Author: Sherell

Issues impacting elderly women aren't old news.

Posted on by Sherell

I frequently ponder and analyze various issues affecting women, and the lives of women in general.  How far we have come over the last few decades, how grand the numerous obstacles that still hinder us are, what the plentiful definitions of feminism are and how women choose to adopt them.

But lately, my mind has been on a different spectrum of women, namely older women. Specifically, I’ve been thinking more and more about services for older women- or the lack thereof. I don’t really know why, or if there was a specific event that triggered this novel introspection, but I became curious, and began asking myself what services are available for elderly women, what are their needs, and how do their needs differ from those of younger women?

It’s easy, for me at least, to focus on helping young girls and middle-aged women.  I think I’ve always had an ability to conjure up images of little girls, young adults, and middle-aged women when I am doing work around issues specially related to women, or analyzing “women’s issues.”   When I read success stories on women working their way out of economic poverty, landing better jobs, getting landmark promotions, or something of the sort, I generally picture someone in their twenties, thirties or forties.

But now, a change has come. I visualize women like my mom. I wonder about the lives of female baby boomers.

What happens with older women recently released from prison?  What sort of assistance is readily available for them to get back on their feet (e.g., finding safe shelter, food, financial assistance, quality health care, etc?) 

How many are still in prison for non-violent crimes committed decades ago and how do their hardships differ from that of their younger counterparts?

What about the homeless? What kinds of services specially catered to their varying needs are readily available?

How much attention is being paid to the increasing number of retired women who fall prey to investment schemes and lose all or most of their life savings to skyrocketed and/or hidden fees?

How do the ones who are out of work on disability and depend on social security income to make ends meet spend their spare time?

How big of a problem is a lack of health insurance?

My wide spectrum of questions applies to older women all over the world. I wonder what everyday ills plague their lives. These women are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, care-takers of their children’s children, widows, divorcees, survivors of war, cancer survivors, retired professionals, etc.

It would behoove me to learn more about the older age bracket, because they always have and always will be an intricate part of my life, and life in general.

Even though so many great projects and initiatives exist today to sustain young girls and help them grow into adulthood with security, success, and the knowledge to fight against discrimination, we can’t afford to forget about the older generation. They might not be creating communities anymore, but they sure are sustaining them, all over the world. They are our bloodline.

I even put these thoughts in connection with recent and past natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the recent earthquake in China that left a daunting amount of fatalities, the May 2008 tsunami in Myanmar, and countless others.  How do these life-changing calamities alter life, particularly for older women?

I don’t really have any answers, yet.  But I think it’s important that we consider these issues, and work towards their solutions. 

I intend to start with me.  Once I learn more, I can also learn what I can do about some of the problems. Just remembering that I have to consider all women when thinking of women is a turn in the right direction.

Just laying these words down helps awaken my senses.

Thankfully, I do know that there are many wonderful people and programs that have been way ahead of me! They are on the front lines working to combat the hardships that are unique to older women.  There’s the Older Women’s League with many initiatives geared towards helping and caring for older women. There’s also The Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, a nonprofit housed in Philadelphia that offers a comprehensive list of activities and services for older adults.

Even some of The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners have services that directly and indirectly benefit older women. The vast array of Grantee Partners’ work focuses on issues such as mental health, homelessness, incarceration, domestic violence, immigration, finding good jobs, etc., and these types of broad issues affect women across the age spectrum.

It’s now my preliminary mission to learn specifically about the problems that plague older women, determine how I can help at an individual level, and discover what other organizations exist for older people, namely women.

I have a feeling that it will be cumbersome to find organizations working solely with the issues affecting older women, but it’ll be interesting to see how I can play a role in fixing that problem.

Sherell Fuller served previously as The Women’s Foundation’s program assistant.

International Women's Day marks strides, stark contrasts.

Posted on by Sherell

This past Saturday marked International Women’s Day, which for me marked a day of reflection, celebration and pride respective of the strides that women all over the world have made, and an indicator of the work we have to come.

In some ways, it’s easy for me to relate the global status of women’s issues to the local status of women’s issues. Women’s current position in society reminds me of an overriding theme from The Women’s Foundation’s work, the fact that (in relation to The Portrait Project’s data on the Washington metropolitan region) there are two sides to our story.

Despite our huge successes and landmark achievements economically, socially, and politically, there’s another, darker side that shows a disheartening outlook on women-headed families in the Washington metropolitan region. Though single, women-headed households make up a majority of households in our region, many women’s wages barely keep them and their families afloat.  In addition, we are more vulnerable than men in terms of obtaining affordable, quality child and health care, and jobs that pay a living wage with room for professional advancement.

Similarly, all over the world, we see the stark contrast of women making huge strides, and women barely getting by.

Right now in the U.S., New York Senator Hillary Clinton is in what some would call a neck and neck race with the other Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama.

The proportion of women enrolled in college has long exceeded the rate of men. (I’m not saying it’s good that more women than men are pursuing higher education, but it’s refreshing to see an increasing number of females who want to advance past a high school degree and further themselves intellectually).

Last year, Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Internationally, last summer, France’s Presidential elections were shaken up by Sègolène Royal.  She didn’t win, but it sure was refreshing to see women work their way towards positions of increased power.

Last October, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner became Argentina’s first female democratically elected president.

All in all, one can say that we are doing pretty well. There are so many confident, proud feminists who are empowering our families and therefore our communities.  We’re doctors, lawyers, human rights activists, professors, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, TV producers, leaders in religious institutions, CEOs, leading political figures.

Of course, women have historically made contributions and strides in these areas, but didn’t receive due credit and/or support to continue.  We’ve always had women who were successful in academia and medicine.

On the other hand, one can also say that we are in pretty bad shape.

In terms of health, and the same arenas that we are making strides in–socially, economically, and politically.  We’re fighting to retain our reproductive rights and affirmative action programs, and we’re waging battles against eating disorders, chronic homelessness, mental health disorders, workplace discrimination, sexism, sexual violence, sex trafficking, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, etc.

The list of struggles and obstacles, unfortunately, goes on and on.

Here’s where my happiness about Saturday came into play. On Saturday, International Women’s Day, I knew that globally, women were taking a calculated look at all of our accomplishments to date, and especially our ills, and looking at remedies.

So, what did women in different parts of the world do? Here’s a tiny snapshot of what went on abroad:

In Istanbul, Turkey, women took to the streets in multiple rallies and participated in events celebrating their work.

In Bern, Switzerland, female protesters used images to capture our minds and highlight the increasing problem of sex trafficking.

Thankfully, as the list of ills goes on and on, so does the list of places celebrating International Women’s Day. Click here to see what cities all over the world did to reflect upon our progress and implement strategies to overcome our obstacles.

As I said earlier, The Women’s Foundation’s running theme of the two sides of the story ring true to me in terms of women’s status locally and internationally. The title of Mario Cuomo’s 1984 Democratic National Convention speech, “A Tale of Two Cities,” seems fitting to think about right about now.  It’s a different time, but the same problems prevail.

When we look over the hill of progress, we still have so much work to do.

I’m glad we have so many dedicated nonprofits working locally to implement solutions that help women and help women help their families, such as those supported by The Women’s Foundation.

Most recently, The Women’s Foundation’s Leadership Awards recognized local nonprofits working innovatively to proactively improve the health and safety of women and girls in the Washington metropolitan region.

As I reflect on Saturday, I see hope and promise for our future if we continue to invest, as women, into our own wellbeing.

That said, happy Women’s History Month!

Sherell Fuller is a former staff member of The Women’s Foundation.

Voice and Vision Forums inspire discussion, direction.

Posted on by Sherell

As The Women’s Foundation’s Stepping Stones Phase 2: Voice and Vision forums come to an end, many wonderful, enlightening thoughts on the future of Stepping Stones and women and girls in our region have been shared.

One thing I’ve observed about the forums as I’ve compiled the evaluation forms from many people–from different regions and communities–is that people from all over echo the same concerns and insights on issues related to what keeps women from succeeding economically and financially.

When you hear the concerns and worries at different points in time from different people, it helps to legitimize things and ensure you that they are, in fact, issues to address.

What are some of the discussion topics that continue to generate rich, interactive conversations?

Attendees always engage in a rich dialogue around the area of the targeted income range. The insights as to why we should consider lowering the floor from $15,000, or heighten the current bar from $35,000, are varied and you get to hear excellent different points of view of people from different walks of life. 

Our current geographic target population (Washington, D.C., Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, Maryland, and Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax Counties in Virginia) is another hot topic.

Thirdly, the role of advocacy in the Initiative remains a question widely debated. Should we increase advocacy efforts? What strategies could we engage in to do so?

So, why should you consider attending the last forum on December 1? Because if you don’t already know what Stepping Stones is and why it came about, this is a great chance to learn more!

Stepping Stones is so great because it takes a comprehensive look in the long-term at the economic and financial well being of women. You also get an opportunity to share your voice on some of the hotly debated issues such as the ones listed above.

The grants given from the Stepping Stones fund nonprofits directly impacting the community.  They are not grants to provide a handout; they are hand-ups.  These funds and the technical assistance that come along are literal stepping stones that assist women in reaching their full potential.

These forums are a relaxed environment.  It’s only two hours, and after you learn about Phase 1 of Stepping Stones you get a chance to share your input with staff and other community leaders on what Phase 2 might look like.

I’m glad that this series of regional forums was launched.  It exemplifies how much The Women’s Foundation values input from our own community.

We want to hear from you, because we are all agents of change.  We’ve had Grantee Partners, leaders of nonprofit organizations in our communities, governmental officials, and friends from the general public attend and learn and share a great deal.

It’s an inspiring process that we welcome you to be a part of.

Learn more about the final Voice and Vision Forum on December 1.

Reflections on a transformative Leadership Luncheon!

Posted on by Sherell

I find it hard to believe that the big day, our most anticipated event, the 2007 Leadership Luncheon, has come and gone. 

The luncheon followed an invigorating and positively inspirational morning thanks to the Community Briefing with Assistant Chief Groomes, Department Commander Cheryl Pendergast, Camille Cormier, Director of Local Programs and Policy at Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW); and Tamieka Bridgett, a trainee preparing for a career in law enforcement through WOW’s program, the energy of the Luncheon began filling the atmosphere.

As I watched a diverse crowd of hundreds flow into the ballroom and our panelists preparing for their positions, it was a great reminder that there are still women and men out there, fighting the good fight, and believing in the power of giving together. The crowd was filled with families, friends, couples, volunteers, college students, and individuals from all walks of life.

One woman stopped me to remark on the energy, how she was just so excited and couldn’t believe all the energy she felt in the ballroom. From the Mystic Mayhem’s awesome dance moves, to the heartwarming and inspiring video of our Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) graduates, and the many powerful speeches given, the day was one to be remembered.

As I scanned the expansive ballroom floor filled with roundtables of over 1,500 individuals, transformation was evident in every way, shape, and form. As The Women’s Foundation is transitioning towards more growth in our community, partners, and philanthropic education, our Grantee Partners’ clients are transitioning towards better jobs, better wages, a life replacing despair with hope for them and their children.

As I reflect, "metamorphosis" was an appropriate theme for a year filled of growth and renewed energy!

For me, the luncheon was a time to reflect, educate the community on our work at The Women’s Foundation, emphasize the impact that investing in women and girls has, and celebrate our work and the uniqueness of it (incorporating a gender lens, recognizing and highlighting the importance of women in nontraditional occupations, etc).

I’m thankful for all the participants, attendees, volunteers, board, staff, and the countless others who put their effort, time, and resources into this event to make October 10 a big success. I can’t wait to see next year’s luncheon–it can only get bigger and better!

Become part of our expanding community of people, corporations, nonprofits and community leaders investing in women and girls.  There is a place for everyone at The Women’s Foundation.  Find yours today, and help us get to a record-breaking $1 million by October 24th!

A Tanzanian take on the Portrait Project.

Posted on by Sherell

In an idle moment, a new idea popped into my head, which was to randomly select any area of the world, and profile the status of women in that particular region (in relation to women’s leadership and health and safety), sort of like a mini Portrait Project. This was a quick, fun way to see what’s going on with women outside of my home, and it’s fitting as The Women’s Foundation is in the process of reviewing Leadership Awards, which focuses on health and safety this round.

So, how was I going to pick the place? Well, I closed my eyes and placed my finger on my huge wall map. When I opened my eyes, my index finger was on Tanzania, between Mozambique and Kenya. I made way for the Internet to do some quick, surface research on the status of women in Tanzania, to evaluate female leadership roles and their health and safety.

What I found (at the risk of sounding naïve) disappointed me. Admittedly, I’ve never read or learned much about Tanzania up to this point, so I was a little optimistic that as other parts of the world are making pretty significant strides in terms of the rights and position of women, Tanzania was too. Alas, my Google search turned up numerous articles- none hinting at a large number of empowered, healthy women.

As for health, a 1993 study by The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations highlighted the rising number of female headed households that suffer from lacking farming systems, malnutrition and unhealthy laborious conditions with little income. While this data is quite outdated, 13 years isn’t that long ago. The farming situation that adversely affects women has continued to worsen.

Pauline Kisanga’s paper, principal nutritionist at the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, explains that while women are responsible for 70 percent of food crop production, they have no say in the decision-making process for how resources are allocated (far from the leadership roles I was looking for). If they had a voice, they could provide input on better technology to advance from the traditional hand hoe, debate how to use income, etc.

Instead, women aren’t eating enough, eating well, or feeling well.

When our bodies are deprived of something as simple as Vitamin A, our eye-sight and immune systems are at risk of failure. Children face a greater risk of blindness, malaria, diarrhea, and measles. The 1993 FAO study showed that 6.1 percent of the population suffered from Vitamin A deficiency, with more women than men suffering because they tended to eat less than men in times of need. I can only imagine that this number has increased.

Water proved a significant barrier also. Babies died because water was unsanitary. Women were not delivering under hygienic conditions. Thankfully, water conditions are improving.

Childbirth and pregnancy complications have continued to be worsening problems. In 1990, the maternal mortality rate was 770 per 100,000 live births, and 8,700 women died from pregnancy complications. In 2000, for every 100,000 babies, about 1,500 women died. Future leaders don’t have much of a chance- they are dying at birth or early childhood.

Not to mention the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS on women. United Planet re-visits the issue of victims of HIV/AIDS entering prostitution in order to make money. Of course, this does nothing to help with the disease or aid in the prevention of it.

Why the deteriorating health conditions? Well for one thing, there isn’t enough education on safe births. Many women don’t trust hospitals; they’re scared they will face some sort of operation and opt to give natural birth in their homes. There aren’t enough health care professionals, and there isn’t enough money invested in public health initiatives.

As for safety, I was surprised to see that as recent as 1997, while I was living my safe, life filled with the typical teenage perils, Amnesty International was criticizing Tanzania for failing to try derailing the persecutions occurring against women accused of witch craft. I thought the witch-hunts ended at some point in the 18th century, but am now learning of “modern” witch-hunts in Tanzania.

Women are allowed to partake in government activities and positions, but their numbers are low.

One good, or better, thing noted was the progress in laws impacting women’s safety. In 1971, the Law of Marriage Act unified laws of marriage and divorce and mandated that wives in polygamous marriages are notified of such, divorces be formally concluded and registered, and that “wife-beating” be prohibited. Of course, these issues are still a problem, as a law is just mere writing in a book without actual action put behind it. Still, it was good to see something somewhat positive. How the status of women’s safety in marriage is now, I’m not sure, but my guess is that it’s not too positive.

These are preventative diseases and deaths that are plaguing the people, particularly women, of Tanzania.

So what can I do? What’s next?

Well for one thing, I can learn more about nonprofit agencies that do work in support of increasing advocacy and direct service to Tanzania. I can strategically invest in these organizations. I can get involved in advocacy efforts about these issues.

A good thing about working at The Women’s Foundation is that you really do learn ways to help, instead of just learning what’s going on. I know how to take the next step instead of just reading some news and feeling bad. I target areas that I’m especially interested in seeing improve, and I invest in them.

In an effort to become more aware of issues such as these, little map projects like this can be done all the time! It takes so little time to pull up some research and helpful books to check out.

And it works for issues here, too…it’s amazing to me sometimes how there can be all of these realities going on in varying areas of Washington, or our region, that I don’t always think about because my life is concentrated only in certain areas. The Portrait Project has helped me get a grasp on that, and on ways to help locally.

And provided a model for looking at women’s lives and realities and the best way to invest in a way that really enables true understanding and a needs-based approach.

So that when we’re investing in women, we’re not just throwing a pin at a map–we’re really doing what works and making our community better.

Stop sex trafficking across a border near you.

Posted on by Sherell

As program assistant here at The Women’s Foundation, I get the opportunity to take in grant and award applications such as those for Leadership Awards, where I get a glimpse of what different issues nonprofits are tackling these days.

A good sprinkling address sex trafficking and other forms of human trafficking, bringing home for me how this problem is impacting our community. 

Law enforcement officials in Maryland report that one of the state’s fastest growing crimes is labor and sex trafficking.  WTOP reports about the extent of trafficking in Montgomery County, Maryland   In 2006, police uncovered a possible human trafficking ring in Loudon County, Virginia.  And in Washington, D.C., officials are working with local nonprofits to reduce the amount of sex trafficking.

Human trafficking, defined by Ayuda, a Grantee Partner, is "the recruitment, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining, by any means, of any person for forced labor, slavery, peonage or servitude in any industry or site such as agriculture, construction, prostitution, manufacturing, begging, domestic service or marriage."

As defined by a number of nonprofit groups, human trafficking is modern day slavery. 

And a form of slavery we often think of as occurring outside of our country–let alone our region. 

Ms. Magazine just ran an article on this issue, and it is documented at the Tunnel of Oppression exhibit at the University of Maryland. 

It was at this exhibit that I became aware of the issue of trafficking, even though it has been going on for such a long time.

Polaris Project, another Grantee Partner, provides an estimate of more than 100,000 trafficking victims enslaved in the U.S.

It is sex trafficking specifically that interests me, largely because of its implications for women and girls.

The California nonprofit Captive Daughters offers a daunting estimated figure of two million women and children held in sex trafficking worldwide.

The sex trafficking industry, and I use the word industry because of its pervasiveness, seems to permeate in some way, shape or form all parts of the world. Daunting and astonishing are the only words I can use to describe my reaction to the research I find on this.

Captive Daughters talks about the Philippine’s tour packages. They are all inclusive, including one’s option to purchase sex from a female prostitute working as an entertainer.

PBS’s Frontline has a story on how five women, from Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey, and Hungary, were tricked (in some cases by their friends) into this abusive industry (in exchange for money), and finally managed to escape. The interviews with the women, available online, are saddening and disturbing.

What makes me really angry about all this, besides the pervasiveness and inhumane feeling the process must induce in its victims, is why it’s so prevalent.

It speaks to the priority of the almighty dollar, and the level of sexism, and devaluation of women and children that people still hold worldwide. Not that having more male or female victims makes sex trafficking better or worse, but the industry is disproportionately made up of women and children.

And isn’t this a theme?  Don’t women and children still disproportionately suffer from issues that help make them more vulnerable to trafficking such as poverty, hunger, and physical abuse locally as well as abroad?

Many of the women who get tricked into the sex trade are lied to and promised a new job in the new area they are being taken to. Deborah Finding, team leader of The POPPY Project, talks about what her project does to help female victims of sex trafficking, and steps we can take to reduce in the number of women trafficked.

For one thing, she says there should be greater public awareness. 

I agree, and find a perfect example of how U.S. media has a role to do this but doesn’t.  This week, I learned from CNN and MSNBC more about Lindsay Lohan’s arrest than anything else.

What about the grave issues that are eating away at the life and quality of life of women worldwide?  Why can’t we talk about these more? Why can’t the stories of those five women from the Frontline special be the hot topic of the news for two days in a row?

So, until the media does a better job of raising the voices and issues of women and girls, we can all start by learning more about how we can prevent and report human trafficking in the U.S.

There are individuals, groups, and great nonprofits in the U.S. and abroad educating on and working with victims of sex trafficking, but they need more support and recognition–and I’m left wondering how this will come about when there is so little information circulating about these realities.

My sense is that if this isn’t going to be a regular national media story, it falls upon us to continue to learn what we can, to act individually and support the local nonprofits tackling this issue, and to continue to support–together–the local organizations working to prevent and combat this phenomenon.

In our region, The Women’s Foundation is supporting Grantee Partners that are tackling human trafficking occurring right in our backyard.  They include:  Ayuda, Polaris Project (through their Greater DC Trafficking Intervention Program), CASA of Maryland and Tahirih Justice Center.

Women hammering their way to social change, not just another job.

Posted on by Sherell

Last Friday, I attended Goodwill of Greater Washington’s Female Construction Employment Training Program‘s graduation ceremony, because Goodwill is a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation. 

Since 2005, Goodwill has received funds from the Stepping Stones Jobs Fund that allow them to continue helping women in the Stepping Stones target population–women-headed families with annual incomes of $15,000 to $35,000, a working population still struggling to make ends meet because of the high cost of living in the region–strive towards success via attaining jobs that pay a living wage.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to see the women graduate.  Their proud faces mirrored those of their families and the Goodwill employees and supporters who helped them through the program. There’s nothing as satisfying as seeing the tangible results coming from The Women’s Foundation’s grantmaking process.

The first few words that came to my mind during the ceremony: hope, pride, struggling, overcoming, nontraditional, and daring.

Many graduates gave brief stories when rising for their certificates, and reflected on how they came to the program with low confidence and doubt about how the program would work for them, but upon completion, were more confident, happy and armed with the hard and soft skills necessary for work (such as time management), and some even heartily exclaimed that they had landed jobs!

A big theme was confidence. 

Entering the construction program was more than just a way to land another job and paycheck for these women.  It started with a desire to be something.

One of the Goodwill employees gave a great rendition of Linda Rabbitt’s story.  Linda Rabbitt is the founder and CEO of Rand, the third largest female owned construction company in the world.  When Linda reentered the workforce as a secretary, her boss noticed her strong entrepreneurial spirit and urged her to start her own business.  And just look at Rand now. 

The women sitting in that room on Friday now have the potential to be a motivation like Rabbit.

I especially enjoyed one story by a Latina graduate, because it was also reflective of the gender stereotypes and sexism women challenge.  Her story set the light-hearted and down-to-earth vibe of the room with a comical (but serious) story about her adventure with Goodwill.  She had learned about the program when she spotted the word "free" while looking at advertisements in an unemployment office.  Upon calling, she was encouraged to come in.  With the the language barrier, she had a hard time finding Goodwill, but she made it there. 

But, when she found out it was for construction, she had some doubts. 

Even though over 1.1 million women in the U.S. work in construction at a steadily rising rate, it’s still more the exception than the rule to spot women toiling away in hardhats. 

Nevertheless, she joined the program despite her and her family’s skepticism. In her family (as in many others), the natural thought was that females belonged in the kitchen.  But, she persevered and showed her family that she did know a thing or two about construction, and is on her way to finding a construction job!

These women illustrated how women in construction isn’t just another job. 

It represents a challenge we are making to the status quo.  It is representative of our resilience, smarts and true abilities.

It’s also a marker of the economic improvement in women’s lives.

I wish these women the best of luck, and I think they will do great things even outside of construction. They are now armed with the powerful knowledge that they are capable of pursuing a lifestyle that will provide economic security and stability.

And just think that all of the smiling faces of the graduates are products of a wave of philanthropy, a cycle of people who just want to help other people.

I can see the great places those women are now capable of getting to.

To learn more about similar training programs for women, visit our blog to and read more stories about the impact of Goodwill of Greater Washington’s female construction and environmental services programs, and YWCA National Capital Area’s Washington Area Women in the Trades program.

Then, join us by getting involved in the growing wave of philanthropy that’s leading women throughout our region to break barriers and build bright futures.  Become a part of the power of giving together.

Food Stamp Challenge: Lessons learned, from the personal to the global.

Posted on by Sherell

Well, I didn’t successfully complete the one-week D.C. Hunger Food Stamp Challenge, but, I did learn valuable lessons and new personal insights. 

But first, full disclosure.  Why didn’t I finish?  I pretty much gave up.  I tried, but it was pretty tough.

The first lesson I learned was, if grocery shopping on a limited budget, it’s best to buy everything before the week begins. That way, it’s harder or better yet impossible, since there’s no money, to be tempted to buy high priced foods here and there throughout the week that you really don’t need.

The second lesson I learned is how connected I am with food, emotionally, physically, and psychologically. The fourth night of the challenge was the hardest. I went to bed feeling almost depressed because I couldn’t eat what I really wanted. The smell and taste was so close, yet so far.  Up until the fourth day, physical hunger wasn’t a problem, but that night, my stomach was feeling empty.  Ironically while I write this, an ABC Nightline commercial just aired about gastric-bypass surgery and referred to food “as an addiction.”

On the morning of the third day, I was so irritable that I grabbed a cold cookie from a refrigerator and ate it within 20 seconds. I felt so restricted that I didn’t even warm it up like I usually do. I didn’t even like that particular chocolate flavor, but it was sweet, quick, satisfying, accessible, and free.

I pretty much knew that I was going to go back to the usual eating regime on the morning of the fifth day. I still can’t really imagine how people who are really suffering from chronic hunger, and people who don’t necessarily starve, but who can’t afford the foods of their choice, feel.

I think I took it so hard because it was such a fresh experience for me, but for someone who hasn’t had the foods of their choice for months, I wonder if there is a kind of desensitization to the whole thing of missing tastes.

All this wondering made me pull the late Elliot Liebow’s, Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women, off my bookshelf.  I like this book because the information comes from his participatory observation of single, homeless women in emergency shelters in DC.  One of the main problems of daily living was health and diet.

“Obesity, stomach disorders, diabetes, food allergies, cardiovascular irregularities, and other disorders for which diet is integral to treatment made up another class of common health problems that resisted treatment by the very nature of homelessness…typically in shelters, few choices were available. Low-fat, low-salt, low cholesterol…and other low-this-or-that dietary injunctions were almost impossible to observe,” Liebow writes.   

Nobody, especially in the U.S., should go hungry, and/or be subject to affordable but highly unhealthy food. We have enough food in our stores and restaurants for everyone to eat sufficiently and healthy. This made me want to do a little research.

According to the nonprofit organization CARE:
•  More than 840 million people in the world are malnourished — 799 million of them live in the developing world;
•  Over 153 million of the world’s malnourished people are children 5 years of age or younger; and,
•  A lack of essential minerals and vitamins contributes to increased child and adult mortality. Vitamin A deficiency impairs the immune system, increasing the annual death toll from measles and other diseases by an estimated 1.3 million-2.5 million children.

That’s hard to digest (no pun intended), not because it doesn’t seem valid (I wish that were the case), but because it’s mind blowing.

What’s going on in the most developed country?

Looking at hunger stats at home (the U.S.) according to FRAC (The Food and Research Action Center):
•  At least 10.8 million people live in homes considered to have “very low food security.”
•  In my home state, Maryland, 196,000 households were considered “food insecure” from data gathered between 2003-2005. 115,165 of people in these households were WIC recipients (Women Infants and Children). Minimum wage in Maryland was $6.15 as of 2006. That is not enough for a woman who has a young child or children, and is trying to pay for decent housing, to live on.
•  In DC, the number is lower, with 31,000 households considered to be “food insecure” from data gathered between 2003-2005. 15,193 of people in these households considered food insecure are WIC recipients. The minimum wage in DC was $7.00 as of 2006.

These types of facts outrage me, especially when I hear about the kids.  That’s also what made it frustrating to quit the challenge prematurely–guilt from knowing that I have the privilege to return to my “regular eating” when many don’t.

On a positive note, a good insight I had from all this was that I should continue volunteering at the Pathways shelter I go to monthly.  I am a “dinner volunteer” for the smaller subcomponent of Calvary Women’s Services in DC, and in the two weeks prior to the challenge, I’d just started searching for different volunteering opportunities that might provide more direct interaction between me and the clients.   

Pathways houses about 10 chronically homeless women, some with mental disorders, and at the site there isn’t much talk between me and the women when I go to deliver food and prepare plates.  While I understand why they wouldn’t want to chat it up with someone they see bring some dinner in every once in a while, I really would like an opportunity that allows me to interact more, so I was thinking of not going anymore, and instead looking into reading for children in local hospitals or something.

After this challenge, while I can look for other opportunities, I know I can’t stop bringing the food.  The women always say they like my dishes, and the least I can do is send some hot, tasty, nutritious dishes their way.

Nobody should have to go hungry, and for me it starts on working on issues that affect the women right here in the local community.

For information on other ways to get involved in our community, Volunteer and Connect! 

Food Stamp Challenge: Hungry and going broke, alone.

Posted on by Sherell

Wow, I have 3.5 days left of this challenge, and little to spend. The first grocery shopping trip totaled $4.09 from my Wal-Mart purchases of sandwich ingredients and Ramen, but since then I’ve spent about $11.00.

Honestly, I’m a little disappointed in the lack of willpower I’ve exhibited in the last three days. The estimated $11 worth of food eaten doesn’t come from a shopping receipt.  It comes from me succumbing to food around my house.  I’m not as hard on myself for the morning of the fourth day; I needed an aspirin and that doesn’t go well on an empty stomach, and I’d left the PB&J stash at work.

Even though I’ve eaten smaller portions of the available free food than I usually would, I’ve decided to count yesterday’s divulgences as purchases. Here’s a list of what I already had in my refrigerator that I have partially eaten or drunk with estimated prices (no receipt):

-$3.80 Organic Valley half gallon of organic milk (Wal-Mart)
-$0.79 Low Fat, Strawberry Yoplait Yogurt (Purchased at a commissary- grocery store for military families located on an army base.  Prices are lower than “outside” grocery stores.)
-$3.50 Personal Pan Cheese Pizza Hut Pizza (price includes a military discount)
-$2.50 Large Orange flavored vitamin water (contains vitamin C)
-General Mills Cereal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (probably a little over $3.00 from the commissary)

Technically, I need to make about $3.00 work until Monday afternoon- whew. 

Thoughts of food, like what to eat, when, how much it will cost, etc., have been running through my mind since early this morning. On my way to work, I thought about McDonald’s. Last night, as I was browsing through blogs of other Food Stamp Challengers, I noticed that one woman had factored in the McDonald’s dollar menu. So, this morning, I reminisced about the $1.00 McChicken sandwich that I used to love and eat at least twice a week as a freshman in college. I was already planning that I could munch off the food I have already been rationing, continue finishing the peanut butter and jelly, and have one item from the dollar menu for the next three days.

But, ever since watching the documentary Supersize Me, I have stayed away from it for the past two years, and it was a bit odd for me to realize that I was actually considering going back. It would be so convenient.  It’s cheap, fast, and it tastes good, but I’m still a little leery about what’s in there to make it so good. 

It brings home how given my limited budget, I have to think first about staying under the $3.00 than to watch for nutrition. 

I keep asking myself, if I can’t even stick to this one week challenge what does it say about me and my relation to food and money?

In addition to being slightly disappointed with myself for not adhering to the suggestions in the Food Stamp Challenge guidelines, there have been times where I’ve felt a little disheartened by some people’s skepticism towards me taking part in the challenge.  The family and friends that knew I would take part in this were very quizzical of the challenge, and freely expressed their disagreement and lack of empathy.  Most of them began with “Why?” and, if it was said in person, their face scrunched up and almost read, “Okay, whatever.”

On the third day of the challenge, I even almost got into an argument with my mother. (In a goodhearted way).  But, it really was frustrating, because I told her on more than one occasion that I couldn’t spend more than $21 on food for the week, yet when I come home, there’s food waiting. Then I proceed to eat some, and add it into my sinking budget. I guess I might be getting frustrated with myself and using her as an accessible path to channel the guilt. She takes my talk of the Food Stamp Challenge in one ear and out the other.

The bigger picture I want to start digging into after this week is people’s reactions to my decision to take on the challenge, and why most let the information go in one ear and out the other.  Except for my co-workers, most people listened to me for no more than thirty seconds before moving on to another topic.  

Being hungry and not being listened to…it’s all a little saddening, but a good learning experience for me to go through.

Food Stamp Challenge: Mind over matter, or over food, for that matter.

Posted on by Sherell

The first night of the Food Stamp Challenge, I had the particularly odd experience of dreaming about food. I was thinking about it so much, about the taste and how I felt restrained from it.

The first day went fine.  I ate good things and wasn’t that hungry, it was just the thought of not having access to any food or drink I wanted.  Before I went to bed, I had the quick thought of going to Starbucks the next morning for a Double Chocolate Chip Frappacino, but then I quickly remembered that I couldn’t afford Starbucks. Even the smallest size costs over $3.00!

I also though about and wished for fresh fruit, the smell and taste, the colorful mix of pineapples and strawberries, and how I hadn’t had any. I guess these thoughts were precursors to the dream.

In my dream, I was so hungry that my stomach hurt, and I had the option of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or a pack of Ramen chicken noodles, and I didn’t care to eat either.

The second day was more challenging than the first. I ate my usual breakfast, two Quaker oatmeal packs left over from last week. For lunch, I packed one peanut butter and jelly sandwich because I didn’t want to eat the lunch I knew would be provided at the day’s work retreat. When the catering arrived, I tried to not think about the food, but it was as if my senses were doubly alert.  I heard people crunching on chips, getting soda, putting ice in their cup.

I finally got one bag of chips and two cookies, not too healthy. I forgot about the Nature Way granola bar I had packed in my purse, probably because I wasn’t too excited about the taste. (They taste fine, but pale in comparison to a sugar cookie.) 

I felt like a failure for breaking down and eating some of the food provided, so for dinner I ate my Ramen noodles and stayed away from the home cooked food.  It was filling, but not too healthy, and was a little disappointing as I watched my sister and nephew eating their food heartily.

My friend purchased one Krispy Kreme orginal glaze iced donut for me. At first, I refused, but then I reasoned that one donut is fairly cheap, and I ate it. I’m finding a motif here. I am thinking about food so much, and the taste, that whenever I come in contact with something tasty and unhealthy, I am very quick to eat it.  I had a pretty high amount of sugar and salt yesterday that it almost makes me embarrassed to think about. In addition to eating unhealthy free foods without a second thought, I eat them fast, as though someone is going to take it away from me and put yet another restraint on me.

It’s a good thing I have half a bottle of Odwalla “Mo Beta” fruit juice left over, a few sips of it a day will have to suffice as my fresh fruit supplement. I can’t wait to buy and eat real fresh fruit next week. Usually, I go to the nearby Soho or Sizzling Express and get a small take-out of strawberries, oranges, and pineapples, but the total runs between $3.50 and $5.00 so that will have to wait.

Scary to think that this is just one week, when in reality it’s months and months longer for many low-income women on food stamps.

For more insights into Sherell’s Food Stamp Challenge experience, check out her post on D.C. Hunger Solution’s blog.