JOIN US!
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
NEWSLETTERS: Chapter, State and National newsletters, published throughout the year.
WEBSITES: Local, State and National, which have information about relevant issues and activities. The OWL San Francisco website includes a calendar of local events.
UPDATES: Frequent email alerts and updates, including ways for you to be involved.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION: National staff, local and state volunteer members who are dedicated to advocating on behalf of midlife and older women.
CHAPTER MEETINGS: Monthly chapter meetings addressing important issues such as financial security, health, and empowerment of women.
INVOLVEMENT: The opportunity for YOU to be meaningfully involved, with others of similar interests, at whatever level of participation you choose.
You can send in your membership form by mail
Annual dues of $50 are recommended; half of this amount goes to OWL-National, $10 goes to OWL-CA, and $15 are retained by the chapter. When you pay dues to the San Francisco chapter, you automatically become a member at all levels—National, California, and San Francisco. (If you are unable to pay the recommended amount, OWL has established a sliding fee scale from $50 - $5.)
OWL Mission
In 1980, Tish Sommers and Laurie Shields, the founders of the Older Women’s League (now called OWL), saw the need for a nationwide organization to address the special concerns of midlife and older women. They followed their motto, "Don’t agonize, organize." Since then, OWL has created a strong and effective grassroots network dedicated to improving the quality of life for midlife and older women, through education, research, and advocacy. Our unique focus is the intersection of women’s issues and aging issues.
OWL National (www.owl-national.org), our umbrella organization is located in Washington D.C. and is focused on our mission of improving the lives of midlife and older women by advocating in the areas of health, economic security and quality of life. OWL National encompasses all chapters nationwide, as well as "at–large" members who do not have a local chapter. Since its founding, OWL has advocated for single payer health reform; OWL also initiated reforms such as COBRA. We are very concerned about the financial well–being of middle aged and older women; this includes an emphasis on equal pay, financial planning and extensive work on the preservation and improvement of social security. Two other major concerns are caretaking and living conditions for women as they age.
In California we have a statewide organization (www.owlca.org) which coordinates the work of the state’s six chapters and works on issues that affect California, such as nursing home reform, economic justice for women as they age, and caretaking.
Our San Francisco chapter joins with other organizations with similar concerns to educate and lobby on behalf of midlife and older women. We offer programs of interest to local members, as well as the opportunity to participate in social activities with women who share common interests. We have worked on many aspects of "aging in place" and local health reform, as well as State and National priority issues. Examples of social activities are potlucks and neighborhood "peer groups."
San Francisco Chapter Board of Directors and Local Structure
Our chapter is an entirely a volunteer organization. We have an office staffed only for very limited hours, by a volunteer administrator.
- Kathie Piccagli - President (kpiccagli@gmail.com)
- Amy Hittner - Co- Vice President
- Jonee Levy - Co-Vice President
- Allyson Washburn - Past President
- Jane Swinerton
- Esther Wong
- Marcia Soffer
- Lorraine Honig
- Melanie Grossman
- Meryl Glass
- Margaret Lew
- Sheila Malkind
- Judi Sahagen
- Rachel Rassen
- Carole Isaacs
- Newsletter Co-editors: Margaret Lew, Meryl Glass
SF OWL Board meetings: first Monday of the month, 3:30 — 5:30 pm
Phone:(415) 989-4422
Email: info@owlsf.org
Web: www.owlsf.org
Address: 870 Market St., Room 905, San Francisco, CA 94102
Office Hours: Monday, 11:30 am — 2:00 pm