Half the Sky

NEWS FOR HALF THE SKY
Study Group Chair, Betty Laliberte

YOU ARE INVITED!

2023-24 Schedule

Our Half the Sky Study Group is inviting you to join our efforts in 2023-24. We meet on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 pm usually at a group member’s home. Programs are free unless otherwise noted. This is the YEAR OF COLLABORATION! Join Half the Sky for work sessions, field trips and learning modules. ALL AAUW members are welcome. Come often or come when you can. If you have questions any time this year, leave text for Betty Laliberte, 630 832 9010, or send an email.

September 13, 2023, noon–4 pm
First United Methodist Church of Elmhurst, 232 S. York St., Elmhurst, IL
We will make cloth sanitary pads with Rotary members of Aurora. All AAUW members are welcome. We are looking for sewers with sewing  machines, ironers with iron and board, rippers with measuring tapes and scissors, sergers if you have one. Call Betty to let her know you are coming.

Thursday, September 28, 7-8pm
Elmhurst Park District, Kies Recreation Center’s Multipurpose Room
AAUW’s DEI program is just two days after our regular meeting time so let’s support this endeavor as our regular end of the month meeting. Pre-registration for Difficult Conversations (# RF01333-01) is requested. Please call 630-993-8193 to reserve a space in this FREE program.

Join the Elmhurst AAUW Branch and ComeUnity/Coffee Break for Social Justice as they aim to bring people together by fostering thoughtful dialogue and gentle discussion about racial issues. The first program in this series will include a video and follow up discussion on difficult
conversations. Attendees will watch as African American musician Daryl Davis discusses his
experience creating dialogue with the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Davis’s experience
demonstrates that dialogue about racial issues can be civil and effective. The program and follow up discussion will be led by Jim Percic of the ComeUnity Planning Committee.

Tuesday, October 24 , 7-9 pm
College of DuPage Belushi Performance Hall, Cost $20.00
AN Illinois author speaks about her book THE WOMAN THEY COULD NOT SILENCE by Kate Moore. Betty will collect money at the September dinner and order the tickets for the group.
“New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal’s bestselling author Kate Moore delivers
an uplifting tale of a forgotten woman whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for
women’s rights and exposed injustices that still resonate today. Featured on NPR’s Summer
Reading Recommendation, BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, and Time.com.

Friday, December 8, after school
Exact Time and Location To Be Announced.
AAUW’s Amy Lippert’s Girl Scout Troop would enjoy making ICDI snack bags with us, a delightful collaboration activity!

Tuesday, January 26, 7-9pm
Zoom session
Learn about Afghanistan families coming to the USA. Hear stories about those who have been working to assist the Afghans leave their country and settle here.

February 2024
College of DuPage, Global Flicks Film, TBA
When the schedule is listed information will be available.

Tuesday, March 26, 7-9 pm
Location TBA
We will have a two part meeting: updates on SOLA, School of Leadership in Afghanistan, and our newest local immigrants from Venezuela.  Let’s take a look at what it is like for women in Venezuela.

Tuesday, April 28, 7-9 pm
We will continue to study SOLA and Venezuela.

May Ethnic Dinner
Day and Time TBA
Should we choose Chinese, Mexican, or Greek this year?

Other Field Trips as a large group or in smaller groups
QAHWAH HOUSE LOMBARD [Yemeni coffee]
406 E. Roosevelt Lombard IL 60148-4630 630 519 3632

My Half the Sky Café
121 W Wesley St, Wheaton, IL 60187-5143
https://myhalfofthesky.org

 

History

In 2011 Half the Sky was created after an all-branch-read of Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn’s book, Half The Sky, placed a spotlight on serious women’s issues around the world. This inspired members to further investigate women’s issues and to find ways for us to help.

What have we done?

    • We make modest voluntarily donations to organizations that we have studied at monthly meetings.  Since 2011 we have sent $6,780 to 27 organizations making a difference in the lives of women.
    •  One of the first donations was to KIVA, providing microloans for women’s projects.  Our donations totaling $300 have been loaned out and repaid twenty times. That money has assisted multiple women’s initiatives.
    • We have funded four fistula operations that enabled women who were injured in childbirth to reclaim their lives.
    • We have also sent funds to support a variety of projects that benefit women around the world.
    • We have contributed bras to the FREE THE GIRLS organization for the past two years.  Last year more than a dozen members spent an afternoon making cloth sanitary pads for DAYS FOR GIRLS  addressing the challenge of young women who are absent from school one week a month because of their period.

What are we doing now?

WANT TO HELP?                  JOIN US!

We welcome you to join us in any way you feel comfortable. Participating in meetings (Fourth Tuesday evening of each month,) contribute financial support, send us your ideas. We can assist women!

To learn more or join our email list, email Betty Laliberte  or call and leave a message @ 630 832 9010.

Guests are always welcome.