One by one, mothers, daughters and pregnant women came forward with similar messages at a rally at Childspace Day Care Center on Monday.

They communicated those messages through stories they shared at the gathering. Tioga resident Rebecca Lovelace, whose mother has been in and out of the hospital for the past two years, said she doesn't get time off from one of her jobs—at Dollar General—and fears losing her job if she needs to take time off to care for her condition. Katja Pigur, who is originally from Germany and is the mother of a six-year old, said she is thankful that she has sick days at her job, but said that the number of sick days Americans get pales in comparison to what people in her home country receive. And Aislyn Washington talked about how she hasn't been able to hold a steady job for the past three years because her kids—she has five children under the age of 18, and three more who are older—keep getting sick and she keeps needing to take care of them.

"I can't be a mother and a daughter and a professional at the same time," Washington said. "There is no legislation that protects you."

But the group that organized the gathering wants to do just that. The Coalition for Healthy Families and Workplaces, which is made up of more than 60 groups and organizations, is working to encourage City Council to pass legislation that would allow Philadelphia workers to earn up to seven days of sick time per year.

The bill, called the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, would do just that. It was passed by the Public Health and Human Services Committee in March, and coalition members hope the proposed legislation eventually becomes Philadelphia law.

Over 40 percent of Philadelphia workers don't earn sick days through their jobs, according to the coalition.

The coalition organized Monday's event in order to highlight mothers' perspectives on the issue the day after Mother's Day. Rebecca Foley, who is the director of education and advocacy initiatives for Women's Way, also said she would like to see people who support the issue to fill out two postcards and mail them to City Council members and wants other mothers to share their stories as well.

Sarah Friedman was one of the others to talk about her own situation. The Mt. Airy resident is expecting a child any day now, and said she feels lucky that she and her husband received earned sick days at their jobs.

The fact that they both will be able to take time off if their child needs care was a major factor, Friedman said, in their decision to start a family at this point.

"If we are going to claim in Philadelphia that we are pro-family and pro-child, we have to pass this legislation," Friedman said.

Kenyette Barnes-Higgs, who is involved with the Maternity Care Coalition, also spoke. She has a five-year old and a two-year old.

"They do many things well," she said. "The one thing they do best is get sick at the worst possible moment."

She said when a mother leaves work to take care of her children, it often can harm their professional credibility.

For now, the coalition will continue to advocate. It is organizing an event at City Hall on Thursday.

During Monday's rally, baby clothing was hung from the fence that surrounds Childspace. It had been painted with messages intended to make people aware of what the coalition is trying to do.

"I love my family," one said. "Moms rock," said another. And as those in attendance ate pizza and drank soda at the event's conclusion, they rippled in the wind, easily visible to anyone who happened to walk by.