Dear John,

There are 2.2 million women across the U.S. who do the essential work of caring for our loved ones and our homes.

Yet they face the impossible choices that come with poverty-level wages and no safety net, and, for too many that means choosing between caring for their own family and going to work.

This year we left it *all* on the field and are on the cusp of securing one of the most transformative sets of social policies for working families in decades.

Even though we are exhausted from the non-stop work of this year, we are determined to continue pulling out all the stops in our advocacy and organizing work to ensure a few Senators can’t hold back the will of millions of women of color, and deliver a real investment in a new care infrastructure built around families and workers.

All our work standing with low-paid domestic workers — many of whom are mothers struggling daily to care for their own families — depends on grassroots donations. Less than 1% of those reading this will give, but if everyone who is able gives now, we could fully fund all our 2022 plans in seconds. Any amount will make a huge difference. Can you donate $35 now?

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The end of the year is a time of reflection, and whenever I reflect on why I do this work I ground myself in the experiences of the women who are our members.

I want to share a story from Ethel, who has worked as a home care worker in New York for over 30 years and cares for a client with Parkinson’s:

 

"I had him dancing and laughing. His family didn’t have to worry about going to work because I was there to take care of him. He died right in my arms. I always wash the bodies of those I care for after they die. Hospice caregiving is very difficult."

 

Ethel is there for families and clients in their most difficult moments, but she earns between $8.50 and $12.50 an hour — and struggles to provide for her own family.

Ethel is why I do this work. Ethel is why I’m inviting you not to lose hope or momentum. Ethel is why we have to defend against the backlash against women of color. Because until we transform the conditions and pay for women like Ethel, this injustice will never end.

I hope you will join me in supporting domestic workers with a donation. Your gift will support their leadership--and our shared work--in the movement to rebuild our communities, our economy, and our democracy.

DONATE TODAY →

I firmly believe — as you do — that those who care for our loved ones and our homes also deserve to be cared for. Together, we are more powerful and more resilient. We are determined. And I believe we will win.

With hope,

Ai-jen Poo
Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance