Branch #4023: Darien - Downers Grove - Lisle - Westmont - Woodridge
Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

Volume 1, Issue No. 9 / Mid-April thru May 2020
Please note the next edition of the Public Programs Notice
will be released sometime around June 6th.
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Where, oh, where, has normality gone? The Downers Grove Area Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) ponders that question along with every other organization, group, business and person. We are all dealing with the COVID-19 situation as well as we can, though, luckily, Downers Grove and our other membership towns have so far had very few cases.

Social distancing restrictions have meant that we cannot hold meetings in person; as a result, many of us have been doing so online and video chatting, for example. These and other means of communicating via technology are new to some of us, but we are learning how to use them.

Our next board meeting will be held online, as will a book sale committee meeting, in which the status of this summer’s sale will be discussed. Our voting for incoming officers will be online or via mailed-in ballots. The installation of these officers will be done remotely, or postponed until it is safe to meet in person.

While many normal branch activities, such as book collecting and sorting, have been suspended, members are making an effort to keep in touch with and check on the well-being of other members. Members also are invited to let your co-presidents and the board know of any suggestions you have for the betterment of the branch, and to share tips on how you are keeping busy – and keeping sane.

In my case, along with working on paperwork and home improvements, I painted a heart within a sun logo – the symbol for “Be Well” – on a sign which I put out front. In addition, I have written a couple of songs – Getting Thru This Together and Winning Through. I’ll share the most inspirational parts here: “We’re in this together, getting thru this together, and by helping one another, it won’t last forever. Together, we’re getting thru this!” – also, “This battle we face makes it tough to cope/but we’ll carry on by embracing hope. We’re winning through, winning through, and we work and pray/for the day we can say/that the battle is done/ and we have won!” (copyrighted)

Those are my words of comfort and wisdom for now. Meantime, BE WELL!

Co-President Joyce Tumea

USED BOOK SALE
Used Book Collections have been suspended until further notice.

We have instructed Eagle Storage not to accept any book donations left for us in the meantime as we are paying storage on donations that are left when we are not able to accept and process them. Please do NOT take book donations to Eagle Storage until our book collections resume at some time in the future.

The Used Book Sale for June 2020 has been cancelled.

Plans are being made for an online fundraising effort in order to cover our 2019/2020 storage costs. We also hope to be able to fund and offer a Back to the Books Scholarship in the Fall of 2020.

Watch our website, Facebook page, or the next Public Programs Notice for complete details.

ANNUAL BRANCH MEMBERSHIP
AAUW membership is based on a fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. Annual dues for fiscal 2021 are due by June 30, 2020.

In this time of uncertainty, you can be certain that AAUW will continue its mission to empower women as individuals and as a community through education and training, economic security and leadership. For more than 130 years, AAUW has worked as a national grassroots organization to improve the lives of millions of women and their families.

Dues remain the same as last year:
             National Dues:   $59 ($56 is tax deductible)
             State Dues:        $10
             Branch Dues:     $11
             Total Dues:        $80    
            
To join the Downers Grove Area Branch of AAUW, complete this form and return it with a check to: Jackie Ziff, 930 Curtiss, #205, Downers Grove, IL 60515

W e look forward to keeping our branch strong and would love for you to join us!
AAUW Salary Negotiation Programs

As an AAUW Member, you’re an ambassador, helping to build relationships with the public. Please login and explore WorkSmart with your email address & default password of Salary1. Empower the women in your life by directing them to salary.aauw.org.

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salary.aauw.org
Adia Dixon of Benedictine University (pictured with Mary Jo Wolsky at our February program) attended the 2019 NCCWSL conference. ( National Conference for College Women Student Leaders ).

This life changing conference includes a series of leadership sessions and keynote speakers. In an evening ceremony, awards are presented to women of distinction and participants are able to talk with these outstanding women. Also, there are opportunities to visit Washington, DC and talk with women who work on Capitol Hill.
Photo and article by Kate Skegg

NO PROGRAMS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
HANDMADE MARKET BOOTH CANCELLED
District 58 has closed their buildings in accordance with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's statewide stay-at-home order, so the Handmade Market has been cancelled.

Kim Venzon, VP Communications

(Photo of Mary Ann Dion, Medge Soline, and Emily Owens at last year's market.)
EDITOR'S NOTE
**Please note: The next edition of the Public Programs Notice will NOT be released on May 6th.
We are planning for an edition on or before June 6th.**
Prevent it from being marked as Junk or Spam by opening it right away!

Previous editions of the Public Programs Notice
are archived on the Past Programs page of our website.

Blue underlined text in the newsletter indicates clickable links
to emails, websites, or pdfs.

Kim Venzon, VP Communications

HISTORY OF OUR BRANCH
Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year the average women must work in order to earn what the average man earns in the previous year. Tuesday, April 12, 2016 was the first Equal Pay Day march in Downers Grove, a joint initiative of the local LWV and our branch of AAUW in an effort to bring the popular Chicago march closer to home. This year would have been the fifth consecutive march!

Two downtown businesses offered discounts to marchers that first year: Rocco & Rocco and The Dog Barkery. The rally gathering at the end of the march has been hosted by Gatto’s, Angelo’s Pizza, and Another Round. Entertainment has included a Lilly Ledbetter presentation, an original song entitled Give Us Equal Pay written by AAUW branch members, and a slogan slam that is memorialized in this YouTube video and resulted in the top two winning slogans: “The unfair gender pay gap is penny-pinching sexist crap!" and "Equal pay for equal work is our due and not a perk."

Written by Kim Venzon
with input from Mary Ann Dion, Joyce Tumea, Harriett Lindstrom,
and photos from Kate Skegg
The Simple Truth about the Pay Gap

Over half a century after pay discrimination became illegal in the United States, a persistent pay gap between men and women continues to hurt our nation’s workers and our national economy.

Read more
www.aauw.org
NATIONAL WEBSITE UPDATE
I hope you are staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented crisis. Please be assured we at AAUW are with you and there for you during this time. As part of our ongoing work, AAUW is pleased to announce the launch of our new website, and we hope it will help us to stay more connected than ever.

Our team is thrilled to showcase our important work together towards advancing gender equity. The site is the result of many months of hard work and close collaboration with design experts, staff at all levels and many members.

It is intended to get you the information you need quickly. I hope you will take some time to look around and peruse the striking images, at-a-glance stats and inspiring stories about the world-changing women AAUW supports.

As proud as I am of the new site, I’m also committed to continuous improvement and eager to hear your feedback. Websites are never truly finished, but I hope you’ll agree that we’re off to a very strong start with the new AAUW.org.

Laura M. Segal
Senior Vice President, Communications and External Relations
AROUND TOWN
Read about the Census here. Deadlines have been revised, but reply ASAP.

Printable FAQs:
2019-2020 BRANCH BOARD
** CO-PRESIDENTS Mary Ann Dion & Joyce Tumea * VICE-PRESIDENT PROGRAMS Mary Jo Wolsky * VICE-PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP Jackie Ziff * VICE-PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS Kim Venzon * SECRETARY Sue Stealey * TREASURER Deborah Harris **
APPOINTED OFFICERS * AAUW FUNDS: Education Coleen Walter & NCCWSL Harriett Lindstrom * PUBLIC POLICY Emily Owens * COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE Jennifer Weggeman
FOLLOW US
AAUW Greatest Needs Fund

Giving to Greatest Needs is a great way to ensure AAUW’s continued visibility, relevance and sustainability. On the donation form, please select “Use my gift where it’s needed most” to contribute to this important fund.

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www.aauw.org
Planned Giving to AAUW

Charitable gift annuities, often called CGAs, can be a wonderful way to help AAUW provide for the next generation of women. In addition to the benefits of making a gift to the organization, you will receive fixed payments for the rest of your life.

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www.aauw.org
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