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Mayor's Message:
Women's History Month
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Dear Jazz,
It was a woman who took care of us before anyone else. Our mother made prenatal appointments, changed her diet and lifestyle, and pushed her body through excruciating discomfort and pain to bring us into the world. The first time we opened our eyes, we saw her face. The first time we needed a hug – it was her arms we sought. The first time we felt unconditional love – it was from her. Our mothers were the superheroes in our lives before we knew who Wonder Woman was. And their powers are even stronger for working, single, or low-income moms. Their own exhaustion never trumps our needs. And their warmth and nurturing nature gave us the strength to forge ahead and become the people we are today.
However, women's nurturing warmth is often perceived as a fault that makes them weaker, more emotional, or not as level-headed as men. Instead of strength, it’s often perceived as weakness. We attach nurturing behaviors to ‘femininity’ and view femininity as a weakness. Our views regarding womanhood are so ingrained in our society that we ridicule men for something as simple as wearing pink. But if we look at history, generations of brave, hard-working women have taken a stand and made it clear that femininity is empowering and that women are strong.
The first Woman’s History Day was on February 28, 1909, in New York City to commemorate the one-year anniversary of a garment worker’s strike in which 15,000 women protested to bring attention to inhumane working conditions. In 1978, the first Women’s History Week was held to highlight that women’s history was excluded from K-12 curriculums. In 1980, after heavy campaigning by women’s organizations nationwide, President Jimmy Carter declared Women's History Week the week of March 8th. By 1986, more than a dozen states had declared the entire month of March Women’s History Month. The next year, activists successfully got Congress to declare March Women’s History Month.
Since 1995, every American president has proclaimed March Women’s History Month with a special theme assigned by the National Women’s History Alliance. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” as a way to recognize women, past and present, who have made their mark and been active in all forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media. But you don’t have to work in media to tell a story. For many of us, our mother, grandmother, auntie, or older sister carried and told the stories of our families and communities.
We used to say, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” But we are no longer creating a generation of women that are forced to stand behind – they are leading us forward. The work of young ladies like climate activist Greta Thunberg, education activist Malala Yousafzai, and many more are paving a better future for the generations of brilliant female minds that will follow them. Mothers are also getting involved in politics in record numbers and winning. Organizations like ‘Mom Congress’ work to lobby congress on multiple issues facing mothers and families. In 2019, more than one-fifth of Congresswomen were moms to young children – a record-breaking number. Ultimately, it is because women care so much that they lead many movements advocating for protecting our environment and rights.
Without women in our lives, who would we be? What would our society look like? As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s thank our mothers and those who care for us and love us like mothers for being the first source of love and warmth many of us felt and a constant source of comfort. Let’s pay attention and tell the stories of the women that are changing our lives and the world.
#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield
Creating One Plainfield. One Future.
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield
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Mensaje Del Alcalde:
Mes De La
Historia De La Mujer
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Queridx Jazz,
Era una mujer que nos cuido antes que nadie. Nuestra madre hizo citas prenatales, cambió su dieta y estilo de vida, y empujó su cuerpo a través de una incomodidad y dolor insoportables para traernos al mundo. La primera vez que abrimos los ojos, vimos su rostro. La primera vez que necesitábamos un abrazo, lo que buscábamos eran sus brazos. La primera vez que sentimos amor incondicional, fue de ella. Nuestras madres eran los superhéroes en nuestras vidas antes de que supiéramos quién era Wonder Woman. Y sus poderes son aún más fuertes para las madres trabajadoras, solteras o de bajos ingresos. Su propio agotamiento nunca supera nuestras necesidades. Y su calidez y naturaleza nutritiva nos dieron la fuerza para seguir adelante y convertirnos en las personas que somos hoy.
Sin embargo, las calidades buenas y naturales de las mujeres a menudo se perciben como una falla que las hace más débiles, más emocionales o no tan sensatas como los hombres. En lugar de fortaleza, se percibe como debilidad. Adjuntamos las calidades de mamás a la "feminidad" y vemos la feminidad como una debilidad. Nuestros puntos de vista con respecto a la feminidad están tan arraigados en nuestra sociedad que ridiculizamos a los hombres por algo tan simple como vestir de rosa. Pero si miramos la historia, generaciones de mujeres valientes y trabajadoras han tomado una posición y han dejado claro que la feminidad es empoderadora y que las mujeres son fuertes.
El primer Día de la Historia de la Mujer fue el 28 de febrero de 1909 en la ciudad de Nueva York para conmemorar el primer aniversario de una huelga de trabajadores de la confección en la que 15,000 mujeres protestaron para llamar la atención sobre las condiciones de trabajo inhumanas. En 1978, se celebró la primera Semana de la Historia de la Mujer para resaltar que la historia de las mujeres estaba excluida de los planes de estudio K-12. En 1980, después de una fuerte campaña de organizaciones de mujeres en todo el país, el presidente Jimmy Carter declaró la Semana de la Historia de la Mujer la semana del 8 de marzo. Para 1986, más de una docena de estados habían declarado todo el mes de marzo como el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer. Al año siguiente, las activistas lograron que el Congreso declarara marzo como el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer.
Desde 1995, todos los presidentes estadounidenses han proclamado el mes de marzo como el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer con un tema especial asignado por la Alianza Nacional de Historia de la Mujer. El tema de este año es "Celebrando a las mujeres que cuentan nuestras historias" como una forma de reconocer a las mujeres, pasadas y presentes, que han dejado su huella y han estado activas en todas las formas de medios y narración, incluidos los medios impresos, la radio, la televisión, el escenario, la pantalla, los blogs, los podcasts, las noticias, y las redes sociales. Pero no tienes que trabajar en los medios para contar una historia. Para muchos de nosotros, nuestra madre, abuela, tía o hermana mayor llevó y contó las historias de nuestras familias y comunidades.
Solíamos decir: "Detrás de cada gran hombre hay una gran mujer". Pero ya no estamos creando una generación de mujeres que se ven obligadas a quedarse atrás, sino que nos están guiando hacia adelante. El trabajo de mujeres jóvenes como la activista climática Greta Thunberg, la activista educativa Malala Yousafzai y muchas más están allanando un futuro mejor para las generaciones de mentes femeninas brillantes que las seguirán. Las madres también se están involucrando en la política en números récord y ganando. Organizaciones como 'Mom Congress' trabajan para presionar al Congreso sobre múltiples problemas que enfrentan las madres y las familias. En 2019, más de una quinta parte de las congresistas eran madres de niños pequeños, un número récord. En última instancia, es porque las mujeres se preocupan tanto que lideran muchos movimientos que abogan por la protección de nuestro medio ambiente y nuestros derechos.
Sin las mujeres en nuestras vidas, ¿quiénes seríamos? ¿Cómo sería nuestra sociedad? Al celebrar el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer, agradezcamos a nuestras madres y a quienes nos cuidan y nos aman como madres por ser la primera fuente de amor y calidez que muchos de nosotros sentimos y una fuente constante de consuelo. Prestemos atención y contemos las historias de las mujeres que están cambiando nuestras vidas y el mundo.
#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield
Creating One Plainfield. One Future.
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Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp
Ciudad de Plainfield
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RECAP | CITY OF PLAINFIELD EMPLOYEES READ ACROSS AMERICA
Thursday, March 2nd
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On Thursday, March 2nd City of Plainfield employees read their favorite books as they were livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page for students and residents to enjoy in celebration of National Read Across America day. In 1997, the National Education Association (NEA) launched the Read Across America initiative to encourage children to get excited about reading.
Thank you to all the dedicated city employees that took the time to come out and share their love of reading with our young generation of scholars! Don't forget to checkout our beautiful Plainfield Public Library for access to thousands of free and easily rentable books for people of all ages.
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The Advancing Black Pathways (ABP) Fellowship Program
and the
Advancing Hispanics & Latinos (AHL) Fellowship Program
(Click on Images for More Information)
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The Advancing Black Pathways (ABP) and Advancing Hispanics & Latinos (AHL) Fellowship Programs are six-week, paid, full-time programs designed to introduce college students from all backgrounds — including Black, Hispanic and Latino — to the financial industry and help build a pathway to future career opportunities.
The deadline is March 10th.
Applications can be found by clicking on the images.
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Do You Know What's Happening in your City?
Click the Image below and take a look at Plainfield's Latest City Events, Community Resources, and so much more!
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Check out our City's Commercial:
"Welcome to Plainfield"
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¿ How Do You Show Love for Plainfield? | |
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Watch our 2022 Love Plainfield Commercial!
" The Queen City is Love"
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2022 Fall Newsletter
"Where We Were. Where We Are. Where We're Going."
Click the image to read it virtually!
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A MESSAGE FROM
UNION COUNTY:
Union County Provides Bilingual Assistance for Seniors Seeking Services in March
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The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites seniors and their caregivers to come to Union County’s ASK community events in March, and meet in person with professional staff for expert guidance on senior programs and resources. Help with filling out forms is also provided.
Bilingual staff will be present at all of these events to offer assistance in Spanish.
“The ASK program offers the opportunity to visit in person with our knowledgeable staff, in the familiar environment of a local library or community center. We encourage all seniors and care givers to visit a nearby ASK program to connect with accurate, reliable information about helpful resources and programs,” said Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados.
ASK stands for Aging Services Kiosk, a program of the Union County Department of
Human Services through the Division on Aging and Disability Resources, serving seniors age 60-plus and their caregivers.
Staff at the ASK events can help seniors and care givers connect with a variety of services including home delivered meals, respite care, home care, adult day care and support services for caregivers.
Any Union County senior or care giver can visit any ASK event, regardless of their hometown. No appointment or pre-registration is needed.
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A MESSAGE FROM
THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY:
Governor Murphy Announces $120 Million for Preschool Facilities, Brings High-Quality Pre-K to 16 More School Districts
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SOUTH BRUNSWICK – As part of the Murphy Administration’s ongoing efforts to provide universal access to high-quality, full-day preschool throughout the state, Governor Phil Murphy today announced the availability of $120 million in grants for preschool facility expansion and highlighted the funding 16 school districts recently received to establish or grow their preschool programming. Alongside Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan, Senator Andrew Zwicker, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and other officials at Brooks Crossing and Deans Elementary School, the Governor also announced an additional $2.6 million to assist 33 school districts with supplementary start-up funding.
Providing free early childhood education to every three and four-year-old in New Jersey remains an important goal of the Murphy Administration. Since Governor Murphy took office, high-quality preschool programs have been introduced to over 160 school districts, opening seats for more than 12,000 additional children.
“Expanding access to free, full-day preschool programs represents an investment in the future of New Jersey’s children,” said Governor Murphy. “More families are benefiting from our increased support for early childhood education every year. A quality preschool education provides students with the foundational skills they need to learn and succeed as they advance through life, which is why we must – and will – continue to work towards universal pre-K throughout New Jersey.”
“Today’s announcement represents another step in Governor Murphy’s efforts to expand access to preschool education by adding 16 more communities to the list of those that now have a high-quality preschool option,” said Dr. Angelica Allen-McMillan, Acting Commissioner of Education. “The preschool facilities grants are another important part of these efforts, and a first for New Jersey. Adequate preschool facilities can often be one of the obstacles that school districts face in implementing high-quality programs, so this funding will help more school communities overcome those barriers.”
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A MESSAGE FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE:
Vice President Harris Announces Progress in Lowering Internet Costs for Families, Funding to Expand High Speed Internet Access
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Over 16 million households now saving $500 million per month, thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
Vice President announces over $175 million for Minority Serving institutions to connect more young Americans with affordable, high-speed internet
High-speed internet has become an essential tool to access education, healthcare, and work. Still, too many are left without high-speed internet because of lacking infrastructure, costs or the lack of skills to utilize the technology. This is particularly notable in communities of color, rural communities and among older Americans where the lack of affordable, reliable high-speed internet is compounding economic, health and other disparities.
That’s why President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to include a record $65 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand “Internet for All” — so that everyone in America has access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. The Administration also secured critical funding for affordable high-speed internet in the American Rescue Plan and general appropriations laws. The Administration’s efforts are centered around three principles—access, affordability and equity. Across the laws, Internet for All programs will build high-speed internet infrastructure, teach digital skills, and provide necessary technology to ensure that everyone in America has the access and skills they need to fully participate in today’s society.
Today in South Carolina, Vice President Harris is highlighting the impact of these investments to date, while announcing new milestones in the effort to increase access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet and close the digital divide including:
- The Affordable Connectivity Program’s (ACP) enrollment is now up 40% since President Biden and Vice President Harris launched GetInternet.gov;
- Consumers are now saving over $500M per month as a result of the ACP;
- The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is announcing more than $175 million to 61 Minority Serving Institutions for internet access, equipment, and training; and,
- NTIA is committing to an intentional HBCU engagement strategy to ensure these institutions find applicable resources to connect their campuses and communities.
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HELP US TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY!
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT- IT APP
Available in IOS and Android Mobile Phones
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Exercise your civic duty-- be the eyes and ears of our City! Your reports can greatly increase the quality of life in our Plainfield community. Let's work together to keep our city safe- If you see it, say it with ReportIt. | |
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Use the app, or text
reportit to 63975
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Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and the City of Plainfield are committed to making it as easy as possible to report concerns in our city. To that end, we've partnered with REPORT IT, which is now live in Plainfield and ready to be used as an important supplemental reporting tool.
Report it makes community reporting easier than ever! Residents and visitors can download the app by scanning the barcode above or by going to your phone's app store. Your reports will be submitted to the appropriate City department to be resolved.
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Call us at: 908.753.3015 or
E:communications@plainfieldnj.gov
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|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|
515 WATCHUNG AVENUE | 908-753-3310| MONDAY-FRIDAY | 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.|
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Creating One Plainfield. One Future. | | | | |
