— As the impact of the recession continues to be felt, local nonprofits are seeing a growing number of employers skipping out on workers’ wages. Immigrants in construction, restaurant and janitorial work are most often underpaid. Casa of Maryland (a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner) says even well-intentioned employers aren’t paying up when their construction projects run out of money. The D.C. Employment Justice Center — another Grantee Partner — is currently representing dozens of workers who say they’re owed money. Click here to read more.
— A new report from D.C. Hunger Solutions (a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner) and Social Compact notes disturbing trends when it comes to district residents and access to grocery stores. When Healthy Food is Out of Reach found a significant grocery gap that leaves many neighborhoods without access to full-service grocers and healthy food options. For example, Ward 3 has a grocery store for every 7,300 people, while Ward 8 — the ward with the lowest average income — has one grocery store for every 23,000 people. The report also says that half of local grocery stores do not accept WIC vouchers.
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