Twenty or so women sit around a long buffet table. They are professors, advocates, social workers, receptionists, students—women of varying ages and backgrounds, from different parts of the country. Though most have never met before, they come together with warmth. Most are or have been on public assistance. Each credits welfare with helping keep their family together and safe.

"I went on welfare in order to move myself and my kids from a very abusive marriage that was being controlled by alcoholism," says Rosalind Osgood. Some of the other women nod, and whisper encouraging words. Rosalind is now special projects director for the Broward, Florida League of Cities. "I made some bad choices, but it never occurs to me that I shouldn't say these things, speak out [about being on welfare], even in my political job."

This starts everyone talking about the many powerful and political people welfare has helped since its creation in 1935, and the difference it would make if any of them—members of Congress, heads of corporations—stood up and said, "When you talk about welfare, you're talking about me."

That's exactly the kind of acknowledgement these women hope to spark. They are all here in Washington, DC to kick off the Welfare Made a Difference(WMAD) public education campaign to challenge misconceptions about welfare in preparation for the upcoming elections and reauthorization of the federal welfare reform act.

The next morning, September 15, the women were joined by about ten others. Nervous but eager, they shared breakfast before heading out for the WMAD's National Day of Action. Several spoke at a press conference in the National Press Club and at a rally at the Capitol Building. Later, they each met individually with members of Congress to talk about the realities of welfare and offer recommendations for changes when the 1996 welfare reform act comes up for reauthorization in 2002. Representatives Patsy Mink (D-HI) Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)—Woolsey is herself a former welfare recipient—also spoke at the events. In 18 other cities around the country, similar speak-outs took place.

From "Containing Poverty" to Ending it
The mission of the Welfare Made a Difference (WMAD) national campaign is to document the experiences of parents who have received welfare and collect their recommendations for improving the system. Started by the Community Food Resource Center in New York, WMAD is now supported by a coalition of organizations including the National Association of Social Workers, the National Council of Women's Organizations, Church Women United and the Hunger Action Program of New York State.

"People are interested in cutting welfare because so much of the discussion plays on stereotypes," says organizer Liz Accles of the Community Food Resource Center. "We work to get out broader images, a bigger picture of who's on welfare and why, and the purpose it serves. It's an investment in people."

Among the hallmarks of the 1996 welfare reform act are time limits and a "work first" focus. But welfare reform has its own time limit: it's up for re-authorization in 2002. WMAD hopes to influence the process by starting a discussion of the elements that make up good welfare policies—like providing adequate income assistance based on need, allowing access to education and training, and providing protection from domestic violence and safe and affordable health and child care.

The campaign also hopes to provoke a more thoughtful approach to time limits. "There are people who need assistance long term, because of mental or physical health problems or raising a child. These are valuable and valid reasons and we are here to say that it's okay," says Liz Accles, WMAD National Day of Action organizer.

"My children and I moved forward because the public came to my assistance," says Jacqueline Pope, who left an abusive relationship and, with the help of welfare, earned a degree and is now a professor at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey. All four of her children are college graduates. "Those of us who have made it, we need to stand up and say thank you for helping my family, my children. ? [But for others, we must ask] being 'working poor,' how is that the American Dream? We need to move away from containing poverty to ending it."

Money Well Spent
The women's stories, while different, have similar themes: success despite seemingly impossible barriers, such as life-long poverty, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health problems, learning disabilities, sporadic or nonexistent child support, and early single parenthood. Welfare benefits like child care subsidies, transportation assistance, health insurance and food stamps made it possible for mothers to raise healthy children, helped some get through college and others find jobs that paid enough to move their families out of poverty.

Karen Johnson, from DC, spoke about being raised on welfare after a difficult pregnancy forced her single mother out of work. "We lived on mayonnaise sandwiches, in fear of fire and violence," she says. But her mother encouraged her children to strive for success. "Mom certainly didn't fit the mythical stereotype of welfare queen—she'd worked since she was 14," says Johnson. "And she did the hard work of a full-time parent, without affordable child care while she was working."

When she was 17, Johnson enrolled in nursing school, and later earned a masters degree from Yale University. "Every one of my siblings went to college," she says. "I'm grateful for the support of the U.S. government, it kept us together. We were together because of welfare. And my siblings and I have donated thousands of hours [in volunteer work] to our community to repay in kind the help we got."

A Return on the Investment
A fair, supportive public welfare system helps us all, says Jillyn Stevens. A mother from Salt Lake City, Utah, Stevens was on welfare for three years, after a divorce left her struggling to raise two young children while waitressing and working clerical jobs. Welfare and non-welfare supports helped her earn her undergraduate degree. She's now a social worker and college professor, and is working on her PhD.

"Since 1988," she says, "I've paid about $58,000 in federal and state income taxes, and have made regular payments, including interest, on my student loans. My three years on [welfare] cost the state and federal government around $15,800 in monthly checks and food stamps. To date, the government has realized more than $42,000 profit from investing in me while I pursued my education. That's a 266 percent return rate." At the wages she was receiving before she got her degrees, Stevens adds, she wouldn't have paid half this much in taxes by the time she retired.

"This was before welfare reform. I couldn't have done this if I'd had to work first," Stevens says. "Not all women on welfare will want [or be able] to go to college, but for some single moms and dads who want to obtain higher education, there's no reason to deter them or make it more difficult."

Breaking the Silence
For every woman in the room on the day of the press conference there are hundreds, probably thousands of other success stories.

Though the women have returned to their hometowns and families, the WMAD campaign will continue to work to get welfare recipients from all over the country to lend their voices to the mix, and educate policymakers, the media and the public about what it takes to help families move out of poverty. Another action day is scheduled for the spring.

Michelle Alexander, a 30-year-old mother who lives in Maine, closed the meeting with a sentiment many of the other women shared. A former welfare recipient who's now a research associate at the University of Maine's Center for Community Inclusion while working on her PhD in disability studies, Alexander said, "My 7-year-old daughter lives with a woman who's professionally and financially successful. For me, and for my family, welfare made a difference."

For More Information
To learn more, or to get involved with the Welfare Made a Difference campaign in your area, send an e-mail to wmadcampaign@yahoo.com, or visit the WMAD Web site.

Visit the Connect for Kids Welfare topic page for data and information about what public assistance and welfare reform mean for children and families.

Caitlin Johnson is Staff Writer at Connect for Kids.