September 10th, 2009
Honorable Congresswoman Betty Sutton
Addresses Women on the Rise
The Women on the Rise event was a huge success this year on September 3, 2009 with over 250 people in attendance. Congresswoman Betty Sutton gave a speech about her blue-collar roots and her dedication to serving Ohio. Inspired by the stories of the Women on the Rise awardees, Congresswoman Sutton promised to bring their tales to Washington and to continue to represent working women in our country who often go underappreciated. Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher also addressed the event, with his words of appreciation for the awardees accomplishments. A report of this year’s awardees will follow. Pictures of the event are available upon request.
A formal announcement was made at the event introducing Hard Hatted Women's newest project, The Crew. More than just a networking opportunity for women in the non-traditional fields, The Crew provides access to mentors or mentees, training programs, employers, news and issues that affect you, your career and industry. Contact Hard Hatted Women for more information, joining is easy.
August 31st, 2009
Hard Hatted Women and AmeriCorps Team up for
National Day of Service
Hard Hatted Women is proud to announce our participation in the National Day of Service this September 11th. Signed into law this past April by President Obama, this is an event to honor and remember the victims, families and service workers who responded to the great need on that day. Volunteers from our staff and community will be working with the Cleveland FoodBank sorting and repacking nonperishable foods that will be distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. If you are interested in participating contact Hard Hatted Women. To find out how other organizations are participating check the website MyGoodDeed.com at http://911dayofservice.org/.
Additionally
we would like to give a public welcome to our incoming 7 AmeriCorps VISTA
members. VISTA stands for “Volunteers in
Service to America”. Three VISTA
volunteers will work on Tradeswomen TOOLS, a program that has been extended to
serve Cuyahoga, Lorain and Trumbull counties to link women to opportunities in
high-wage skilled careers. A Green Jobs
Coordinator and Youth Education Coordinator will help women and girls learn
about a wide variety of career paths.
Two VISTA members will support HHW outreach and communications.
July 30th, 2009
Hard Hatted Women Receives
Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Grant Renewal
HHW Also Selected to Host AmeriCorps VISTA Members
“These federal investments in Hard Hatted Women will make
sure that the talents and skills of both women and men contribute to the
revitalization of our region and state,” said Terri Burgess Sandu, executive
director, HHW. “HHW is well positioned
to help make
The AmeriCorps VISTA members will be assigned to several
different HHW programs. Three VISTA volunteers will work on Tradeswomen TOOLS,
a program that has been extended to serve Cuyahoga,
“Filling these positions will vastly increase our ability to not only provide outreach, education, mentoring and leadership skill training for women, it will allow us to work more closely with employers and industry leaders in targeted fields,” said Burgess Sandu.
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December, 3rd 2008
Hard Hatted Women Restructures Operations,
Names Executive Director
Conservative fiscal policies in place through first half of 2009
Hard Hatted Women (HHW), the regional non-profit organization that supports women in non-traditional blue collar careers, has recently named Terri Burgess Sandu as executive director of the 30-year old organization. Ms. Sandu started with the organization in 2001 as development director and has served in an interim director capacity since April 2008. This follows a twenty-year community service career in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
Additionally, HHW announced it has restructured its operations in order to decrease operating expenses. The number of staff has been reduced and remaining staff will temporarily work adjusted hours. Volunteers, who have always played an important role at HHW, will be vital to the ongoing services of HHW.
“We are taking the steps necessary to protect the financial and programmatic integrity of Hard Hatted Women,” Sandu said. “We are dedicated tradeswomen, volunteers, staff and board members who remain steadfast in our commitment to the organization, and the positive impact we have on working families and the community.”
“As difficult as it is to make these cuts, we have to remember that HHW started out with a group of women meeting in someone’s house, and during its first ten years, was all volunteer run,” states HHW board president Calli Frehmeyer. “Thanks to thirty years of hard work, we have solid ground on which to rebuild.”
Sandu cited several cash flow issues hitting the organization simultaneously as the reason for the announced changes, including bids for service contracts that are pending but not finalized, unanticipated expenses from two break-ins at their offices, and a general reduction in grants and donations, which many local non-profits are seeing.
The organization continues work on a statewide project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor which has it working in close partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation, registered apprenticeship programs, employers and other partners to help women enter and succeed in heavy highway and building trade careers.
Sandu and the board are looking at a number of strategies and partnerships to turn the organization around in 2009. Most immediate among them is a series of roundtable meetings with business partners and community leaders that will kick off in December, as well as an ambitious fundraising campaign scheduled for the first quarter of 2009. “When an economic stimulus package is passed and new efforts take shape in Ohio, HHW will be here to make sure that women are ready to take advantage of those opportunities,” declared Sandu.
Hard Hatted Women (HHW), founded in 1979 as a support group for tradeswomen, has gained local and national recognition. It's the only community-based organization working statewide to support women in high-wage, non-traditional blue-collar careers. HHW’s mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by creating workplace diversity in trade and technical careers. Programs include education and training, as well as a policy agenda to promote support for nontraditional employment for women on the community, state and national level.
“We target careers that offer women an opportunity to lift their families out of poverty,” Sandu said. “We are all dedicated to ensuring HHW has a strong future.”
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Media Contact:
Margaret LaVigne, Media Relations Coordinator
216.861.6500 ext. 19
