Author: The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 31, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.  For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The Los Angeles Times covers Planned Parenthood’s fight to use tobacco settlement money to fund a breast health program to reach lower-income women under 40, who are at a higher risk for breast cancer.

• Boulder County’s nutrition program for low-income mothers and their children has expanded the selection of food it offers to include healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as reported by the Daily Camera.

• The Boston Globe applauds Rev. William McCarthy’s achievement of building a support network for battered women and the homeless.

• An “unusual” Fairfax Country program is raising a single low-income mother’s self-esteem by providing career counseling and other support, according to the Washington Post.

• The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlights the story of a single mom, deserted by her husband, who now struggles on the brink of homelessness along with her two children.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 27, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.   

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

Here’s this week’s news: 

  • Continuing the debate on healthcare reform, it is unclear if federal tax money may be used for abortions under President Obama’s plan, according to a New York Times article.
  • In an effort to help low-income teen mothers, prenatal classes are being held at Perth Amboy High School for the first time, as reported in the Star-Ledger.
  • A struggling single mother of three profiled in the Wall Street Journal will see her welfare benefits cut as a result of California’s struggles to balance its budget.  
  • The Belleville News-Democrat covers a female developer’s fight to open a maternity home for at-risk mothers despite local opposition.
  • The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports on its own efforts to help an elderly woman find a low-income electricity plan.  

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 

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 20, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.   

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.  

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.    

Here’s this week’s news: 

  • An editorial in The Wall Street Journal argues that the least-skilled groups, including “welfare moms,” will be hurt the most by an upcoming minimum wage hike.
  • A domestic violence shelter that offers safe haven for women with nowhere else to go reopened thanks to funding from a local philanthropy group and the United Way, as reported by The Chicago Tribune.
  • Women living in New Orleans participated in protests demanding that the Housing Authority of New Orleans provide them with long-anticipated housing vouchers, according to a Times-Picayune article.
  • The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interviews Judy Bannon, a woman who has campaigned to ensure that low-income mothers are able to provide their children with a safe place to sleep.
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer profiles the mostly female volunteers who feed the hungry and homeless through a cooking contest sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger.
  • The Washington Post covers the critical situation in D.C. hospitals, which are seeing increasing numbers of patients, including several low-income women profiled by the article, going to emergency rooms to receive primary care.

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 

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 10, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Monday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• A scholarship program designed to help single mothers out of poverty plans to shift their fund-raising efforts into overdrive after learning that the Massachusetts state budget eliminates their public funding, as reported by The Boston Globe.

• Traditionally male-dominated industries are experiencing a much bigger hit in the recession than female-dominated industries, causing women to suffer much lower unemployment rates nationally, according to a Wall Street Journal article.

• A New York Times report on the surge of families who are becoming homeless as the school year ends includes interviews with several mothers struggling to find housing for themselves and their children.

• The Boston Globe reports that the number of female service members who have become homeless after leaving the military has jumped dramatically in recent years, according to new government estimates.

• A Los Angeles Times article on a new summer program for children in inner-city Los Angeles includes an interview with a mother who credits a similar program with her children’s safety and success.

• The New York Times covers a story about two elderly women who promote recycling at General Grant Houses, a sprawling Harlem public housing development.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending July 3, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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. 

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty. 

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit the Washington Area Women’s Foundation for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.  

Here’s this week’s news:

  • In an interview with the Washington Post, Secretary of Labor Linda Solis states that many minimum-wage workers are single mothers, and that they cannot fairly be expected to raise a family on the federal minimum wage.
  • A USA Today article discussing the critical role of a pregnant mother’s health in her child’s development highlights a Washington, D.C. clinic for healthy births with a clientele including a number of low-income mothers-to-be.
  • The New York Times interviews several low-income women who will be benefitting from an increase in New York State welfare benefits.
  • In a piece profiling a program offering college experience to the homeless, the New York Times profiles several homeless single mothers juggling class and child care.
  • In its coverage of cuts to summer school programs, the New York Times interviews several low-income girls who will be losing summer classes as well as their mothers, who are concerned that their children are losing enriching programs.
  • In an article detailing summer school feeding programs, the Washington Post notes the benefits to a low-income girl and the relief experienced by her mother.
  • The Macon Telegraph reports on a woman whose house, which also is home to her 97-year-old mother, will be insulated by stimulus weatherization funds for low-income and disabled homeowners.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending June 26, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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. 

 

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty. 

 

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.  

 

Here’s this week’s news:

 

·         The Washington Post focuses on a 19-year-old mother of two who has stayed in school with help from a program supporting teen mothers.

 

·         The Dallas Observer profiles a program that seeks to end the cycle of teen pregnancy and poverty by focusing on low-income girls’ etiquette and self-esteem.

 

·         In an op-ed in the Ithaca Citizen, contributor Jennifer Wilkins argues in favor of extending Women, Infants, and Children program benefits to farmers markets, writing that doing so will provide better nutrition to low-income families.

 

·         As reported in the Associated Press, Illinois will be making more nutritious foods available under the Women, Infants, and Children program.

 

·         The Bridgewater, New Jersey Courier News interviews a local mother who has a new home of her own thanks to Habitat for Humanity’s Women-Build events.

 

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending June 12, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The Washington Post covers a study showing the health disparities experienced by black women and citing poverty as a major cause.

• In an op-ed in the Washington Times, guest columnist Rebecca Hagelin argues that fathers are essential to family well being and economic viability, and that mothers and children are more likely to fall into poverty without stable husbands and fathers.

• As reported in the Boston Globe, a joint health venture between a Catholic hospital chain and a healthcare company to provide insurance to low-income patients is facing criticism from Catholic leaders for providing abortion coverage.

• In a report on a summer camp program for low-income teens, the Los Angeles Times highlights a youngster who was able to overcome bulimia thanks in part to the support she found at the program.

• A farmers market profiled by the Boston Globe accepts vouchers from the Women, Infants, and Children program.

• A Fort Worth all-girls school will cater toward low-income students, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending June 5, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• As part of a call to reduce immigration, Christian Science Monitor op-ed contributor Lawrence Harrison cites cultural “problems” that he claims immigrants bring from Latin America, including high rates of teen pregnancy and single motherhood

• The Washington Post reports on a program (funded by The Women’s Foundation!) that offers at-risk girls mentors and healthy activities.

• The Los Angeles Times profiles two sisters who benefit from a program that sends low-income girls to summer camp.

• Chicago Sun Times columnist Mary Mitchell, who is currently battling breast cancer, asks for more assistance for low-income women struggling with the disease.

• A Philadelphia Daily News story on the difficulty of getting into a special charter school for children from foster homes interviews a mother desperate to get her daughter into the program.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending May 29, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• The New York Times profiles a nonprofit that provides free clothing to assist low-income women entering the work force.

• A Chicago Sun Times column focuses on Mama Brenda, a Chicago spoken word poet who performs outreach to single mothers and others in need.

• A new program is encouraging healthy eating by increasing the value of food stamps for low-income mothers who shop at farmers markets, according to the Washington Post.

• The Los Angeles Times notes that among the proposed cuts from California’s budget are treatment for breast and cervical cancer for illegal immigrants and women older than 65.

• As reported by the Albuquerque Journal, the economic downturn has forced a local program for low-income girls to merge with a parallel program for boys.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending April 15, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with Washington Area 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.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• An editorial appearing in the Chicago Sun Times argues that more support for single moms will benefit the next generation.

• The Washington Times profiles a Washington, D.C. resident who is known for her charity work with low-income mothers.

• In an op-ed for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, a contributor in favor of Notre Dame’s controversial invitation to President Obama argues that he disapproves of bishops’ support of pro-life candidates, which he believes has led to a widening of the gap between rich and poor.

• As reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, several clinics for low-income patients, including a women and children’s center, are slated to close in Georgia.

• The Detroit News reports that Michigan’s cuts of certain programs may hurt its chances of receiving federal matching funds allocated to low-income mothers and pregnant women.

• A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel commentary on a low-income clinic struggling to stay open notes that most of its clientele is single mothers and their children.

• A USA Today piece on stimulus funds going to Indian tribes notes the benefits it will provide to people like Naomi Sitting Bear, a mother living with her family in dilapidated housing, as well its support for domestic violence programs.

• A Chicago Tribune piece on new housing for homeless and low-income residents interviews a woman, recently released from jail, who believes that the housing will provide her with new stability and opportunities.

• The Miami Herald reports on a disabled woman who was given housing from Habitat for Humanity on Mother’s Day.

• The Governor of Rhode Island has proposed a plan that would cut state aid to low-income pregnant women, as noted by the Associated Press.

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

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.