Welfare Advocates

The 33rd Annual WELFARE ADVOCATES Conference 

WELFARE ADVOCATES CONFERENCE RESCHEDULED!
We are extremely happy to announce the rescheduled date for the Welfare Advocates Conference: Monday - December 3.

We are hoping if you were unable to attend the original date due to a conflict in schedule, you are now open to attend December 3. We thank you all for your patience and understanding as we navigated the unforeseen and unexpected weather of Hurricane Sandy and hope you all remained safe and sound during the storm. We look forward to seeing you December 3.

Monday – December 3, 2012
8:00 am – 4:00 pm 
The Crowne Plaza, Timonium
Timonium, MD 21093

Welfare Advocates is proud to present its 33rd Annual Conference: Voices for Change on Monday – December 3, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Timonium, MD. This year's theme Voices for Change reflects how each attendee is a voice for change through the work they do – whether it is providing a customer the means to change their lives, improving their own workplace, or advocating for changes in policy.

Welfare Advocates focuses its efforts on public education and advocacy. We remain committed to identifying the needs and solutions for those who have left welfare for work and families who are struggling to leave public assistance. Our members include a diverse number of community-based social service providers, state and local agencies, employment programs, health care providers, various faith communities, and housing providers. In order to keep the conference accessible to all our members, the conference fee reflects the cost to hold the conference – our goal is to break even each year.

Registration Brochure

Download and print a PDF of the registration brochure: Click Here.  
Please fill out the registration form panel and mail back to the address provided with the appropriate registration fee by November 21 made payble to "Welfare Advocates."

CATHOLIC CHARITIES EMPLOYEES: Please click here to make sure you have the correct registration form. It is required to be signed by you and your supervisor and interofficed to Carol Palmer.

Resource Table Registration Form

If your organization would like to host a resource table to showcase what it you do and/or the services you provide, please click here to fill out the Resource Table Registration form and return to Regan Vaughan.

Scholarship Request Forms

If you would like to attend but can not due to budget cuts or are experiencing financial hardships, please click here for our Scholarship Request form. We have a limited amount of scholarships. Please print clearly when filling out the form – make sure you have contact information listed and fax to Carol Palmer at 410.889.0203 or email completed form to cpalmer@cc-md.org. All requests will be received and the selected people will be contacted. All scholarship forms are to be submitted no later than October 15.

Each year we present a conference that attracts over 200 people from all corners of the state, most of whom are front-line human service providers representing community-based groups, state and local agencies, faith communities, and advocacy groups that join us for a day full of workshops, panels, and speakers featuring a wide range of topics.

Welfare Advocates has a history of success as a coalition, and we are making plans for an informative, inspiring, and creative program. The day's workshops will cover a wide range of human service topics from a workshop on home visiting programs to a discussion on how health care reform will affect low- and middle-income households in Maryland. We hope you are able to make it to this year's conference and we look forward to seeing you there.

Resource Tables

If you are interested in hosting a Resource Table, have questions, or would like further information please email Peter Nicewicz at pnicewic@cc-md.org. 

Founded over 33 years ago, Welfare Advocates is a statewide coalition of community-based organizations, advocacy groups, faith communities, and consumers, whose mission it is to educate ourselves and the wider community and to advocate for an adequate safety-net and public policies that support families moving to self-sufficiency. Welfare Advocates is chaired by Regan Vaughan of Catholic Charities.

Through public education in the form of our annual conference and advocacy by participation in workgroups, hearings, and other meetings, we continue to identify needs and recommend solutions for people who are moving from welfare towards self-sufficiency. We meet monthly, produce educational materials (Guide to Welfare in Maryland), initiate surveys regarding public thought on welfare, and sponsor numerous forums. We are leaders in the advancement of just public policies.

Membership in Welfare Advocates is open to organizations and individuals committed to ensuring there is an adequate safety-net for all Marylanders. There is no cost to join.