Not everyone has the luxury of being able to choose where we live. For most people, the decision often depends on employment: people relocate to a place with a better economy to find a job, or as a necessary step to start working at a new job. After college, I relocated from my home state of Michigan to Boston because the economy was much more robust. It has been my good fortune because the decision has worked out very well. While working remotely is not a universally available option, whether due to the nature of the work, like a nurse or a mechanic, it is easier to do and more widely available than ever before.
And where we live has repercussions beyond the availability of jobs. Quality of life issues matter. Diversity, inclusion, and acceptance of lifestyle matter. Access to quality health care really matters. Health care includes reproductive rights and reproductive rights is more than being able to make your own decisions about your body. For example, how does your state of residence rank in terms of being a good place to have a baby?
To determine the most ideal places in the U.S. for parents and their newborns, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 31 key measures of cost, health care accessibility and baby-friendliness. The data set ranges from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita.
Massachusetts was the clear winner. In particular, it has the third lowest infant mortality rate and the best parental leave policies and is above average in a number of other categories. This result is not surprising. The Northeast overall (full disclosure: we live in RI) enjoys higher quality healthcare due to the sheer numbers of hospitals which means most people can get to a hospital more quickly than in some areas of the country. In addition, northeastern and northern states all ranked very high in the other categories listed below. Massachusetts was ranked first in all five categories.
So if you have the luxury to be able to choose where you live, look beyond the lowest unemployment rate. Consider quality of life for you and your family as well.
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-to-have-a-baby/6513
More from WalletHub
- Best & Worst States to Raise a Family
- Best & Worst States for Children’s Health Care
- Best & Worst States for Working Moms
- Best & Worst States for Working Dads
One: Lisa Pino Named COO of Food for the Hungry
Lisa Pino has been named COO of Food for the Hungry, an international relief organization that strives to end all forms of human poverty. Founded in 1971, for the past fifty years it has served the most vulnerable populations in over 20 countries. Women and girls are almost always included as the most vulnerable members of any society. Food for the Hungry works to provide clean water, medical aid, food, equal educational opportunities for girls and boys, and vocational training.
While the CEO gets most of the publicity, the COO is arguably the more pivotal role in an organization. The COO, after all, is responsible for getting stuff done. As a strategic partner of the CEO and board, Lisa Pino will add her expertise in structural organization and change management. Her responsibilities will include overseeing business operations, resource development, global programming and country operations across 18 different nations.
“I am humbled and honored to join Food for the Hungry during this challenging time in global aid and development work. As a mission-driven organization, FH creates impact with heart, dignity, and longevity by empowering each community as poverty, injustice, and marginalization persist…” — Lisa Pino, newly appointed COO, Food for the Hungry
The full press release is available here ( Select the file with 168 MB for the English version):
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Sdb9uJEcBnFF6KtHDiqY7FkPmlfKFsie
For the organizational website, use the URL below:
Two: Good Sports Receives $1 Million Grant
Good Sports is a non-profit leader in driving equitable access in youth sports and physical activity. Based in Boston, Good Sports seeks to expand its activities to close the gender equity gap in the youth sports industry. Research demonstrates that girls receive social, emotional, and physical benefits from participating in sports. However, there is a disparity in equitable access to sport between boys and girls.
Good Sports received its biggest donation of the year ($1M) from Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall fund. The funds will support Good Sports’ ‘She Who Plays’ Initiative, designed to remove gender inequities in youth sports and drive resources to girls’ specific athletic programs. Since 2022, Good Sports has provided $5 million in equipment, apparel and footwear to support girls programming
#startsmall is Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative to fund girls’ health and education, global crisis relief, and open internet development. Dorsey—Block Head Chairman and cofounder of Block, Inc.—transferred $1 billion (28% of his wealth) to #startsmall in 2020.
“We are grateful that Jack Dorsey and his team recognize the importance of sports for girls in need…This contribution will be a catalyst for our She Who Plays initiative, allowing our team to distribute equipment, apparel, and footwear specifically designed for girls that are interested in playing sports but do not have the resources to do so”. –Melissa Harper, Good Sports Co-Founder and CEO
For more about Good Sports, visit the website below:
To learn about the various projects funded by #startsmall, follow this URL:
Three: Blue of California Announces Grants for Restorative Health
Blue Shield of California Foundation has approved $2.9 million in grants to six organizations that use restorative practices to support healing, safety, and accountability among survivors and families impacted by domestic violence. The new funding is meant to encourage the adoption of options that are community-based and outside the criminal justice system to help survivors and advance domestic violence prevention across California.
Restorative justice seeks to examine the harmful impact of a crime and then determine what can be done to repair that harm while holding the person who caused it accountable for his or her actions. Accountability for the offender means accepting responsibility and acting to repair the harm done.
“More than half of survivors do not use the criminal justice system or the current shelter system, so we are missing opportunities to heal and prevent domestic violence across generations,” said Foundation President and CEO Debbie I. Chang, MPH.
These four organizations will be given grants of $600,000 to $700,000
- DeafHope, Oakland – Provides statewide support to deaf and hard of hearing survivors and families.
- East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Los Angeles – Provides services to Latino immigrant families with a focus on survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
- Reclaiming Our Own Transcendence in partnership with Healing Together, Oakland – Delivers a BIPOC and queer, trans and gender-expansive-led response to domestic and sexual violence.
- Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, Oakland – Focuses on disrupting cycles of violence and incarceration among at-risk and in-risk Black women and women of color.
“In our communities of color, often the intervention that happens when police are called and even mental health providers are called, causes more harm and trauma than the initial trauma itself. So, people in our communities are reluctant to call, even though they need the help,” –Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth CEO Teiahsha Bankhead
Four: L’Oréal Paris Inducts Ten Extraordinary Changemakers into Its Signature Philanthropic Initiative, Women of Worth
L’Oréal Paris USA announced its 2023 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth, recognizing the charitable achievements of 10 extraordinary non-profit leaders working to address the nation’s biggest issues.
In its 18th year, the 2023 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth class will join a network of 170 previous honorees who champion a diverse range of causes dedicating their lives to the way we all live.
Some of the honorees include a high school student who is tackling food waste, one of the few female plumbers in New York City who is empowering, inspiring, and mentoring the next generation of girls by teaching them trade skills and an advocate who is combatting the youth mental health crisis by providing resources to young people impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
To elevate her exemplary initiatives to audiences across the nation, the 2023 honoree class will receive:
- The brand’s national platform to share their story
- $25,000 in funding to support their endeavors
- Mentorship from the L’Oréal Paris community
This year’s honorees are;
- Shrusti Amula, Rise N Shine Foundation
- Judaline Cassidy, Tools & Tiaras
- Cass Forkin, Twilight Wish Foundation
- Sophia Kianni, Climate Cardinals,
- Estefanía Rebellón, Yes We Can World Foundation,
- Tonya Sandis, Free2Luv®,
- Sonia Su, Kits to Heart
- Mariya Taher, Sahiyo U.S.,
- Samantha Wettje, 16 Strong Project,
- Stephanie Woodward, EmpowHer Network
Are you interested in sharing the news or speaking with one of the honorees to learn more? Please find our official press release HERE.
Five: Sonio raises $14M to Revolutionize Prenatal Care All Around the World
Sonio, the artificial intelligence company revolutionizing fetal ultrasounds, announced today that their proprietary approach to ultrasound exams on pregnant people has now been recognized in the United States as a product that meets health performance and safety standards.
Sonio has received Regulatory Class II FDA clearance for Sonio Detect, a product that uses AI to ensure high quality exams, automatically detecting views and quality criteria of ultrasound images. Sonio seeks to improve women’s and children’s health by promoting access and quality of care through technological innovation, medical expertise and collective intelligence
In addition, Sonio has successfully raised $14 million, marking a pivotal step in its mission to revolutionize maternal and children’s health by promoting access and quality of care through technological innovation, medical expertise, and collective intelligence.
This significant investment will propel Sonio’s mission to revolutionize the field of prenatal health and will enable the company to:
- Initiate commercial development in the United States
- Accelerate R&D on image recognition and genomics to secure a competitive edge
- Adapt innovative technology for portable ultrasound devices and Point of Care
Sonio has issued a number of press releases since March. To read about the company and their other innovations at the company website, please follow the link below:
Related:
How Can Philanthropy Do More to Support Women in Sports?
