Author: Lisa Kays

The challenge of living on $1 a meal in the Washington metropolitan area.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Last year, a number of staff here at The Women’s Foundation participated in the Food Stamp Challenge–living for a week on the food budget allocated to individuals on food stamps–generally about $1 per meal per person. 

A year ago, our staffers and others participating in the challenge found it extremely, well, challenging.  (For more of our staff blogs on the challenge, click here.)

Almost a full year later, though, the challenge of living on food stamps has become even more difficult, as Chris Jenkins outlines in yesterday’s Washington Post article, "Rising Prices Hit Home for Food Stamp Recipients."

It’s no surprise that the woman interviewed in the article is a working single mother–a divorced mother of two.  She had her salary cut in half when she was laid off as a receptionist and had to take a job as home health aid.  She says in the Post, "Our life has changed…My kids notice the changes, there’s no doubt about it.  There are things I can’t buy anymore, little things like desserts, or if I say we have to be careful how much we eat. It’s not just them; we all feel it. We all notice."

Earlier this month, CNN documented a similar story about another local woman who skimps on her own food to feed her young daughter.

The rising costs are a national issue, but in the Washington metropolitan region, families are feeling it even more than in most places around the country.  The article explains that food prices in this region are eight percent higher than the national average.  For example, a pound of ground beef averaged $3.33 for a Washington area shopper, compared with $2.64 nationally. That’s a difference of 26 percent. A dozen eggs were 10 percent higher, while a 10-pound bag of potatoes cost 40 percent more.

As costs rise and food stamp allocations fail to keep up, more families face the consequences of food insecurity–poor nutrition, a decreasing ability to focus at school, work and other activities, and overall poorer health–not to mention the added mental stress of worrying and calculating to try to get the family food budget to stretch as far as possible. 

And who is affected? 

According to Capital Area Food Bank, half of all households in Washington, D.C. receiving food stamps report at least one working adult in the household.  In 2005, 50 percent of all participants in the food stamp program were children, and 65 percent of them lived in single-parent households.  Thirty-four percent of households with children were headed by a single parent, the overwhelming majority of whom were women.  Forty-six percent of participants were white, 31 percent were African-American and 13 percent were Hispanic.  The average gross monthly income per food stamp household is $648. 

However the stats break down though, the reality remains the same, that food insecurity is becoming an increasing issue in our region and nation as prices climb and families find wages dropping or face job loss. 

Last year, staff member Sherell Fuller took an international lens to her experience on the food stamp challenge. 

An interesting lens when one considers that there are an estimated one in three people in the world living below the poverty line–defined as living on less than $1 a day. 

In the United States currently, one in 11 Americans receives food stamps of about $1 per meal.

In either scenario, that’s a lot to ask of $1. 

Do we give to get, or are we not getting giving?

Posted on by Lisa Kays

As you head into your Memorial Day weekend, here’s a little tidbit you can ponder in the car or while you’re waiting for the weather to warm up and act like summer.  It’s courtesy of Sean at Tactical Philanthropy, who asked today, "Why do people really give to charity?"

Sean takes the position that people give in order to find meaning in their lives, and because helping others is basically to help ourselves.  That the narrative that says that people give for "selfish" reasons–tax breaks, to feel good, to ease guilt–are false.

Because the very act of raising up another is to better oneself, and the community around you.

We hear a lot of reasons for why people give in the course of our work. 

Because they see impact.  Because it makes them feel good.  Because they learn more about their community.  Because they like giving with others. 

But I’d have to say that at the core of all of this is a sense that what Sean is saying is true–that by giving, by making our community better, we all benefit. 

For we are all connected, we all walk around bumping into one another in one way or another.  I’m reminded randomly of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s statement that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

We don’t work to eliminate injustice or poverty or disease because it feels good.  We do so because we know that in their absence our lives and everything around us stands to be stronger, brighter, better.

And that’s it’s not selfish.  If anything, it’s smart.

Teach women to hammer nails, not just file them.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

I loved this post today on Feministing from Misty Rojo, formerly a prison inmate, discussing the unfortunate fact that most vocational programs available to women in prison teach cosmetology or sewing, but not more "male oriented" work like welding, construction or autobody.

"Even in Hobby Craft, we can knit to our hearts content (yuck), but can’t woodwork or leather tool," she writes.  "So many of us reentering the community can file your nails or knit you some booties, but can’t get your car started or build your house."

When I read this I couldn’t help but think about the amazing story of Sharan Mitchell, who was a resident at one of our Grantee Partners, Friends of Guest House, when she got out of prison, and during her time there participated in a 12-week female construction training program through the YWCA of the National Capital Region (another Grantee Partner).

Today, she’s helping build baseball stadiums, she’s saving money and her life is on track. 

She’s just one of many arguments for providing more training in skills that lead to meaningful employment and careers for women once they leave prison.  Cosmetology traditionally pays far less than fields considered more appropriate for men–such as construction or car repair. 

That’s why The Women’s Foundation is supporting programs that put low-income women from throughout our region in these higher paying jobs–so that they can support their children, have health insurance, eventually buy homes and have a stable financial future. 

No one needs this kind of promise more than a woman leaving prison and trying to start her life over.  I can’t really say it any better than a woman writing on Friends of Guest House’s blog–written by the women at the house about their experiences transitioning into their new lives. 

When asked what she would tell someone creating programs for women in prison, she says, "It would be great if they had programs that teach skills, but I know that costs money…What I saw in jail was that the women had no skill sets to provide them with decent jobs on the outside which would allow them to provide for themselves and their children. Therefore, they went back to lives of crime, drug use and depending on the government (such as welfare). Giving someone the opportunity to learn the ability to be able to take care of oneself and give oneself a better standard of living than welfare would benefit the whole country."

Can’t be said better than that.

Rwanda shows the power of investing in women.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

In my former life working on USAID projects focused on education for girls, I traveled to a number of African countries.   While each country is unique and different, after enough travel, meetings and jetlag, they can all start to feel the same in many ways.

Until Rwanda.  When I got to Rwanda, it felt different.  It was quiet, first of all.  Much quieter, generally, than most African nations.  The constant bluster of honking, music, yelling and just general noise seemed somehow dampered in Rwanda. 

And then I was struck by the other difference–less obvious, but certainly present.  Through my meetings and visits to schools and teachers and NGOs, it quickly became apparent that there were far more women in power than in most countries I’d been in.  There were more girls in school and gender was far more talked about and discussed than in most other countries I’d visited.  When I was sent to meet with a minister or high government official, I almost came to count on it being a woman. 

Not a common experience in Africa.

The statistics, of course, bore out this trend.  Half of Rwanda’s parliament seats are devoted to women.  They have established a Ministry devoted to family, gender and social affairs.

The only other country I’ve visited that had this same sort of vibe, of women just being more empowered generally–not only in terms of seats of parliament but in terms of their own lives and families–was Uganda. 

Two nations struck by horrible conflict.  Sadly, when such conflict strikes, women are left with terrible consequences, and tremendous opportunity.  For they face terrible violence and crimes against themselves and their children.  They bear the brunt of poverty and of rebuilding homes, towns and countries devastated by the destruction of war.  They are left to care for the sick, the dying and the orphaned.

But they are also left in many cases to run their families, farms, and the nation.  After the Rwandan genocide, 70% of the country was female.  Half of the households were headed by women.  Eighty percent of those were headed by poor widows.

And as the Washington Post documented on Friday in the article, "Women Rise in Rwanda’s Economic Revival," having women running the nation’s businesses hasn’t only been good for women. 

It’s been good for Rwanda.

The article explains, quoting Rwandan officials, "The march of female entrepreneurialism, playing out here and across Rwanda in industries from agribusiness to tourism, has proved to be a windfall for efforts to rebuild the nation and fight poverty. Women more than men invest profits in the family, renovate homes, improve nutrition, increase savings rates and spend on children’s education."

The article goes on to quote Agnes Matilda Kalibata, minister of state in charge of agriculture, saying, "Bringing women out of the home and fields has been essential to our rebuilding. In that process, Rwanda has changed forever. . . . We are becoming a nation that understands that there are huge financial benefits to equality."

As I read this article, I couldn’t help but think back to the brief time I spent in Rwanda, a collection of impressions and memories that are far from expertise, and that as I left Uganda a week later, that I thought about the horrible irony that often the best examples and evidence of the power of investing in women only have a chance to surface following terrible conflict and war. 

That somehow, despite the proven return, investing in women is generally a last resort, rather than a starting place.

Though this weekend, I did hear a story of hope.  A friend from another country in Africa, one also struck by its fair share of conflict and strife–though nothing compared to Rwanda–told me that when her father passed away, he left all of his land to his daughters, instead of his sons.

Almost unheard of in her country–and in most of Africa.  Surely everyone around town must think he was utterly insane, I tell her.

Of course, she says.  And now, the brothers are angry and fighting and furious that they are not in control.  For they want to sell the land and reap the profits.

And I don’t even care, she’s telling me.  What am I going to do with it?  I just have to make sure that my mother and everyone in the family is cared for, and beyond that, what does it all matter?  And my sisters, they don’t care.  We’ll keep it all for the family to use as they need it.  Beyond that, what is the point?

I told her that this, of course, is why her father had left the land to her and her sisters.  Because he knew, I said, that by  giving it to you, the entire family would be cared for in the long run.

Well, of course, she said.  What else would I do?

The Women's Foundation congratulates our hometown heroes!

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Here at The Women’s Foundation, we know that our Grantee Partners are heroes–out there every day doing the tough work on the ground that is changing the lives of women and girls for the better.

So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise when board member Jennifer Cortner dropped me a line to let me know that one of our Grantee Partners, Through the Kitchen Door, was just recognized as one of WETA’s Hometown Heroes.  WETA’s heroes are nominated from members of the community and are recognized for committing themselves to making a difference in the Washington, D.C. area.

Thrilled to hear the news, I went to the site to check out the piece.  The video did a great job of showcasing the impact of Liesel’s work on our community and particularly in the lives of the women she trains for careers in the food industry.

But I couldn’t help but notice, as I watched, another name that looked familiar.  For another 2008 hero was Barbara Mason, founder and director of Child and Family Network Centers, one of our amazing Grantee Partners in Virginia providing support and services to low-income families to help make sure their kids succeed in school.

This got me to wondering exactly how many hometown heroes we have in our midst at The Women’s Foundation.

Sure enough, that wasn’t all.  In 2006, Charise Van Liew was recognized for her work with FLY (Facilitating Leadership in Youth) the same year that our African American Women’s Giving Circle gave them a grant for $25,000.

In 2005, it was Jim Clager, a volunteer with Computer C.O.R.E. in Alexandria.  And in 2004, Carmen Fernandez, founder and director of HACAN, Hispanics Against Child Abuse and Neglect, was cited as a hero, along with Lisa Striggles, a volunteer with Covenant House.  In 2002, the Urban Alliance Foundation was recognized.

All of whom are Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  And in my quick skim, I no doubt missed a few.

But it was a fun inventory to take, largely because it’s wonderful to see The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners, and the volunteers that work with them, be recognized out in the community for the incredible impact they’re having.

Every day from within The Women’s Foundation community, we’re aware of  how heroic their efforts are, individually and as a collective, to change the lives of women, girls, families and our community. 

So it’s always nice to see them get the spotlight they deserve in the public eye, since so often, they’re working quietly in neighborhoods, basements and churches throughout our region, known as heroes primarily to the women and girls they serve directly.

But here at The Women’s Foundation, we know better.  Because we know that when you invest in women and girls, when you change the life of a woman and her family, that you make our entire community better.

Currently, The Women’s Foundation has 116 Grantee Partner heroes, and we hope the list will just continue to grow!  We know there are more heroes out there and we’re proud to play a role in fueling their work!

It takes a village, and a strong woman.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Following Wangari Maathai’s presentation at the Women’s Funding Network Conference on Saturday, I couldn’t help but love this article in today’s Washington Post about yet another woman trailblazing the way to social change on behalf of the environment.

Rebecca Hosking, a resident of Modbury, England, was disturbed and saddened to see thousands of dead birds on the coast in Midway while there as part of her gig as a BBC wildlife film producer.  The birds were dead because they’d consumed tons of plastic bags, cigarette butts and other trash left by us humans.

When she returned to her hometown in England, she convened her local business owners, explained the situation, researched and alternative, and proposed a ban on plastic bags. 

They bit, and the ban took effect with businesses using more expensive, bio-degradeable bags made from cornstarch.  Now, they’re all the rage, and even better, folks are using less of those and more reusable cloth bags.

A year later, the town is going to do a beach clean-up day, and whatever they find the most of in terms of trash, they’re going to do their next batch of problem-solving around that.

An awesome story of the power of a woman to create sustainable, social change in her community on behalf of the environment around her.  I imagine that she’s thinking something similar to what Dr. Maathai said, when she explained that she didn’t mean to start a movement, she just wanted to plant trees.

So often this is how women lead–quietly, smartly and effectively.  Here’s to Rebecca and to the many other women quietly working away to lead innovative change that makes our communities stronger for everyone.

Highlights from the 2008 Women's Funding Network Conference.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Whew, that was a whirlwind!  But alas, the 2008 Women’s Funding Network Conference has ended and those of us who aren’t attending the Council on Foundations Conference this week are back in the office, holding down the fort.

I’ll admit, I’m not generally a big fan of conferences.  I tend to develop short-term attention deficit disorder when trapped for too long in windowless rooms to mingle with strangers and listen to speeches.  I am an introvert, after all.  Meeting too many new people makes me tired.  I am also allergic to nametags.

However, I have to tell you, as far as conferences go, I thoroughly enjoyed this one–and left with lots of new ideas and extra inspiration to execute them.  A few highlights:

1.  Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai‘s keynote speech about her accidental journey into starting an environmental movement, and the collective power of women to change the world.  She’s as inspiring, honest and wise as you can imagine, and funny as well.  She had us laughing and thinking, which is always a great combination.

2.  Meeting colleagues from throughout the international women’s funding movement–from Memphis to a unique group out of Boulder that provides emergency grants for human rights work on behalf of women throughout the world.  The diversity, intelligence and innovation behind all of the work being done throughout this movement is really awesome.

3.  Seeing what amazing work so many women’s funds are doing with very few resources.  Many have a staff of just one or two and are plugging along to continuously grow and improve their grantmaking and effectiveness.  I was struck by the determination and dedication of the women I met. 

4.  Taking tips, ideas and learnings from others from throughout the movement, and being able to offer support and advice in areas where The Women’s Foundation has been fortunate to get ahead due to our amazing pro bono supporters, board and volunteers.  I really took away an appreciation for how fortunate we’ve been to get the support that we have to improve our communications and development efforts, and overall infrastructure, along with everything else–and loved the opportunity to pass along much of what I’ve learned from our community of supporters to other women’s funds.

5.  Hearing Angela Bassett share her story of being raised by a single mother during tough times, and the influence her mother had in shaping her daughter’s very bright future.  Truly inspiring.  (Angela is now a spokesperson for WFN’s new Good Deed brand.)

6.  Seeing the Women’s Funding Network and our Stepping Stones initiative (along with two of our major supporters) in the Washington Post!

7.  Being there when Stepping Stones won an award for Changing the Face of Philanthropy!

8.  Hearing Dr. Geeta Rau Gupta, head of the International Center for Research on Women, talk about the latest research on women’s economic security, health and well-being around the world.  She also told her personal story through the experiences of her two grandmothers–one who was educated, married later, had fewer children due to access to birth control and one who was not educated, had many children, suffered health problems and died young.  Their stories and the impact they each had on their families tells the story of how the health, well-being and economic security of a woman greatly determines the future and health of her children and family. 

9.  Getting rid of a cell phone that had been just taking up space in my closet.  I recycled it through the Good Deed cell phone recycling program.  Sadly, I did not win the raffle attached to doing so because someone managed to collect and recycle 36 phones on her own, greatly improving her odds.  Still, I guess that’s okay, since all proceeds from recycled phones go to fund programs for women and girls.  Sweet!  (Got a cell phone to recycle?  Click here and they’ll send you a postage-paid envelope.  Or, if you’re near our offices in D.C., we’ll take it and send it in for you.  Just contact me at lkays@wawf.org.)

10.  The huge turnout at the Congressional Reception we hosted on Thursday to welcome the Women’s Funding Network and fill in policymakers on the importance and impact of women’s philanthropy.  Tons of people showed, including Senator Mary Landrieu and Congressman Christopher Van Hollen–who both offered remarks.  Everyone was psyched and energetic about the impact of Stepping Stones and women’s philanthropy here in our region and throughout the country.  It was very cool. 

11.  Hearing about new media and the future of the Interwebs as applies to nonprofits from the Budget Fashionista.  She’s hilarious, smart and just generally cool.   Anyone who can teach you how to use your computer and what shoes should go with your outfit is pretty genius in my book.

12.  Getting my picture taken with Angela Bassett and Dr. Maathai.  Yes, I’m a sucker for celebrity.  And it was just neat to meet them. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go start lobbying Phyllis for a chance to go to next year’s conference in Atlanta.

Women's funding movement spending the week here in our own backyard.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Starting this evening and through the rest of the week, we here at The Women’s Foundation will be attending the Women’s Funding Network’s annual conference–which is being held this year right here in Washington, D.C.  (Well, Crystal City, to be exact).

We’ve talked a lot about the women’s funding movement and women’s philanthropy on this blog, and the conference is a great way to bring together the women’s funds and foundations throughout the county–and the world–who are also doing this work. 

We’ll be kicking things off tonight with a congressional reception on the Hill to invite staffers and members of Congress to learn more about the power of women’s philanthropy and the unique and deep impact of grantmaking directed towards the needs of women and girls.

Then the next two days will be filled with sessions on poverty alleviation, grantmaking focused around the aging and health concerns facing women throughout the country, growing girls’ grantmaking programs, and my personal favorite, using new media and social networks to expand philanthropy.  And lots more.

On Saturday we’ll be hearing from the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai and actress Angela Bassett as the conference wraps up. 

All very cool.  We hope to have lots of tidbits, stories and strategies to share when we return!

Will you be The Women's Foundation's Facebook friend?

Posted on by Lisa Kays

With today’s headline, "Despite Negative Press, Facebook Is a Powerful Agent for Social Change," it seems appropriate to let all of our faithful readers know that Washington Area Women’s Foundation officially has a Facebook Cause.

And we’d love for you to become our friend.  So far, we are 106 strong and hope to keep growing.

As our use of Facebook’s Causes application ramps up, we’ll be using it to inform our friends of upcoming events (especially for our new 1K Club), to post pictures highlighting our work and community, and to post information about the issues and challenges that impact women and girls throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

So, by all means, if you’re on Facebook and are interested in work that is changing the lives of women and girls in our region, we’d love for you to join us.  Just go to Causes and search for Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

Arlington fire department sets the bar for female-friendly environments.

Posted on by Lisa Kays

In a cool semi-related follow-on to yesterday’s story about how more low-income women aren’t gaining access to our region’s financial boom because they’re not job ready, we see an example of how a fire department in our area is taking pro-active strides to make its work environment female friendly.

The Arlington County Fire Department just opened the first firehouse in our region that is "gender neutral," creating individual sleeping and showering spaces.  Cool.

Just for a bit more context, the Arlington fire department was the first in the nation to hire a woman as a professional fire fighter.  Today, nearly 10 percent of its firefighters are women.

Makes you wonder if they’re in cahoots at all with Prince George’s County’s female fire department employees, with their "hour of power" and talk of vision to victory. 

For it seems that Arlington certainly isn’t lacking in any vision around developing female friendly environments in departments that aren’t traditionally considered career tracks for women.