Meta House received a $10,000 grant from the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee, Inc. to offer the Women’s Advocacy Project. The program is designed to 1) reduce the social stigma attached to substance use and increase the awareness of the causes, affects, and treatment of substance use disorders in women; 2) educate the community regarding public policy and legislation that recognizes and supports gender-responsive treatment; and 3) eliminate institutional barriers that stand in the way of broader availability of gender-responsive treatment for women in Greater Milwaukee.
The grant was one of 10 recently awarded by the Women’s Fund for programs that advance access, equity and social justice. The Women’s Fund is the first and largest permanent resource in Wisconsin dedicated exclusively to funding and advocacy for the emerging needs of women and girls. Since its establishment in 1985, the Women’s Fund has invested $2 million in cutting-edge programs at more than 100 communitybased agencies in greater Milwaukee. Contact Women’s Fund Executive Director Elaine Maly at 414/290-7350, emaly@womensfund.com or visit womensfund.com for more information.
The Women’s Advocacy Project is one of several programs offered by Meta House to help women in the community. Founded in 1963, Meta House’s mission is to help women struggling with drug and alcohol addiction reclaim their lives and rebuild their families. Its model program meets the unique needs of women and their children, ending the generational cycle of substance abuse. Women that abuse alcohol or drugs are more highly stigmatized than their male counterparts. As a society we have little patience for these women, failing to recognize that they are mothers, daughters and sisters just like other women who play an important role in all our lives. The Women’s Fund is one of the very few foundations that recognize these gender differences, and Meta House is extremely grateful for their support. For more information on Meta House, contact Wendy Cozzens at (414) 977-5807.