Celebrate your mothers

Dear Readers,

Let me begin by thanking all the lovely women who breathed life into each and every one of us by saying Happy Mother’s Day! Sunday, May 11 is your day, the day set aside to celebrate you! I for one think mothers should be celebrated every day.

This issue of the Vital VOICE has several stories dedicated to the women; mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers. One of the cover stories features “the state of women in St. Louis”, written by Olivia Ayes. I know everyone is familiar with the phrase, “We’ve come a long way baby!” but after reading some of statistic Olivia shares, you will see we still have a “long way to go!”

Also on the cover is a piece by St. Louis’ own playwright, Joan Lipkin. Joan was privileged to have participated in the international gathering about violence against women entitled V-Day to the 10th, held in the New Orleans Superdome on April 11-12. It sounds like it was a very moving experience and I thank her for sharing it with each of us.
Unfortunately, violence against women is something we would rather not think about when we are focusing on celebrating mothers. It remains a significant problem in our society and in St. Louis. I sit on the board of an organization dedicated to providing the necessary support for women who are victims of violence. Like many non-profits, their financial status does not provide for adequate promotion. The organization is Legal Advocates for Abused Women (LAAW). I invite you to find out more about this organization by visiting their website at www.laawstl.org. Find out how you can help and do it in honor of the women you love!

Don’t Forget—Celebrate your Mother(s)!!!

Till next issue,
Pamela Schneider