The Work Ahead

By Josie Kalipeni

Dear friends and colleagues:

I hope this message finds you rested, renewed, and ready for 2022. The beginning of a new year is often a time of reflection and goal setting, a moment to think about where we are and where we’d like to be. I know that I’m very proud of what our Network has accomplished despite the many obstacles we’ve faced and overcome — challenges that have only been further complicated by a now multi-year pandemic. 

And I’m even prouder of what we’ve set out to do. As you know, with a new year comes a new congressional session. Our elected representatives have returned to Washington, DC, and will continue the work of framing and passing the policies and laws that’ll impact our everyday lives. Their recess is over — and so is ours. It’s time for us to build upon the momentum that we created in 2021 and push Congress to pass a comprehensive care agenda with paid leave legislation that reflects our, their constituents, priorities, which are grounded in a commitment to securing and protecting the labor rights of the most vulnerable among us, particularly women, BIPOC, and queer people. 

At FV@W, we are resolved to become the most influential national network working toward economic justice for communities of color. Given all of the challenges of the past few years, 2022 is an opportunity for us to reground ourselves. Our goals for the year are:

• Strengthen and expand our Network
• Increase our organizational capacity to effectively support our Network
• Strengthen existing programs and infrastructure with a focus on economic justice

I’m beyond excited about what we’ll accomplish together in 2022. The work is formidable, but so are we. So, let’s get to work!

In Solidarity,

Josephine