Women in Action Records, 1970-1998

Historical Note

Women in Action (W.I.A.), a coalition of member organizations, was founded in 1970 as a committee in the Young Women's Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) and incorporated in 1974. The following year Women in Action obtained the status of a (501) (c) corporation and in 1976 earned tax-exempt status in Texas. Original members included representatives of women's groups, such as the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters, as well as individual women dedicated to improving the lives of women in the Houston area.

For the first fifteen years of its existence, Women in Action coordinated a number of different projects designed to improve the lives of women. Some of the main programs included the Jail Committee and the Welfare Committee. The first of these provided assistance to women in jail, serving as liaisons with attorneys and the inmates' families, appearing in court as a moral support network and to ensure that the inmate was treated fairly, or simply by acting as pen pals to incarcerated women. The Welfare Committee provided assistance in navigating the welfare system and completing the paperwork necessary for receiving assistance. W.I.A. also conducted numerous workshops on health issues, such as venereal disease, aided senior citizens in registering to vote, and was involved with the Women's Information and Referral Exchange Service (W.I.R.E.S.).

By the early 1980s, Women in Action's interests began to shift increasingly toward the problem of teenage pregnancy. Women in Action sought to establish a group home for teenage mothers and their infants; this goal reached fruition in 1985 with the purchase and remodeling of a house. In April 1986 T.A.M.I. House, Women in Action's group home, opened as the only licensed, long-term facility in Houston designed to provide safe housing for teenage mothers and their infants. The T.A.M.I. House program was also designed to prepare the teenagers to lead productive lives and to be responsible and caring parents. The mothers received instruction in child care, nutrition, and basic housekeeping skills; they were encouraged to develop social skills, to return to school, and to acquire the discipline necessary to hold a job. In short, the T.A.M.I. House program provided a caring and nurturing environment while teaching the mothers real-life skills necessary for raising a child.

Women In Action, by a vote of its members, dissolved in 1998 and its assets were conveyed to the Abundant Life Educational Center, Inc., as required by the articles of incorporation.

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Scope and Contents

The collection arrived in the archives in good order, and the original order has been maintained for the most part. The collection consists of material dating from 1970 to 1998, and is arranged into four series: Administrative Records, Financial Records, T.A.M.I. House, and Ephemera. The first two series include material pertaining to general W.I.A. activities and to T.A.M.I. House, such as board of director's minutes and newsletters; the T.A.M.I. House series' material pertains only to that project. The folders are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use Restrictions

Special Collections owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form. For more information, consult the appropriate librarian.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Women in Action Records, Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.

Acquisition

Donation by Marjorie Green, 2002

Processed by

Joanie South-Shelley, June 2003

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Detailed Description

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