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Loud & Clear

January 2025

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Up Next


Make a Difference in Someone’s Life: Be a Mentor Thurs., Jan 9


Criminal Legal System Reform Meeting, Weds., Jan. 15


Attainable Housing Meeting, Tues., Jan. 21


Racial Justice Meeting, Fri., Jan. 24 - new time, 2:00pm


Advocacy Meeting, Mon., Jan. 27

Words from Our President

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Welcome to 2025!!!!

I hope that you and your families had a beautiful holiday season. I'm looking forward to the new year and to celebrate 20 Years of supporting Women’s Voices’ vision: “women working together to advance a world that values equity and justice for all, abolishes discrimination, and protects the planet”.


We do this through our monthly programs, held the second Thursday at the Center of Clayton @ 7:00 pm as well as our various committees:

  • Advocacy, where we discuss timely social justice issues, and review legislation at the state and federal levels, chaired by Marg Doss and Nancy Price
  • Racial Justice, chaired by Anne Litwin and Liz Sondhaus with sub-committees:
  • Criminal Legal System Reform, chaired by Rochelle Kaskowitz and Karen Coulson, and 
  • Attainable Housing, chaired by Keba Jones
  • Lock It For Love.   


We are also excited to begin 2025 as a recipient of a grant through Empower Missouri for our work on Clean Slate legislation. This grant will enable Women’s Voices to assist in building additional partnerships and legislative support for Clean Slate, including educational materials, correspondence with State legislators, and in-person meetings and testimony in Jefferson City.


In 2025, WVR is returning to “our roots”- a membership/volunteer-led organization without paid staff. Why am I sharing this? My personal “ask” is that you consider becoming more involved, joining and working with our committees, and becoming part of our leadership team. This is especially important for our “hallmark program,” Lock It For Love, since there is no committee chair coordinating it.  We have many dedicated volunteers packing the gun locks and working events to distribute the gun locks, but no one to lead the committee. Please feel free to reach out to me about any of these opportunities via email: president@womensvoicesraised.org.


Please visit Women's Voices at our website and on social media - Facebook and Instagram - to remain up to date on all the great things we're doing. 


I look forward to seeing you at our program “Make a Difference in Someone’s Life: Be a Mentor” on Thursday, January 9th @ 7 pm at the Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave. 63105. You're always welcome to bring a friend.


Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or suggestions at president@womensvoicesraised.org



Your ally,

Karen Francis

WVR January Program - Make a Difference in Someone’s Life: Be a Mentor

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Thursday, January 9, 7 p.m.

Center of Clayton

50 Gay Ave.

Saint Louis, MO 63105

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.

Read more and register here.


Stephanie McCreary, chief purpose officer for Oasis, will Join us to share information about volunteer engagement activities within Oasis including opportunities with Oasis Tutoring and with their newest program, Oasis Grand Champions. Oasis Grand Champions was developed to meet the critical need for strong and caring mentorship for children currently residing in and preparing to transition out of foster care. Volunteers share their knowledge and experience to help build necessary life skills in a safe environment. We’ll also learn about the impact Oasis aims to create in our community and how you can get involved.

November Lunch & Learn Highlights: Transforming the Criminal Legal System One Person at a Time

On December 4, the Criminal Legal System Reform (CLSR) Task Force held a Lunch & Learn with Annie Legomsky, leader of the Holistic Defense Services Unit (HDS) at the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office. The Public Defender’s Office zealously advocates for indigent people accused of mostly low-level nonviolent crimes. 


HDS’s goal is to address the root causes of their clients’ involvement in the criminal legal system and help break the cycle of criminalization. Public Defender clients have a history of trauma, and many face mental health disorders, substance use disorder, and housing instability. HDS workers assess the clients’ social needs and connect them with services.


Legomsky explained that individuals and Women’s Voices can improve HDS clients’ lives and gave several examples. First, many clients need transportation, and volunteer drivers can get them to such places as treatment centers. The Public Defender’s Office can also now receive direct donations, and HDS also can use those funds for transportation and other client needs, like clothing and toiletries.


Legomsky’s most urgent request was for individuals to educate the state legislature about the importance and effectiveness of HDS’s work and their need for funding. This legislative session, HDS is seeking funds to hire additional employees, so that each of the thirty-three public defender’s offices has one or two HDS workers on site to assess needs and provide services. An independent evaluation shows the HDS program is cost effective, decreasing unnecessary pretrial detention and reducing the occurrence and length of prison sentences.  

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Visit page 14 of the Missouri StatePublic Defender’s 2024 Annual Report for an in depth review of HDS’s work, and Appendix B for the independent HDS evaluation - The (HDS) Program: A Snapshot of Costs and Benefits.


We are continuing to talk to HDS and will provide more information about concrete processes for these action items as they become available.


Watch the recorded program here.

Clean Slate: But What About Public Safety?

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The question of public safety often arises as states around the country deliberate “Clean Slate” bills. These bipartisan bills, such as those introduced in Missouri’s legislature, would create automated record-clearing processes for certain nonviolent convictions. Legislators and business leaders are already convinced of the benefits for state economies and productive opportunities for ex-offenders. They also recognize the unfairness that only 1-2% of eligible individuals, those with resources, can access the existing costly and time-consuming petition process. 


But what about public safety? A “Clean Slate” law does not guarantee expungement. Individuals who have records eligible for expungement and have served their time must remain crime-free for a set number of years. This is not easy, since recently incarcerated individuals will, during those set years, face the same obstacles that limit employment opportunities and access to housing for everyone with criminal records.


With so many obstacles and little hope for change, many give up. Effectively barring ex-offenders from employment and housing makes zero sense and has been a recipe for recidivism. Nationally, and in Missouri, recidivism rates are in the 60-70% range. However, a Clean Slate law would provide hope as well as motivation to hundreds of thousands. States that have cleared people for employment through expungement have seen recidivism rates drop to 20-30% and lower. Moreover, studies show that ex-offenders who have remained crime-free for 3 to 5 years are no more likely or even less likely than the general population to commit a crime.



Criminal records can follow one for life and can sentence families to poverty with a multiplier effect for decades. It is in our community’s best interest to have healthy, self-sufficient individuals who, with obstacles removed, can move on with their lives and provide for their families.



Women’s Voices is a partner in the Missouri Clean Slate Campaign. 

WVR December Program Highlights -

Silencing Gun Violence: A Community Collaboration

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Jessica Meyers – director of the St Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission – spoke about the commission’s multi-faceted approach to reducing gun crimes and other forms of violence and  supporting the recovery of both victims and perpetrators.


Their work is based in the philosophy that determinants of violence are multiple, complex, and interrelated. A successful strategy must include the participation of a broad group of individuals and a range of activities that link with, build upon, and add value to each other. 


The commission is made up of 130+ agencies that address the 5 key social determinants of health:  education,  economic stability, health and healthcare, social and community and 

built environment. 


Their first objective is to increase the number of individuals affected by non-fatal gun violence who access the available services.  For example, the “Handle With Care” program enables police or first responders to notify schools when they encounter a youngster at a traumatic scene.  That allows school counselors and mental health professionals to provide trauma-sensitive support right away.  Rather than viewing a traumatized child as misbehaving and responding with punishment, that background knowledge lets adults understand the child’s struggles and respond with care and support.


The second objective is to increase the number of evidence-based, trauma informed programs that address root causes of violence. For example, extending the hours at 2 recreational centers and hosting events for at-risk youth during 2024 correlated with a 50% reduction in homicides and a 12.5% decrease in assaults within that population.

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Jessica shared 4 specific ways that Women’s Voices members can help further these goals: 

• Visit their website and review all the ways to participate as a group.

 • Sign up for their mailing list for information about ad hoc working groups

 • Consider hosting a youth event in St. Louis County for youth at highest risk of gun violence 

• Share SLAVPC information within other groups in which you participate .


View program slides here.

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To get involved or find out more information about how you can visit Jefferson City and advocate for the issues that matter most to you, please contact either Marg Doss and Nancy Price at advocacy@womensvoicesraised.org.

How to Build a Grassroots Movement:

A Successful Case Study from the Women’s Voices

Attainable Housing Task Force

It’s not often that any of us get a chance to see a small group of citizens build a successful grassroots movement to bring about change in a community. The story of the Attainable Housing Task Force, a small group of volunteers who are members of Women’s Voices Raised (WVR) for Social Justice, a St. Louis nonprofit, was able to have this type of success. In fact, they were able to build so much local support in one community that the local group became its own entity and took over the work. This is a success story in grassroots organizing, and this is the story of how it came to pass.


Read More On Our Website.

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Remembering Ann Mandelstamm


Ann Mandelstamm, an active member for many years, completed her life in November of 2024. She carried out her longtime intent to exit her life mindfully and peacefully when she reached her mid-80’s, and lived a rich and inspiring life of joy, generosity, and service to so many.


In her Sunday St. Louis Post Dispatch column, Janet Jackson wrote a commentary about Ann titled “On the Importance of Laughing at Ourselves."


We are grateful for all of Ann's efforts to make a better world, and we extend our condolences to her family and many friends.


Ann's obituary was printed in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Have something to submit for Loud & Clear?


Loud & Clear is the official monthly e-newsletter of Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice and is usually distributed on the first Monday or Tuesday of the month. The general deadline for article submission is the Wednesday prior to publication. Click here to contact us about the newsletter.

Membership Info

Even if you can’t come to meetings or become personally involved, your membership is important…and greatly appreciated.


Benefits of Membership

When you join Women’s Voices you:

  • Make our voice stronger when we advocate with elected officials.
  • Provide support to the organization by adding your name to our advocacy efforts.
  • Provide ideas and suggestions to help determine how to define our positions and choose our causes.
  • Participate in advocacy activities in any way that you want or is possible for you.
  • Take pride in your affiliation with a strong, progressive group of women working for social justice.
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698 W. Lockwood Ave.

Saint Louis, MO 63119

womensvoicesraised.org

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