May 11 2012

A tribute to mothers

Posted by: Kevin B. Gilnack, Campaign Manager

In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share a message from one of the many mothers who are working in the human services sector today.

Lisa, a Developmental Specialist living in Lowell, is a proud member of The Caring Force and a proud mother.  She’s been working in human services for more than four years and loves her work. But life threw her family a curveball 18 months ago when her husband became ill and could no longer work.

Being a working mother in this sector is hard work -- her daughter makes more than she does by working at a restaurant, and low pay prevents her from sending her son, a high school honors senior, to his prom.

Lisa sums up her story by saying that her family is not “making it in Massachusetts” because of the low wages human service workers earn. Women are an integral part of the human services sector, making up 80% of the workforce. Lisa’s story is similar to so many other mothers working in the sector, and The Caring Force wants to honor them.

Your advocacy this week has already brought us a long way toward relief for Lisa and all of the mothers and workers in human services. More than half of the state Senate has signed on to Sen. Karen Spilka’s letter to leadership in support of a Salary Reserve that would help mothers like Lisa and others start “making it in Massachusetts.”

But our journey through the state’s budget process is still uncertain, and it’s critical that we keep the pressure on.

That’s why we’re asking Caring Force members to share Lisa’s story with their senators and urge them to continue fighting for the Salary Reserve!

In honor of Lisa and all of the mothers working in human services, can you take a second to watch Lisa’s story and share it with your senator using our easy form?

http://www.thecaringforce.org/share-lisas-story

Thank you and a Happy Mother's Day to all our moms!