In celebration of Valentine’s Day this year, we decided recognize powerful women whose contributions changed or are changing our lives.
And we decided to ask you to show your love to these women by tweeting or posting about them on Facebook. Latifa Lewis is one of the three women we chose to celebrate this Valentine’s Day.
The other two are Rosa Parks and Sarah Weddington.
This is why we’re recognizing Latifa Lewis:
Earlier this month Latifa Lewis was featured in The San Francisco Chronicle. In the article she explained that, as a single mother of two who just lost her job, she’s no longer able to pay for her younger daughter’s childcare and is having a hard time making ends meet.
Hers was a powerful story that showed just how devastating our state budget cuts have been. It reminded us that a fierce, hardworking woman with a BA in business could—in a span of a single day—fall into poverty.
Latifa’s is a story of thousands of mothers in California who did everything right, but are now finding themselves without a safety net when they need it the most. But she’s not defeated. She’s determined to fight for and help rebuild the services and programs that California’s struggling parents need to advance their lives and contribute to our economy.
As a member of Parent Voices, our grant partner, she advocates for subsidized childcare benefits for parents who want to work. She testifies in Sacramento, attends rallies and protests and tells her story to journalists. As she says, “Childcare keeps America working,” and she’ll fight to protect it.
Read our two blog posts about Latifa: Latifa is a powerhouse, not a victim and Why childcare cuts hurt us all.
Please show your love to Latifa Lewis. Tweet or Facebook:
Happy Valentine’s Day, Latifa Lewis. Will you be my Valentine? #showyourlove @womensfoundca