This story was reported for San Diego News Network on September 28, 2009.
About 1.6 million women and girls live in San Diego County.
At least 250,000 women are living below the federal poverty line, while 80,000 of that number live 50 percent below the federal poverty line.
Around 84,000 are elderly women who do not have sufficient income.
And roughly 22 percent of women do not have health insurance.
Bleak numbers, indeed.
A newly-organized donor circle is hoping to change these statistics though. Women Give San Diego (WGSD), a donor circle within The Women’s Foundation of California, held its inaugural meeting earlier this month with one clear position: “…families and communities thrive when women and girls thrive as fully contributing members…”
Standing firm on that position, founding president Jan Tuttleman is asking fellow San Diegans to join her.
“We need members, we need funds, and we need help,” Tuttleman said. “We need to show that this is an important issue. We believe that enough women in this community will realize this need.”
In a study sponsored by WGSD and conducted by Nash and Associates, surveyors found an economic need among women in San Diego County – which encouraged the development and recruitment of WGSD.
Some of the findings in the study include:
– There are more women and girls living in San Diego than in 20 of the 51 states.
– More than 22 percent of San Diego’s female population (350,000 women) came to the county as immigrants or refugees.
– Six percent of San Diego’s female population (92,000) is undocumented.
– There are 78,423 single mothers in San Diego County.
– 22,804 households headed by single mothers are living below the federal poverty line.
– In California, many elderly women rely on Social Security as their retirement; however “the average Social Security payment in the state of California barely eclipses the federal poverty line.”
– In the U.S., fewer than two percent of African-American women earn more than $75,000 while 62 percent earn less than $25,000. In the Latino population, one percent of Latinas earn more than $75,000 while 75 percent earn less than $25,000.
The survey ultimately concluded: “There is a clear and compelling need to focus on meeting the economic self-sufficiency and security needs of women in San Diego, with particular attention to low income women, women of color and elderly women.”
After the completion of the study, Tuttleman, alongside co-founders Linda Katz and Gayle Tauber, officially established WGSD. The three women – each known in the county for their work with different non-profit organizations – created a plan to assist San Diego’s most needy women.
Their plan includes asking women to become members by donating $1,000 then assisting the three WGSD leaders in determining which local organizations, whose primary focus are women, deserve the funds the most and which will be utilized the funds.
“Using the data in the survey, we’ll go to non-profit organizations, who serve these women and find out, more in depth, what programs need funding,” Tuttleman said. “We’ll either fund one agency or a few that aids in the economic self-sufficiency of women. This can include micro-financing, scholarships, business assistance. We’ll let our members decide.”
Just two weeks into the development of WGSD, Tuttleman, Katz and Tauber have already garnered 16 members and raised $42,500 – nearly the half-way point of their goal of $100,000 a year.
Tuttleman, who also holds leadership roles with the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County and the San Diego Jewish Women’s Foundation, said the economic need for women is even more so dire with recession. She said studies show men are getting laid-off more than women, leaving many women as the main breadwinner in the family.
In addition, the recent state budget cuts to programs such as child care assistance, have affected mothers if it hasn’t already – she said.
WGSD has different levels of membership including: members in their 20s pay $250 a year; members in their 30s pay $500 a year; after, members can pay up to $25,000 a year.
“We want to be the voice for the women and girls in our community,” Tuttleman said. “We want to build our community.”
Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.