It’s true that unemployment is a major concern that will affect thousands of residents in the District and even more across the nation.  But while media and individuals worry about joblessness, an important story is going unheard.  It is the story of a DC woman who works hard to provide for her kids.  Forty hours a week, 50 weeks a year she comes into her office and works diligently.  Unlike so many who are unemployed, she has a steady, full-time, year-round job.  And yet, she and her children still live in poverty.

The DC Women’s Agenda’s latest report uses census numbers from the 2008 American Community Survey to demonstrate how women in DC still face economic disparity.  Perhaps the most shocking finding of all in this report is that just over six percent of single woman-headed households where the woman has a full-time, year-round job still live in poverty.  Furthermore, one in five women-headed households where the woman works (either part-time or full time) live in poverty as well.

The report details many other areas where women fall behind in economic equality.  The median income of a man working full time in DC is 17 percent higher than that of a woman full time ($43,391 versus $36,987).  At each level of educational attainment from graduate degrees to high school, men earn more money than women.  Compare median earnings of $65,432 for a man with a bachelor’s degree versus median earnings of $50,995 for a woman who also holds a bachelor’s degree.  I hope these findings will inspire our leaders to take action on the economic situation of women in the District.

Of course it is important to be concerned about unemployment.  We all want to work in an economy where men and women can find steady, fairly-compensated work to provide for themselves and their families.  But we need an economy that works for everyone – where women don’t face gender-based discrimination.  We need an economy where the mother who works year-round at her full-time job doesn’t struggle with the bills every month because although she is employed, she lives below the poverty line.

We need employment for everyone that truly means economic security.

To view the full report, visit www.wowonline.org.

Debbie Billet-Roumell is coordinator of the D.C. Women’s Agenda.  You can contact her for more information at DBRoumell@wowonline.com.

Tags: washington, dc, women, economy, poverty, unemployment

Proceeds from this RIJI Green bag go to victims of human trafficking.

Believe it or not, I’ve already started my holiday shopping. I know what you’re thinking: I’ve been suckered by Corporate America with their October Christmas decorations, and their pre-Thanksgiving Christmas carol playing, and their adorable commercials where cheerful people dance around and wish you a “Happy Whatever-you-want-uhk-kuh.” But I remain uninfluenced by the not-so-subtle push to get me to spend money. I’m thinking for myself this year, and buying when inspiration strikes.

I consider myself a pretty decent gift-giver most of the time.  I have my off years, though.  My dad still hasn’t used the milk frother I gave him three years ago (who wouldn’t want their very own milk frother, though?!).  But with the U.S. dollar being a really hot commodity this year (especially in my bank account), I’m looking for the most bang for my buck, which is why I’ve been putting extra thought into my gifts.  I want them to remind the recipients of special moments we’ve had together in the past. I want it to bring back a wish or desire they’ve expressed. And I want the gift have meaning on its own, too. I’m trying to buy local. I’m trying to buy sustainable. I’m trying to buy fair trade. And I’m trying to buy items that are going to help someone besides the recipient.

That’s why, this holiday season, I’m going to be featuring goods on the blog that will help women and organizations that assist women and girls. Please do not consider this an explicit Washington Area Women’s Foundation endorsement of a particular product or company. It’ll just be interesting stuff I hear about that you should feel free to check out.

Shop ‘til we stop human trafficking with RIJI Green

According to Polaris Project, nearly 20,000 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States. And nearly a quarter-of-a-million American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry every year.

It’s hard to believe that slavery continues all over the world, from Asia to right here in the DC metro area. To help combat the issue, www.RIJIGreen.com is selling bags, journals, and other gifts made by victims of human trafficking. Money from the sale of each item will go to help these former victims of modern day slavery. RIJI Green hopes to raise $45,000 for International Justice Mission (IJM), a nonprofit that prosecutes trafficking perpetrators, provides aftercare for victims, and promotes justice systems.

Until November 22nd, 50% of the profits from RIJI Green products will go to IJM. 15% of profits will be donated to IJM through the end of the year.

As I hear about more opportunities like this, I’ll continue to post them here, so keep checking back! And if you hear about any yourself, feel free to post in the comments section or email me.

Tags: riji green, human trafficking, christmas, gifts, giving, women, slavery

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.  Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

• A New York Times article mentions a study that concludes that adolescent children of low-income single mothers who endured unemployment had an increased chance of dropping out of school and showed declines in emotional well-being.

• The Chicago Tribune profiles Afrika Porter-Ollarvia, a Chicago-area woman who offers “sidewalk counseling sessions” and mentoring to local low-income black and Latino teenage girls.

• The Kansas City Star reports on a donation drive to collect diapers for needy families who cannot purchase them with food stamps or through the WIC program.

• Sonja Taylor tells the New York Times that over-enrollment prevented her from attending community college, which is traditionally an affordable path to higher education for low-income students.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.
Along with these daily updates, continue to visit Washington Area Women’s Foundation for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity team

Tags: economy, poverty, single mothers, healthcare, spotlight, education, mentor, teens

Weeks after the application was filled out and turned in, I got a message from one of the representatives stating to give them a call as soon as possible. When I contacted the program coordinators of Urban Alliance they announced that I had been accepted into the program. I was ecstatic because there were only a limited number of students that could participate. They told me that I would have to go through training for four weeks and that it would help me become more aware of the business world.

When I went to school the next day, my District of Columbia College Access Program (DC CAP) advisor told me that I had been partially accepted. To get fully accepted into the program I had to attend training every day, participate in activities that were held, and go to an interview. Every day I attended training and learned new things that I didn’t know, such as how to use a fax machine, how to answer and transfer calls, what not to do during work, and other materials that were needed for the business world. When training was over I felt as if I’d accomplished my goals because I became more responsible as a person. I became well-organized and began to manage my time better.

 During the interview, I was very nervous. I’d never been in an interview before. I was asked a lot questions such as, What did I learn in training? What are my strengths and weaknesses? How did I find out about the program? How would I be a good representative of Urban Alliance? Name one word that best described me, and a lot of other question. As the interviewer was asking the question all I thought was act like I’d been on a million and one interviews already. After the interview was over, I thought I did a great job because I answered the questions with complete sentences and was self-confident.

That following week, I had to attend a workshop that would let me know if I was accepted or not. The program coordinators gave out letters amongst the students. The letters stated if you got accepted or not. When all my friends and I got our letters, we opened them at the same time. I was nervous to open my letter because I didn’t know what to expect. As I opened the envelope and read the letter, it said “Congratulations you have been accepted into the Urban Alliance Program”!!! I was thrilled.

Being accepted in this program has required me to get a half-of-day schedule at school which means I only have to take two classes a day instead of four classes. I have to work from 2:00pm to 5:00pm every Monday-Thursday. I was very excited because not only did I have a half-of-day schedule but I had a job as an intern. I didn’t look at it as if I were an intern. Now I could tell lots of people that I had a non-profit job and hopefully become a positive role model for my little brothers.

At the Annual Fall Kickoff they announced where I’d be working. I found out that I would be working at Washington Area Women’s Foundation. I also met my wonderful mentor Mariah Craven and she explained to me what The Foundation was about. During my time at The Women’s Foundation, I have also learned a lot of new things such as how to use Microsoft Outlook, how to write blogs, and how to use a scanner. I have met wonderful new people and gotten a chance to help my fellow employees. When I go off to college I’m going to be sad because I will not be able to do the program any more.

Freedonia Dolberry is a new intern at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.  She joined The Women’s Foundation through Urban Alliance.  For more information about the program go to www.theurbanalliance.org.

Tags: Urban Alliance, Freedonia Dolberry, Internship, HD Woodson

The most current professional advice recommends that the average pregnant woman needs only 300 calories a day beyond her normal caloric intake.  That’s the equivalent of a glass of milk and a sandwich!  Of course, each woman’s doctor is always the final authority on diet, and caloric intake may vary depending on age and weight.

Also on the podcast, the authors of Eating for Pregnancy, chef Catherine Jones and dietician and perinatal nutritionist Rose Ann Hudson, have lots of tips for expectant moms.  For example, there’s the skinny on “forbidden foods”: predatory fish – which contain high mercury levels – and any unpasteurized cheeses.  Yogurt (pasteurized, of course) is on the “fave foods” list for all ages.  The way it’s made allows even those who are lactose intolerant to enjoy this goody.  And the calcium content of a 6 ounce serving equals 8ounces of 1%-2% milk.

Get everyone involved!
Healthy eating for expectant moms is healthy eating for the whole family.  A day of nutrition-wise eating should include: four servings of dairy products, at least 2 servings of meat, fish, poultry, beans & eggs, 6-9 servings of grains, at least 4 portions of vegetables and 3 servings or more of fruits.  And budget shopping doesn’t have to be nutrient-poor.  Brown rice, sweet potatoes, kale, collard greens and any seasonal fruits are frugal and vitamin-filled additions to the fridge and pantry.

Salivating for more?  The “Parents’ Perspective” website is rich with go-to material on all kinds of child-rearing issues.  Meantime, hand out the popsicles and Italian ice to the ladies with the big tummies, and tell them to stay hydrated!  And this season, here’s to good health for all!

Parents’ Perspective is a weekly radio show where experts are interviewed about a wide variety of child-rearing topics.  You can listen and learn more by going to www.parentsperspective.org.

Tags: diet, pregnancy, expectant, mothers, eating, nuitrition, parents perspective

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.  Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The Miami Herald interviews Andrea Ivory, a cancer survivor who could win $100,000 from CNN for her organization, which helps uninsured and low-income women get mammograms.

• In an opinion article in the News Journal, Susan Reimer discuses a study’s conclusion that women living below the poverty-line or from single parent households are not the only ones who should be concerned about teen pregnancy.

• The New York Times reports the closing of the luxurious Bellevue Natural-Birth Center, which was dedicated to helping its clientele of poor and mostly immigrant women on Medicaid.

• The Des Moines Register published a story about Frances Marks, who may have been dead for nearly a week before being found  in her apartment in a facility that caters to low-income residents.

• After her autistic brother received help from the non-profit “New Alternatives for Children,” 10-year-old Dayzha Torres tells the New York Times that she no longer spends sleepless nights in her subsidized Bronx apartment.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.
Along with these daily updates, continue to visit Washington Area Women’s Foundation for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity team

Tags: homeless, women, poverty, eldercare, assisted living, cancer, insurance, uninsured

Is there a cut or not?
Yes.  A big one: about $12 million or 20% of homeless services funding has been cut.  Despite Mayor Fenty’s statement that the concern about cuts was “either a miscommunication or a distortment of the facts,” we think the Mayor is the one distorting facts here.  In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, DC’s Department of Human Services (DHS) spent $50.8 million on homeless services through its contract with the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP), approving about $12 million in additional funding above the $38.5 million in the initial contract in order to provide much-needed homeless services.  (This is not as unusual as it may sound—DHS had done the same thing the year before.)  The programs covered in this contract include emergency shelters, severe weather shelter, street outreach services, transitional housing programs, and other key, often lifesaving, services.  For FY 2010, DHS decided to cap homeless services spending at $38.5 million instead of $50.8 million, choosing to spend that $12 million “supplement” elsewhere.  That’s a severe cut—no matter how much the Mayor may wish to spin his way out of this one.

How will the cut affect DC residents this winter?
After providers, advocates, and recipients of services protested that shelters would have to close and lives would be lost if these drastic cuts went into effect at the beginning of the cold weather season, DHS announced a short and partial reprieve—to hold off on instituting major cuts until April 1 and to keep expenditures in the winter at the same level as last year.  Unfortunately, DC may still be in trouble this winter.  First, demand for shelter has increased significantly over the last year.  Every DC-funded shelter is at or over capacity and there are 382 families on the waiting list for shelter (111 more than at the beginning of this year).  Second, DC’s Winter Plan includes a modest (and perhaps inadequate) increase in beds for this winter.[1]  Common sense dictates, though, that DHS cannot fund a planned increase in capacity without an increase in their winter shelter budget.   

How will DC residents be affected the rest of the year?
If DHS is unable to find more than $12 million to fill the spending gap before April 1, we anticipate that homeless services providers will be asked to cut their spending by 50-75% for the remaining half of the fiscal year (April 1-September 30), because more than half of the $38.5 million available to direct services will already have been spent by April 1.  Cutting each direct-services program by 50-75% will result in severe reductions in beds, housing and services, if not complete closures of programs. 

Who dropped the ball here?
DHS was responsible for both the additional spending (good for them) and the subsequent cuts (bad for everyone).  DHS Director Clarence Carter, testifying at the DC Council oversight hearing on October 14, stated that the increased funding from prior years came from roughly $10 million in federal money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant and $2.5 million from a local source.  Director Carter later stated in an email exchange that he made the decision to use these funds to supplement homeless services spending, expand the program and meet the needs of the community, particularly homeless families: “[t]he gap in spending is the additional dollars I added to homeless services during my tenure.”  None of the $12 million used last year for homeless services was cut by the DC Council or the federal government.  Rather, the Administration has chosen to use the funding for other as-yet unspecified purposes.

Why didn’t anyone know about these cuts until now?
Councilmember Tommy Wells, who chairs the Committee on Human Services, said that the Council had been repeatedly assured by Clarence Carter at oversight and budget hearings that homeless services would be “held harmless” by any FY10 budget cuts to DHS.  Mr. Wells also said that he had no idea that DHS planned to divert some of its federal TANF dollars used in previous years for homeless families away from homeless services this year.  Finally, he has made clear that if he and his colleagues on the Council had known about the planned cuts, they would have found the necessary dollars to fill the gap.  We may never know if Director Carter purposefully misled the Council and community.  We do know that a decision to cut 20% of homeless services funding should never have happened behind closed doors.

What does the Administration need to do to fix this now?
Restore the money.  Although we are certainly open to other possibilities to fill the gap, here are two that would work: 1) DC kept a $50 million pot aside for critical spending needs in FY10 and we believe that the $12 million gap is a critical spending need; 2) DHS should apply for all possible TANF Emergency Contingency Funds (about $45 million) from the federal government and use at least $12 million of these funds for shelter. 

What can you do to help?
Contact Nassim Moshiree (nassim@legalclinic.org, 328-1261) or Amber Harding (amber@legalclinic.org, 328-5503) to get involved in this advocacy.

Amber W. Harding is a staff attorney at Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.

Tags: washington, , DC, dc, homeless, budget, cuts, city council

A new report on DC’s TANF program by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and SOME, Inc (So Others Might Eat) will be released at a forum on Thursday, November 12, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.  (Light refreshments will be available starting at 9:00.)

The new report, Voices for Change: Perspectives on Strengthening Welfare-to-Work from DC TANF Recipients, is based on focus groups with DC TANF families.  Attendees will learn directly from low-income families — most of them headed by women — about what they need to address barriers to becoming employed.  The report focuses on three areas:

• The limited access to meaningful employment services for TANF recipients.
• Problems in assessing and referring TANF parents to supportive services such as domestic violence and substance abuse.
• The inadequacy of DC’s cash assistance benefits to enable families to meet even basic needs.

The forum will feature a video of DC TANF recipients discussing their experiences with the program and a Q&A with a panel including: 

• Councilmember Tommy Wells (Ward 6), Chair of the Committee on Human Services
• Clarence Carter, Director, DC Department of Human Services (invited)
• A former TANF recipient
• Peter Edelman, Georgetown Law School
• Donna Pavetti, national welfare expert at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Please RSVP to Tina Marshall at marshall@cbpp.org or 202-408-1080.

Tags: DC, tanf, needy, families, low income, women, economy

So what does “Be That Woman” mean?  Well, it’s all about the mission that The Women’s Foundation has always had.  It’s about supporting women and their families by offering them opportunities to learn new skills to get better jobs, save money, buy a home, find affordable childcare, or get out of dangerous living situations.  It’s about how helping these women not only improves the lives of their families, but improves our society as a whole.  It’s about being inspired and inspiring others to help.  It’s about the woman who got assistance being so empowered herself, she can go out and change someone else’s life.

You know, there are some ideas that aren’t best described by words, which is why a new video and website are the best ways we could come up with to illustrate what it means to “Be That Woman.”

Take a look at the video:

On the website you’ll find different ways to share the video – which is exactly what we want you to do.  While the “Be That Woman” video was created to illustrate what happens here at The Women’s Foundation, it’s reflective of what happens every day in various ways across our society.  Each of us has someone in our lives who has been That Woman, and all of us have been That Woman to someone else.  It’s something we can all relate to, which is why we can send it out to friends, family, and colleagues around the world.  Think of it as an encouragement and a thank you.  Please take a look at the website www.BeThatWoman.org. Email the link, paste the embed code on your blog or website, or tell a friend to go to the website.  We want everyone to know what we’re doing at The Women’s Foundation.  We want to start a movement.

In our opinion, if more people were “that woman,” society would be a lot better off.

*For more details on how the “Be That Woman” video was made, please check out this blog post from RP3 Agency, the firm behind the video.

Tags: be that woman, video, women, children, poverty, inspire, charity, help, rp3, candy guard

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.  Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Here’s this week’s news:

• Nicole Clark, who ran away from her group home at age 14, tells the New York Times that she exchanged sex for shelter in order to escape a life on the streets.

• The New York Times celebrates actress Terri White’s return to the Broadway stage after an eviction left her homeless and sleeping in Washington Square Park for several months.

• Once homeless and an addict, Tinamarie Polverari is one of several female veterans who is rebuilding her life at Jackie K’s House, according to the Boston Globe.

• Dorothy Burns, 63, was one of many people in her low-income area who received a free smoke detector battery from her local fire station, as reported in the Columbus Dispatch.

• After spending several years in a nursing home recovering from disease that financially ruined her, Barbara Moore happily proclaimed to the Columbus Dispatch that she now has her own one-bedroom subsidized apartment.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.
Along with these daily updates, continue to visit Washington Area Women’s Foundation for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity team

Tags: women, poverty, veterans, homeless, terri white, broadway, new york, columbus, spotlight poverty