SHSMO-St. Louis s0757 Reform Organization of Welfare (ROWEL), 1971-1995

s0757 REFORM ORGANIZATION OF WELFARE (ROWEL) RECORDS, 1971-1998
85 FOLDERS, 15 AUDIO RECORDINGS, 5 AUDIO VISUAL RECORDINGS

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS

This collection is stored off site. Please allow 3-5 business days for retrieval.

Established in 1972 by members of the religious community in St. Louis, the mission of the Reform Organization of Welfare (ROWEL) was to advocate for the poor by working for legislative and administrative changes in the welfare system. In particular, ROWEL advocated for increases in cash grants for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The organization also provided workshops and education designed to train welfare supporters as lay lobbyists. Through Action Alerts mailed to over 700 people, the organization encouraged members to write legislators in support of bills to benefit the poor.

ROWEL began when Norman Ellington, Director of the Disciples' Inner City Project, called a small meeting in the fall of 1971. The impact of cuts in "permanent and total disability" and "general welfare" spurred the attendance of fifty church leaders and lay persons at a December meeting held at Berea Presbyterian Church. After nearly a year of research and study with the help of social workers and those who worked with poor, early members concluded that no individuals or welfare organizations were specifically concerned with the fate of children on welfare. It was determined that this fact alone could capture the heart of the local religious community.

In October of 1972, ROWEL held its first official workshop to educate church members about the realities of welfare and to provide members with training as lay lobbyists in Missouri State Capitol. In 1987, the organization boasted that, since its inception, it had worked to increase the monthly family welfare income by 254 percent.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The ROWEL collection covers the period between 1971 and 1998. It specifically contains correspondence written to members and legislators requesting action pertaining to state AFDC legislation. In addition, the collection contains education tools, such as fact sheets meant to explode myths about welfare. ROWEL also used an education tool called the "Welfare Simulation", designed to demonstrate the difficultly of living on an extremely narrow welfare-based budget. Other pieces of the collection include evaluation of ROWEL education programs, as well as newsletters and Actions Alerts designed to keep members updated on the progress of legislation and the organization's legislative goals. The final component of the collection includes organizational documents, such as meeting minutes, reports, and membership information.

SERIES CONTENTS

1. Administrative papers, 1971-1992
2. Correspondence, 1971-1995
3. Meeting minutes and agendas, 1971-1991
4. Newsletters, Updates, and Action Alerts, 1972-1989
5. Binders and folders, 1981-1998
6. Audio recordings, 1982-1996
7. Audio-visual recordings, 1994-1995

FOLDER LIST

SERIES 1: ADMINISTRATIVE PAPERS, 1971-1992

BOX 1 (081335)

1. AFDC appropriations, 1982-1984
2. Budgets and expenses, 1973-1991
3. Congressional bills and literature, 1973-1982
4. Congressional member lists, n.d.
5. Evaluations and surveys, 1973-1991
6. Events, 1972-1992
7. Fact Sheets, 1977-1991
8. Membership lists and information, 1972-1990
9. News Clippings, 1972-1991
10. Notes, 1972-1989
11. Organizational literature, 1972-1990
12. Pamplets, 1972-1992
13. Political campaigns, goals, and objectives,
14. Press Releases, 1981-1992
15. Reports, 1973-1991
16. Special meetings and conferences, 1972-1981
17. Statements and testimony, 1971-1992
18. Welfare simulations, 1981-1990

SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE, 1971-1995

BOX 2 (081336)

19. No date
20. 1995
21. 1994
22. January - June 1993
23. July - December 1993
24. January - April 1992
25. May - August 1992
26. September - December 1992
27. January - June 1991
28. July - December 1991
29. January - June 1990
30. July - December 1990
31. 1989
32. 1988
33. 1987
34. 1986
35. 1985
36. 1984

BOX 3 (081337)

37. 1983
38. 1982
39. 1981
40. 1980
41. 1979
42. 1978
43. 1977
44. 1976
45. 1975
46. 1974
47. 1973
48. 1971 and 1972

SERIES 3: MEETING MINUTES AND AGENDAS, 1971-1991

49. 1991
50. 1989-1990
51. 1987-1988
52. 1985-1986
53. 1983-1984
54. 1981-1982
55. 1979-1980
56. 1977-1978
57. 1974-1976
58. 1971-1973

SERIES 4: NEWSLETTERS, UPDATES, AND ACTION ALERTS, 1972-1989

BOX 4 (081338)

59. 1987-1989
60. 1984-1986
61. 1981-1983
62. 1979-1980
63. 1976-1978
64. 1972-1975

SERIES 5: BINDERS AND FOLDERS, 1981-1998

BOX 5 (005083)

65. Grass Roots Essentials folder, 1993-1998
66. ROWEL binder, 1981-1982
67. ROWEL binder, 1988-1989
68. ROWEL binder, 1989-1990
69. ROWEL publications binder, 1972-1982
70. "Welfare simulations as modified by Kauffman Foundation" binder, 1992

SERIES 6: AUDIO RECORDINGS, 1982-1996

BOX 6 (005084)

71. Beth KMOX (cassette tape), n.d.
72. Free Matter for the Blind (cassette tape), n.d.
73. Governors race dabate between Mel Carnahan & Bill Webster (cassette tape), 1992
74. Proposition A (casette tape), 1996
75. ROWEL I, II, & III (3 cassette tapes), 1993
76. Untitled, n.d. (2 cassette tapes)
77. Untitled, Part I, II, III, & IV (2 cassette tapes), n.d.
78. Welfare Meeting Part 1B & 2B (two cassette tapes), 1982
79. Welfare Reform Debate, Jim Talent (cassette tape), n.d.
80. Welfare Reform, Talk of the Nation (cassette tape), 1993

SERIES 7: AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDINGS, 1994-1995

81. Mexico news, Columbia TV station 13, Gulf War crisis (VHS cassette tape), 1994-1995
82. Robin Acrees news clip "Ashcroft Budget Cuts" (VHS cassette tape), n.d.
83. ROWEL simulation footage for video training tape (VHS cassette tape), n.d.
84.Welfare reform, youth and family night (VHS cassette tape), n.d.
85. Welfare report/Gore and Clinton speeches (VHS cassette), n.d.

INDEX

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Reform Organization of Welfare (ROWEL)
St. Louis Religious Community
Welfare
Welfare legislation
Welfare reform
Welfare simulations

STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER-ST. LOUIS
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
ONE UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143

whmc@umsl.edu