First Lady Michelle Obama - The Women's Conference 2010
Long Beach, CA October 26th Remarks as prepared for delivery –
Thank you, Maria, for that very kind introduction. Thank you for your moving words today and for your courage and candor in sharing your own experiences and inspiring so many other women, here in California and across the country. Maria has been a great friend to me and even if she was a little hesitant about the job at first she has been a tremendous example of what a First Lady can and should be. And she has shown us all the impact you can have when you live your life with spirit, determination, and a singular focus on doing good in the world. So let’s give Maria another round of applause.
Now, the last time I was here was a few years ago, when I was on a panel with four other wives of presidential candidates. And I have to tell you, it was truly one of the highlights of my time on the campaign trail. Amidst all the noise and back and forth of a presidential election, this conference gave us the chance to step back, and take a breath, and actually have a conversation.
To talk not just about politics or what our husbands thought about this or that issue but about the experience we were sharing the challenges we faced and the things we were passionate about as wives, as mothers, and as women.
That is the beauty of this conference – the space it provides for us as women to just be ourselves, and to speak honestly and openly about the issues that matter most to us. And I’d like to do that once again today. I’d like to speak today about an issue that I care deeply about, and talk with you about how I came to it why it matters so much to me and why I think it should matter to all women – and all Americans.
It all started a few years ago, in the months after my husband had begun his presidential campaign. Now, it had taken a little convincing to persuade me that this whole running-for-President thing was a good idea. And by “a little” convincing, I actually mean a lot. We had two young daughters at home I had a fulltime job that I loved and I worried about what this would mean for our family. So it took me a while to get out of my own head to set aside my own fears and self interest and to focus on all the good that I believed a man like my husband could do as President.
But even once I was on board, I was reluctant to go out on the campaign trail myself. I didn’t like the idea of leaving my girls for days on end. I didn’t have a whole lot of experience on the stump. And to tell you the truth, I was scared. I was worried that I’d say that wrong thing. I was nervous that someone might ask a question that I didn’t know the answer to.
I have a tendency to do that thing that a lot of women do, where you get 99 things right, but spend all your time beating yourself up about the one thing you messed up. Sound familiar to anyone here?
So I decided that I would focus on what I knew. And as a working mom, I thought I knew a thing or two about the challenge of balancing a fulltime job with the round-the-clock needs of my family juggling the recitals and conference calls, making those endless to-do lists that I never got through, and often lost feeling like I was falling short both at work and at home.
I also knew that I wasn’t alone that every woman I knew regardless of race, education, geographic location, or income, was struggling to keep it all together. And I believed that the voices of working women needed to be at the heart of creating a comprehensive agenda to move this country forward.
So I decided to start by meeting with groups of working women to listen to their concerns and talk with them about how I thought my husband could help.
Now, before I went out, I did my homework. I read my briefing books from cover to cover. I thought about all the issues that might come up. I thought through the answers to every question I could imagine. And for the most part, I was prepared. For the most part, in the stories of the women I met, I recognized my own story.
But there was one group of women whose stories were new to me – and whose questions I often didn’t have answers to. I met them in just about every community, in every part of the country – in big cities, suburbs, and small towns. They were military spouses – mainly women but a few good men as well – whose spouses were serving our country, putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. And let me tell you, their stories took my breath away.
These women told me about husbands who were on their third or fourth or fifth deployment away from home for six, or twelve, or fifteen months at a time. They told me about missed birthdays and anniversaries and about running a household all alone while trying to hide their worries from their spouses. They told me about answering all those questions from their kids about when daddy is coming home. And some of these women were active duty military themselves, including some who were single moms. And they were worried about what would happen to their kids if both they and their husbands were deployed at the same time.
They talked about what it means to move every couple of years – often far from their extended families. They talked about having to find a new pediatrician, new childcare, a new carpool, a new church. They talked about helping their kids adjust to their seventh, eighth or ninth new school and if their child had special needs, trying to find a school that would accommodate them.
One woman I met was desperate to adopt a child. But she and her husband kept having to move before the state agency processed their forms. So they’d have to start the process all over again in a new state.
These women told me about how hard it is to find a job in a new town where you have no connections. How difficult it is to ace a job interview with an employer who’s reluctant to hire someone who might have to pick up and move in a couple of years. How frustrating – and expensive – it is to get a new professional license or certification – as a teacher or social worker or real estate broker – every time you move. Believe it or not, there are women out there taking – and paying for – three or four different bar exams so they can practice law in each new state where they move. Personally, I’d have given up after one or two times.
And many of these women are just starting out. They’re still trying to complete their own educations. And it’s hard to do that when their credits don’t always transfer from school to school or the nearest university doesn’t offer the program they want or they don’t qualify for in-state tuition and just can’t afford it.
Many of these women were much younger than I was. They had far less support and far fewer resources than I did. And every day, they were confronting challenges that I could barely even imagine.
Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Ask yourself:
How do you keep your fears and anxieties from your kids when, as one mother wrote me – and this is a quote: “…a good day is when a military chaplain does not knock on my door.”
What do you say when at Christmas, the only gift your little girl asks for is for her father to come home?
And when he does come home, are you prepared for all those months of readjustment – re-negotiating roles, rebalancing responsibilities, rekindling your relationship when, in so many ways, both of you have changed? And what if he comes home wounded? Are you ready to be a round-the-clock caregiver, trying to make this person you love whole again?
So here I was, someone who’d always thought of myself as knowledgeable about women’s issues. I’d been reading about, thinking about, talking about, and living these issues for years. And here was a group of women for whom these issues were magnified ten-fold, a hundred-fold – and I had no idea.
You want to talk about equal pay? According to one report, military spouses make an average of $10,500 less a year than civilians and there’s an even larger pay gap between college educated military and civilian spouses.
You want to talk about balancing work and family? Try doing that when your partner has an intense, dangerous, round-the-clock job and that job is located halfway around the world.
You want to talk about confronting glass ceilings and succeeding in the professional world? Try doing that when you don’t live anywhere long enough to get promoted and gain seniority at your job.
And as I talked with these women, and learned more about their lives, I kept asking myself, how is it possible that I – and so many other Americans – know so little about the challenges they face?
Like all Americans, I’ve always been awed by our men and women in uniform. I’ve always been inspired by the sacrifices they make for our country. So how is it that so many of us know so little about the sacrifices their families are making?
Well, it turns out that one of the primary reasons is that military families simply don’t complain. They are strong and resilient and independent. They’re proud of their service to this country and they’re more than willing to make the sacrifices that come with it. And no matter how tough it gets, because they’re so capable, they manage to keep everything together.
So many of us never hear about the challenges they’re facing. We never get that glimpse inside their lives. And we think everything is just fine. As a result, too many military families feel invisible to their fellow Americans. In one recent survey, more than half of military spouses – more than half – said they felt like their communities didn’t really support them. That’s just unacceptable.
Their loved ones protect every single one of us. Their service keeps our entire country safe. So their sacrifice should be our sacrifice. Supporting them is our solemn obligation as a grateful nation.
I’ll never forget what one of these women said to me during the campaign. She said, simply, “I just want to make sure that military spouses are always heard, that we have a voice...” And I promised myself back then that if people gave my husband the privilege of serving this country, I would do everything I could to be that voice.
And I got very lucky when my husband picked his running mate. Because with Joe Biden came Jill Biden, who’s a Blue Star Mom – someone who knows a thing or two about the challenges military families face. She is a tireless advocate for National Guard and Reserve families, and she’s been a phenomenal partner in this work. And as Jill and I have visited with military families across the country, it’s become very clear that our work isn’t just about supporting them. It’s also about all they have to offer us it’s about all they have to contribute to our workplaces and our communities. The fact is that military spouses are some of the most talented, hard-working, public-spirited people I’ve ever met.
You want to meet someone who can multitask and think outside the box? Someone with a strong work ethic and a rock-solid sense of responsibility? Someone who can adapt to changing circumstances and work well with all kinds of people? Well, that’s a pretty good description of your average military spouse.
And they haven’t just picked up skills from managing a military lifestyle. Believe it or not, on top of all their other responsibilities, military spouses also put in countless hours volunteering – both on and off-base. In a recent survey, 68 percent of military family members reported volunteering in the past year versus just 27 percent of the general population.
And much of this work goes far beyond your typical volunteer efforts. For example, you’ve all heard of Toys for Tots, right? Well, this program was actually founded by – and is run by – the Marine Corps Reserve. This is a massive, nationwide effort. In 2009, it was active in 691 communities in all 50 states, distributing more than 16 million toys to more than 7 million children. So this is a serious organizational challenge one that military spouses play a major role in managing.
And then there are all those programs that most folks haven’t even heard about. How many of you know what a Family Readiness Group – or FRG – is? These are support organizations run by military spouses that serve hundreds of families at a time.
And here’s what an average day might look like for a spouse who’s serving as an FRG leader. She might spend her morning working on a communications strategy – coordinating the unit’s website, newsletter, and Facebook page. Over lunch, she might review the FRG’s budget, and craft a spending plan for the coming year. In the afternoon, she might meet with healthcare representatives to learn about new counseling resources, or with teams of volunteers to coordinate upcoming events. The evening might bring news that the deployed unit has sustained a casualty. So she’ll work late into the night, rounding up support for the affected family, and notifying other families about what happened.
Now, if she were doing this same kind of work at a company, she’d probably be a senior executive, maybe even a COO or CEO. That’s the level of talent that we’re talking about here. And the question today is, how do we give these women – and our male military spouses as well – the chances they deserve to use their skills, and the support they need to juggle their responsibilities?
Now, there’s a reason I’m asking these questions here in this room filled with thousands of powerful, passionate, and compassionate women. And that’s because as women, I know that we all can relate to everything I’ve described today. We get it.
While most of us don’t experience these struggles to the same degree as military spouses, that feeling of being pulled in all directions, that nagging sense that you’re falling short both at work and at home, that tendency to worry about, and care for, everyone but yourself – these things are universal.
And I’m reminded today of something that one military wife said during a discussion down in Kentucky. When one of her fellow spouses was speaking, and got choked up for a minute, this woman jumped in and said – and this is a quote: “I don’t know this woman…I didn’t meet her before today, but when she leaves here, she will have my phone number. And she will be able to call me anytime. She’s got the support of this friend right here.”
This is what we do for each other as women. It’s what we do for our sisters and girlfriends and mothers and daughters. We show up at the door with dinner, or some chocolate, or maybe a bottle of wine if it’s really bad. We take their shift in the carpool. We say, send the kids over to my house right now, I’ll take them for the day, the night, the weekend, whatever you need.
So as women, we know how to reach out. We know how to support each other. And the question is, what can we as women do to support our military spouses? How can we as a nation give back to these families who’ve given so much?
As President, my husband has been working hard to strengthen support programs and counseling services and to increase funds for housing, childcare, and career development. He’s extended the Family and Medical Leave Act to more military families and caregivers. And we’re working with states to streamline requirements so that spouses don’t have to reapply for professional credentials and take new tests every time they move. So our government is doing a lot of important work on these issues.
But the truth is that there is so much more that each of us can do – and should do – right in our own communities. Because it’s not enough just to be proud. It’s not enough just to feel grateful. It’s time for each of us to act. It’s time for each of us to be an architect of change for these families in whatever way that we can.
And you don’t need to know much about the military to help. You can help just by doing whatever it is you do best. Are you a teacher, school administrator, or a member of the PTA? How about seeing what your school can do to better support military kids? Are you a lawyer, an accountant, or a counselor? How about offering your services pro bono to some military families? Do you own a small business or do HR for a big one? How about making an effort to hire more military spouses, and making your workplace more military-spouse friendly? Do you have a few hours in your week to volunteer? How about getting online and going to serve.gov to find out how you can serve military families in your area?
The possibilities are endless. Things like this are the least we can do considering everything that these women – and men – are doing for us. Their strength, determination, and service inspire me every single day.
I’m inspired by the woman who told me about how much she missed her husband, but then said, simply: “…it’s not easy, we all put on our pretty clothes and our bold face and we stand up and we hold our head up high. We are the Army wives…we are the ones who hold the fort down while they’re gone…”
I’m inspired by women like Connie Henline who stayed at the bedside of her husband for months after he was wounded in Iraq. And I’m inspired by their daughter, Brittany, who went from being an ordinary 15 year-old to acting as a mom for her younger siblings – doing errands, cooking meals, supervising homework. When asked how someone so young could take on so much responsibility, she responded, simply, “They needed me, and my priorities changed. My family came first.”
And I am inspired by Gold Star Wives like Autumn Letendre. Autumn’s husband was killed in Iraq back in 2006. And in the years since, she’s become a passionate advocate for military families – speaking across the country, attending military funerals to comfort loved ones working to ensure that her husband’s memory lives on for her young son. And in a letter that she sent to military families, she wrote, simply: “I may have lost the love of my life, but I have gained a life and story that few in this great country have.”
These women – and men – are heroes. And it’s time that we recognize that the challenges they face, the obstacles they overcome and the contributions they make – all of that isn’t just a military issue.
It’s an American issue and it’s a women’s issue. It is an issue that I believe should be on the agenda of every women’s conference – right up there with equal pay, right up there with work-family balance, right up there with breaking the glass ceiling.
Their needs, and their concerns, should be on the agenda of every woman – and every American. Because they represent the very best this country has to offer. And it is time that each of us did our part to give them the support they need, the recognition they deserve, and the gratitude they have earned. And I look forward to working with all of you to make that happen in the months and years ahead.
Thank you and God bless.
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The Women's Conference 2010
Hosted by First Lady Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
First Lady Michelle Obama, Second Lady Jill Biden, Former First Lady Laura Bush, Mary J. Blige, Jerry Brown, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Matt Lauer, The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Mary Oliver, Suze Orman, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Robert Redford, Al Roker, Diane Sawyer, Jessica Simpson, Meg Whitman and Oprah Winfrey Join Other Headlines and 14,000 Women at The Women’s Conference 2010 Main Event
Conference Announces That It Has Surpassed $1 Million in Microloans to Women Entrepreneurs Through Its Nationwide WE Invest Program
The Main Event Spans Both Coasts With the Debut of ‘Satellite Summit New York City’; Hundreds of Thousands of Women Attending the Conference at Other ‘Satellite Summits’ Across the Country and Via Its Live Webcast Around the World
More than 85 world opinion leaders and approximately 14,000 women from all walks of life will be gathering today at the sold-out Women’s Conference 2010 Main Event. Hosted by California First Lady Maria Shriver and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the nation's premier forum for women was held again this year at the Long Beach Convention Center from Sunday, October 24 to Tuesday, October 26. As an extension of her award-winning career as a journalist, California First Lady Maria Shriver approaches The Women's Conference as a place for once-in-a-lifetime conversations and news-making moments that combine the world’s most authentic and influential voices in discussions about the issues that matter most to women.
With six separate events covering three full days, the sold-out Women’s Conference 2010 is the largest and most dynamic conference for women in the world. In total, more than 165 world-class speakers will gather with more than 30,000 attendees to be educated, inspired and empowered to be Architects of Change in their own lives, within their communities and around the world. This year’s conference has been produced around the overarching theme of “It's Time," which is intended to inspire people from all walks of life to see this challenging moment in history as an opportunity to come together and transform ourselves and our communities as Architects of Change.
“The goal of The Women's Conference is to transform women inside and out – and then empower them to help transform our world as Architects of Change,” said Shriver. “We bring the world’s greatest voices, hearts and minds in one place to deliver this simple, yet profound message – that we are the leaders we have been waiting for.”
Program highlights from The Main Event’s stage sessions and fourteen breakout conversations include:
· Remarks by First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama during the opening session of the main stage;
· Brian Williams moderates a main stage conversation during opening session with Nike Inc. Co-Founder and Chairman Phil Knight, New York Times Columnist Nick Kristof, and Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz;
· Campbell Brown moderates a morning breakout conversation titled What Happens When Women Lead with Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, Former Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation Anne Mulcahy, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, and Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney;
· Linda Ellerbee in a Once-in-a-Lifetime Conversation with a Legendary Architect of Change with Robert Redford during a morning breakout conversation;
· Martha Beck moderates a conversation on happiness with Deepak Chopra and Goldie Hawn during a morning breakout session;
· Diane Sawyer moderates a main stage Conversation with Legendary Supreme Court Justices during the luncheon session with The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor and The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg;
· Remarks by former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush during the luncheon session of the main stage;
· Matt Lauer will moderate a main stage conversation titled Who We Are, Where We Are Going with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California gubernatorial Candidates Jerry Brown (D) and Meg Whitman (R). This will be the first and only conversation between Schwarzenegger, Brown and Whitman to discuss the past, present and future of California and the nation;
· Gayle King will moderate a conversation on Building Self Esteem and Leadership in Young Women with Jessica Simpson, Lisa Leslie, Katherine Schwarzenegger and Global Ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund Jess Weiner during an afternoon breakout session; and
· At the end of the day, The Women's Conference will continue its tradition of honoring “Remarkable Women, Remarkable Legacies” during The Grand Finale featuring the always inspirational and moving presentation of The Minerva Awards. Held during the afternoon main stage session, the special ceremony will be hosted by Maria Shriver and will feature remarks by Mary J. Blige and by the five 2010 Minerva Award honorees: Oprah Winfrey, The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, Oral Lee Brown, Sister Terry Dodge and Carolyn Blashek. The Grand Finale will end with a special musical performance by Sarah McLachlan.
First Lady Maria Shriver also announced today that The Women’s Conference’s WE Invest program surpassed $1 million dollars in microloans to women entrepreneurs in the United States. In June 2009, The Women’s Conference expanded its WE Invest program nationally in partnership with The Opportunity Fund, ACCION USA and Kiva. Together, they launched the first-ever online peer-to-peer microlending program in the U.S. Since the launch, the partnership has resulted in funding more than 179 entrepreneurs in 17 states who have received nearly 31,000 microloans totaling more than $1 million.
“And to think it all started a little over a year ago when we knocked on Kiva’s door and asked them why their successful peer-to-peer online model couldn’t be applied to women entrepreneurs here in this country,” said First Lady Shriver. “It’s vitally important that we invest in entrepreneurs right now. Entrepreneurs and small businesses create the majority of the new jobs in this country. As First Lady, I meet so many people who have dreams of starting their own business but have trouble securing small business loans. I’m a big believer in the power of partnerships, and I knew this program could make a difference in people's lives.”
In July, The Main Event sold out in the record-breaking time of 15 minutes. In order to meet the demand and make this forum more accessible to women all over the country, conference organizers have been leveraging technology to extend its reach. The Women’s Conference announced today that The Main Event will span both coasts with the debut of Satellite Summit New York City in partnership with The White House Project. More than 400 people will be gathering together at New York University’s Eisner & Lubin Auditorium to watch a live simulcast of the conference and engage in a multi-generational conversation spanning both coasts on the topic of women’s leadership. For those unable to attend The Main Event in person, The Women’s Conference invited organizations around the country that share its mission to freely access the live satellite feed or live Webcast of The Main Event to create their own “Satellite Summits” – self-organized free viewing events that will educate and inspire their own local community members. Conference organizers estimate that hundreds of thousands of women will be attending The Women’s Conference 2010 via live Webcast and at Satellite Summits across the country.
The Women’s Conference 2010 was kicked off with Maria Shriver’s March on Alzheimer’s on Sunday, October 24 at the Rainbow Lagoon in Downtown Long Beach and along the waterfront. More than 3,000 marchers raised nearly $300,000 to support the work of the Alzheimer's Association, the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Joining Maria Shriver to help raise funds for and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease were march celebrity co-chairs Leeza Gibbons, Soleil Moon Frye, Peter Gallagher, Natalie Maines, Jake Steinfeld, and others. “Glee’s” Jane Lynch also made a special appearance on stage with Jane Fonda as they both warmed up the crowd with stretching exercises. Country music singer Brett Eldredge performed his song, “Raymond,” which was inspired by his own personal experience with his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s. Amber Riley from FOX's hit show “Glee” performed live during the candlelight vigil.
The first day of The Women's Conference 2010 culminated with the sold-out A Night at the Theater event on Sunday evening, October 24. Hosted by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, A Night at the Theater featured a star-studded live performance of “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” the intimate collection of stories written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. This special conference production featured acclaimed actresses Rita Wilson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Caroline Aaron, Natasha Lyone and Carol Kane. A portion of the proceeds from A Night at the Theater benefited the California Arts Council’s Minerva Arts Project and Million Plates Campaign.
The second day of the conference began with the sold-out A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation on Monday, October 25. Due to popular demand, the second-annual event was doubled in size to more than 3,200 attendees. Hosted by Maria Shriver and organized around the theme of “It's Time...To Take Action,” the event featured more than 25 world-class issue experts leading interactive sessions packed with practical tips, tools and takeaways for how attendees can transform themselves personally and professionally and become Architects of Change in their lives. Session topics included “how-to's” such as Take Action in Your Own Life, Lead Like A Woman, Negotiate Effectively at Work and Home, Leverage the Web to Get Ahead, Tips for a Successful Love Life, and Find Your Frank and Fearless Voice, among others. Speakers for the event included Martha Beck, Deepak Chopra, Giselle Fernandez, Sally Field, Tory Johnson, Donna Karan, Elizabeth Lesser, Tony Robbins, Dr. Marie Savard, Author Gail Sheehy, and Dr. Robert Epstein, among others.
The conference's second day was capped off with the third-annual Night at The Village, which transformed the Long Beach Convention Center’s exhibit hall into an over 160,000 square foot women’s village for more than 10,000 attendees. Hosted by Maria Shriver and organized around the theme of “It's Time...To Experience the Best,” the event featured: stage conversations with prominent speakers, notable personalities and women entrepreneurs such as Paula Deen, Jessica Simpson, Jane Fonda, Donna Karan, Giada De Laurentiis, Ali Wentworth and “The Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro; stage interviews and book signings with more than 20 bestselling authors such as Martha Beck, Deepak Chopra, Caroline Kennedy, Meghan McCain, Kim Barnouin, Cat Cora, “The Biggest Loser's” Bob Harper, The Happiness Project Author Gretchen Rubin, Holly Robinson Peete & Rodney Peete and Katherine Schwarzenegger; a make-over style session hosted by Jeannie Mai; a fashion show session hosted by Lloyd Boston; cooking exhibitions; live entertainment and interactive shopping experiences with women-focused products, services and information from more than 330 exhibitors.
The Women’s Conference 2010 is supported by generous sponsors that share its mission of empowering, inspiring and educating women. Many of our sponsors have been with us for all seven years under Shriver's leadership, including Safeway, who returns as a Conference Presenting Sponsor and Target, who returns as The Minerva Awards Presenting Sponsor. Lean Cuisine returns as Night at The Village Presenting Sponsor, and the Shinnyo-en Foundation returns to present A Day of Health, Wellness and Transformation. SKECHERS joined the conference this year as a Presenting Sponsor of Maria Shriver’s March on Alzheimer’s. New sponsor Kodak will join the Conference this year as a Presenting Sponsor.
Commonly referred to as “the conference with a conscience,” the annual event is produced by a non-profit, non-partisan organization – the California Governor & First Lady’s Conference on Women – that has formed strategic partnerships with organizations to develop far-reaching WE Programs that seek to directly empower women all year round. Proceeds from all conference events, as well as from its Shop With a Purpose (SWAP) Conference Store, directly support the organization’s WE Programs.
Prior to the conference event, the California Governor & First Lady’s Conference on Women presented The Modern House Call for Women, a groundbreaking three-day event that provided more than 3,200 free medical, dental, financial and educational services to nearly 2,400 people in the Long Beach area. The Modern House Call For Women took place from Friday, October 22 – Sunday, October 24 at The Walter Pyramid at California State University at Long Beach. The Modern House Call for Women was a partnership with health clinics, medical groups and community-based organizations, including the Harbor Dental Society, CA Department of Health and Human Services, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, Amrit Davaa World Health Corp, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, CareNow, Inc., among many others. All health care and financial services offered at the event – including supplies and equipment – were donated by generous professionals and organizations throughout California. Some of the free services included vision, dental, mammograms, bone density, immunizations, PAP smears and more. For more information, visit: themodernhousecall.com
For more information about The Women’s Conference organization, events and WE programs, visit: womensconference.org
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