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Warriors for Real Welfare Reform, Hartford, Connecticut

The Warriors for Real Welfare Reform was founded only two years ago, and has already grown to over 350 members. Their members consist of those on public assistance, as well as low-income workers. The Warriors for Real Welfare Reform strive to teach, train, and empower people below the poverty level through community organizing and development of community leadership. Their message is "Real Welfare Reform Means Real Living Wage Jobs."

On February 29, 1996, they launched "Leap Into Jobs," a job-hunting program designed to increase the number of living wage jobs available for their members. They held a series of actions whose purpose was to hold the governmental officials and the state legislature accountable for the creation of living wage jobs that will lift families out of poverty. In these demonstrations, they confronted governmental officials and corporations to demand jobs for people on public assistance. They also took over a hearing at the state legislature and advocated for their own bill that would guarantee living wage jobs, day care, transportation, and health care. With significant press coverage at this hearing, they had the opportunity to speak out against the proposed cuts to rental assistance programs, general assistance, and cuts to adult medical service.

Other activities of the Warriors for Real Welfare Reform have included a prayer vigil in front of the state capitol, and petitions against the state legislature's welfare proposals. Most recently, Warriors for Real Welfare Reform has lead demonstrations to get big corporations to face up to their social responsibility to re-invest in their communities by providing living wage jobs to people on public assistance. As a result of these actions, the warriors have obtained meetings with corporations heads at which they have presented their demands.

This profile was prepared by Nicole Brown, a law student at the Center.

-- from the June 3rd 1996 issue of Welfare News