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Most people associate Mother's Day with flowers and brunch, but its origins are much more radical than most are aware of. In 1870 poet and activist, Julia Ward Howe, wrote an appeal—known as the "Mother's Day Proclamation"—for women to unite for peace. Two years later she declared a "Mother's Day for Peace" should be celebrated every June 2. Howe was calling for the end of state-supported violence, motivated by the recent devastation of the Civil War and Franco-Prussian War. For years she organized events around the day.

Today, Tri-Valley Haven recognizes that mothers provide paid labor and unpaid labor in America. It is still often expected that women are the ones tasked with child care and housekeeping even if they are also employed full-time. This leads to unequal gender roles and unequal pay especially for mothers.
What is the she-cession?
Women forced to choose between being mothers or workers.
Women have borne the brunt of the upheaval caused by the pandemic for two main reasons: devastation to industries employing a high concentration of women, and the additional childcare duties created by the closure of schools and daycare facilities.

According to the National Women's Law Center, women have lost 5.4 million jobs since the pandemic began and women participating in the labor force is at its lowest since 1988.

The unemployment rate for women ages 20 and over is still more than 1.8 times higher than their pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 3.1% in February 2020. Black women and Latinas continue to be hit particularly hard by the economic crisis: nearly 1 in 11 Black women ages 20 and over (8.7%) and nearly 1 in 13 Latinas (7.3%) were unemployed last month. 

We need to ensure this kind of disproportionate disenfranchising of women never happens again. That means, at the most basic level, working toward a more equitable society where men and women share equal responsibilities and expectations for housework and childcare.
But that also means more opportunities for women in fields where remote work is not an impossibility. The lower the pay for a job, the more overrepresented women are as employees. Closing this gap is key to closing the wage gap for all women, and that work must carry on. Please continue reading below to find out how Tri-Valley Haven is helping to empower women and families in the Tri-Valley area.
What TVH Can Offer Mothers
Shelters
Tri-Valley Haven has a domestic violence shelter, a homeless shelter, and transitional housing. Mothers are able to receive case management, counseling, and assistance with restraining orders from our agency.
Life Skills
We offer weekly life-skill education to mothers residing at our shelters. Life-skill classes include topics such as housing assistance, meal planning on a budget, securing a job and how to change a flat tire, etc. Tri-Valley Haven also has extraordinary volunteers that provide tutoring for children at our homeless shelter upon request.
Food Pantry and Thrift Store
Mothers are able to visit our food pantry weekly for supplies such as groceries, feminine hygiene, and baby products.

Vouchers for clothing from our thrift store can be requested at the food pantry.
Housing First
Domestic Violence Housing First (DVHF) offers case management, housing advocacy, and financial assistance to survivors of domestic violence who face barriers to obtaining or retaining safe housing. DVHF provides financial assistance with expenses necessary for self-sufficiency, such as car repairs so an individual can drive to work, gift cards for gas, work clothes, food, etc.
May Events
Join our prevention team at our food pantry on Monday, May 10th from 1-4PM to enjoy hot chocolate and receive a free COVID care kit!
Tri-Valley Haven's virtual support group will be starting on May 17th and will continue every Monday from 11am-12pm for 10 weeks.
For registration or questions please contact Sharon (sharon@trivalleyhaven.org) and Olga (olga@trivalleyhaven.org).