News Release
For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:

Inspired by Former First Lady Barbara Bush, Woman's Life Insurance Society® Embraces Literacy as National Cause

(Minneapolis, Minn.) - At its 29th National Convention Aug. 9-11, 1998, the Woman's Life Insurance Society® embraced literacy as one of its national causes. Already raising $20,000 toward the effort over the past 18 months, the Society added another $9,000 to its fund raising total in only three days through events at the convention.

The decision to embrace literacy, as well as the stunning results of its three-day fund raising drive, undoubtedly were inspired in part by Former First Lady Barbara Bush's keynote address to the Woman's Life convention Monday morning. "You can't imagine how thrilled I was to know that you have worked so hard for the literacy cause and that you obviously recognize how important literacy is to the betterment of family, to the community in general, and to your country," Bush said.

Eighteen months earlier, through its local chapters, the Society began various fund raising and volunteer initiatives to promote family literacy. Some chapters held garage sales, book sales and book fairs to raise funds. Others built bookshelves at senior homes; volunteered in reading programs at libraries and schools; and repaired, collected and donated books to children and their parents.

"Honestly, I was just so touched. I rarely see people who raise money like you did. It's one thing for a big business corporation to write a check for a cause, and it is quite another when a group like yours, people from all around the country, dig in and do whatever you can to raise money on a local, personal level." The fund raising efforts culminated in a $20,000 check presented to Mrs. Bush at the convention to benefit the Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy. An additional $9,000 was raised at the convention itself through a basket raffle - half from sales and the other half matched by the Society coffers. "For that I am deeply grateful," Bush told the gathered Woman's Life delegates, members and guests.

Declaring that "our task doesn't end with the presentation of a check," Woman's Life National President Janice Whipple asked delegates to embrace literacy as an ongoing, national cause for the organization.

"As an organization whose mission is to excel at enabling women to become financially empowered and independent, Woman's Life cannot overlook its compelling obligation to address this issue. The basic ability to read, write and speak are fundamental to a woman's ability to take control of her financial future Ä to understand her problems and discover solutions," Whipple said.

Woman's Life believes that literacy often is a determining factor in helping families gain financial independence. Growing research shows that because mothers play a central role in supporting their children's education, literate mothers are the strongest weapon available in the fight against illiteracy. But sadly, we find that 65 percent of the 90 million illiterate Americans are women. For this reason, Woman's Life enthusiastically embraced literacy as an ongoing, national cause for the organization. It joins St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Woman's Life's national charity, as the second cause coordinated nationwide by the organization.

"By pairing literacy efforts with our commitment to St. Jude's, we signal our desire to heal both the physical and emotional ailments of our nation's children," Whipple said. Bush noted, "You are not only about business and the bottom line. You believe in all the things that I hold most dear - family, community and literacy. Woman's Life is not only changing the face of business, but is also improving our communities and families."

Woman's Life Insurance Society is a not-for-profit fraternal benefit society created more than 100 years ago to help women protect themselves and their families from the unexpected and the unplanned. To achieve that mission, Woman's Life provides affordable family life insurance protection and annuity products. Fraternal benefits, like scholarship programs and cancer and disaster benefits further protect families from unplanned or extraordinary financial burdens. And, through local chapters, members participate in volunteer service projects and social events, as well as educational and leadership programs.

The Woman's Life Insurance Society Home Office is located in Port Huron, Michigan. By the end of 1997, the Society counted almost 70,000 amongst its membership and collected almost $18 million in revenues. Its local Chapters throughout the United States and Canada were responsible for more than 60,000 acts of community service, 1,402 fraternal events and more than a quarter of a million volunteer service hours. These activities resulted in $344,408 in funds raised and donated to people in need and other charitable organizations. If valued at today's minimum wage rate, the many volunteer service hours donated by Woman's Life members would be equal to another $1.3 million.

-- 30 --