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Nevada Empowered Women Project

The Nevada Empowered Women (NEW) Project formed in September of 1995, using JEDI Women of Utah as a model, to further the rights of women and children who are living at or near poverty by addressing welfare, child care, child support, health care and housing. The NEW Project was conceived by Jan Gilbert of the Nevada Progressive Leadership Alliance and other individuals who find it outrageous that there is a continual lack of input in policy discussion by people who are being affected by the policy.

The original members got the project off the ground by doing massive outreach in welfare and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) offices. Women applying for and receiving welfare were interviewed about their experience with welfare and their ideas for improving the system, and then were invited to attend future NEW Project meetings. Outreach activities also include speaking engagements at public housing councils and human services organizations, as well as voter registration.


NEW Project members are currently trying to become experts in welfare law, because there have been many complaints that welfare offices are not following their own regulations and recipients have been treated poorly. This strategy increases the members' understanding of the welfare system. It contributes to the long-term goal of developing an active and vibrant speakers' bureau to educate groups throughout Nevada about welfare policy and NEW Project members' personal experiences with poverty and the welfare system.

The group is currently trying to coordinate information systems in Nevada by establishing a connection with Crisis Call, a hot-line that is normally associated with rape and abuse but wishes to expand its outreach to relevant issues of low-income people. They have also held segments on Nevada Cable Access Television, and held two major press conferences protesting the attack on the poor.

In April, two members of the NEW Project participated in the State of Nevada Welfare Reform Task Force. The Task Force came up with a number of positive recommendations which are now before the Governor awaiting his action.

More recently NEW Project members have met with the state welfare agency about the state's implementation of TANF. The group expects to take an active role in TANF implementation.

The group has a current mailing list of close to one hundred members. Twenty of these women make up the core group. Some of the core members were able to attend the April JEDI Women conference in Utah, which they felt was a great experience.

They recently have raised the funds to have one full-time member, Lisa Appelrouth (director), and to open an office.

Prepared by Jo Townson, a student intern.

-- from the November 1996 issue of Welfare News