The 2nd Annual Economic Justice Summit took place on March 7 and 8 in Las Vegas, NV and Indiana was there. ICADV Training Coordinator, Caryn Burton, and Kay Hill of Stepping Stones (Michigan City) attended the summit to bring back information that would benefit programs throughout the state.
Hosted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Allstate Foundation, the Economic Justice Summit brings together advocates, state domestic violence coalitions, and national experts to discuss and share strategies to improve economic security for domestic violence survivors.
Among the highlights were workshops on paid sick and safety leave, survivor use of public benefits, and how to take advantage of corporate social responsibility. Kay’s favorite session discussed how marginalized communities survive and respond to natural disasters like hurricanes. Caryn is looking forward to following up with Uber on an upcoming series of town halls across the country to discuss Uber’s outreach to communities that can benefit from collaborating.
The last day of the summit coincided with International Women’s Day, which was celebrated over lunch by all attendees. The Allstate Foundation promoted their Moving Ahead through Financial Empowerment curriculum, as well as their support for state and organization programs like microloans and matched savings. Indiana is benefiting from implementation of both efforts.
Or course, as it usually is when advocates get together, the spirit of unity and empowerment is often the greatest gift. As Kay said, “WOW! What an awesome experience it was. The camaraderie among the other advocates was by far the most exciting portion of this trip. This is not to say I did not obtain valuable resources and data… it was an atmosphere of unity and empowerment in the air.”
