March is a time to reflect on Women’s History. For me, this month’s celebration is bittersweet. On March 13, former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder passed away. She was one of Hope Partnership’s biggest supporters, and she was also my personal friend and mentor.
Rep. Schroeder was a champion for women’s rights as one of the first women to serve in Congress. She not only blazed a path for women politicians, but she also made sure women everywhere were protected by advocating for and passing the Family Medical Leave Act. For most of this country’s history, women were refused the right to vote. Just a few generations ago, women weren’t allowed to open a bank account without a man’s signature. Today, women only earn 82 cents for each dollar that their male counterparts earn for doing the same jobs. The work is not yet done. Rep. Schroeder’s legacy demands that we continue the fight for women’s equality.
Since Hope Partnership’s inception, women empowering women has been central to our work. The vast majority of the families we serve have women as their primary breadwinners. If you could meet these women and hear their stories, you’d be amazed at their strength and resilience as they navigate broken systems and trying circumstances to care for their families. Two-thirds of our team members and 60% of our board members are women. We follow in the footsteps of generations who fought this fight before us. Women like Congresswoman Pat Schroeder.
We still need revolutionary change. Poverty does not have to exist in this country; it only exists because we let it. When we say that everyone deserves a safe place to call home, that includes every woman in our community. We can be the generation that finally makes homelessness a subject of history; the work is not yet done. Thank you, Pat, for your willingness to imagine a better world and fight to make it so. You will be deeply missed.
Rev. Mary Downey is President/CEO of the Hope Partnership.
(Note: The Celebration Foundation and Jim Schroeder invite you to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Patricia Schroeder, former U.S. congresswoman and Celebration resident, at an encore presentation of Celebration Lifelong’s lecture, “A Conversation with Congresswoman Pat Schroeder and Jim Schroeder, Esquire.”
The video will screen Thursday, March 30 at 1 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church located at 511 Celebration Avenue in Celebration. All are welcome, but an RSVP is required, Click Here to RSVP.)
