on the north end of the building, and there will be signs directing you. Of course, food and child care will be provided! We are excited to get started in the Las Vegas area and are hoping for a good turnout from those of you on our mailing list. Bring a friend along, too!

I have been busy learning all I can about the welfare system in Nevada and, along with my networking activities, have enough information to start holding meetings. I have been sitting in on welfare orientation meetings, which has proven to be very beneficial. The welfare office staff have been helpful, and I appreciate the fact that they have allowed me to sit in on their meetings. There are several welfare offices in this area, and I have visited them all.

One problem I have encountered is that the orientation meetings often last longer than they are scheduled for. Since almost everyone there is a parent, this leads to problems with child care. It is discouraging for people when they arrange child care and are late picking up their kids, and for me it means that they are in a hurry and don't have time to talk with me about NEW Project. I give them brochures and hope they have time to read them and call me if they have any questions or problems.

I have learned how complicated it can be to apply for and receive assistance. Women have told me stories about losing their benefits because they didn't check their mailboxes every day for information from the welfare office. Often they didn't have time to check their mailboxes due to job searches, new jobs with varied scheduled, or problems with transportation. We at NEW Project are here to help however we can! I'm looking forward to our OPEN HOUSE next month and the monthly meetings that will start in February. I would like to use the OPEN HOUSE as an opportunity for us to get to know each other and to solicit ideas for meeting topics. Everyone has something important to say, and we will provide a platform for your voice to be heard. I'm looking forward to meeting you and working together to bring social and economic justice to Nevada. Please call me at 369-3234 if you have any questions or need transportation.

Message From the President

Teresa Benitez

Hello NEW Project members,

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinner. How many people ate way too much? How many were happy just to be having dinner? I fall into the first category, but it wasn't too long ago that I was in the second. I think that in order to truly give thanks for what you have, you must first experience what it is like to do without. As we draw deeper into the Holiday Season, many of us feel "less fortunate." Store ads leave us longing for credit cards and dreading long lay-a-way lines. But please don't lose sight of what is important here. As a child, I remember my mother making Christmas as special as she possibly could with food stamps and tips from waitressing. But the presents weren't what made Christmas special. I couldn't remember what my presents were if I had to. What I do remember is that my mom usually got to stay home all day with us. That was special. My greatest gifts never came in a box, they came in my mom. I hope all of you have a very happy holiday and a new year filled with lots of special gifts.

Here's To Your Health!

by Nora McGinley

This story was told to me by a dear friend who knows that I am a great one for putting my family and friends before my own health:

"Each day a Mama lion went out in search of prey to feed her family and each night when she came home with the prey her children would eat the entire prey practically down to the bones, leaving little or nothing for the Mama lion to feed on. Soon the Mama lion became too weak and ill to hunt for prey, so they all perished."

How many of you have put everyone and everything ahead of your own health?

Our November 18th meeting featured Pat Anderson, World Gym's fitness and nutrition expert. She was a wealth of information on how to make eating changes and on how to start a fitness program one step at a time. She was very encouraging and knowledgeable, but also warm, caring and genuine. Pat willingly answered a mountain of questions that were posed to her. She offered tips on what staple foods to keep on hand and tips about cooking healthy foods in bulk to have for several meals during the week. She also gave us recipes on how to cook a variety of healthy foods for the holidays. Pat said that since we all lead busy lives, we need to organize and plan ahead for our meals during the week. She said that when we eat correctly, we do not crave sweets.

Pat said we need to recognize when we are not feeling well because of being stressed out, and she offered that exercise is the biggest stress reliever. She said that when we crave chocolate, it may be because we are lacking magnesium. A multivitamin and calcium supplement, along with nutritious foods and exercise, keep us healthy and give us more energy than fast foods and a candy bar.

Forget the New Year's Resolutions - The time to begin taking care of yourself is today. You can start by making a commitment to take a walk for 15 minutes once a week. Take deep breaths, listen to the sounds in the air, and especially enjoy the scenery as you walk. Take a different route each time you walk if you get bored easily. Ask a friend to walk with you. Getting fit and staying fit begins with a single step. Start making positive lifestyle changes today. Your life depends on it! A big THANKS to Pat for sharing her time and knowledge with us, and for her great raffle prizes of a personal consultation and passes to World Gym.