With poverty more of a problem than it has been in decades, The Women’s Foundation’s Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat says now is the time to step up and take action.  She calls on individuals, politicians and organizations to come together to defeat poverty.  Read on to find out what you can do.

Sometimes problems appear to be so big that they seem insurmountable and we become paralyzed just thinking about what it would take to overcome them.  We forget that the problem didn’t simply happen overnight.  Generally, there were a series of events, words and/or actions that, when left unresolved over time, culminated into a much larger problem.  And of course we want there to be a quick, easy fix because anything else is just too hard, too daunting to contemplate.

I can’t help but wonder if that’s the case when it comes to the “problem” of poverty in the nation’s capital.  Do we think it’s insurmountable? Are we so daunted by the stats that we are paralyzed?  Do we think it’s really someone else’s problem?

Regardless of the answers, at what point do we decide to turn a challenge into an opportunity?  My response: Now! And here’s why.

Successes and Setbacks

Seven years ago, Washington Area Women’s Foundation released A Portrait of Women & Girls in the Washington Metropolitan Area, which found that single, female-headed families suffered disproportionately from the region’s poverty.  In the District of Columbia, 30 percent of women-headed families lived in poverty.  These stark findings have guided our grantmaking over the past six years with a laser-like focus on improving the economic security of low-income, women-headed families.  This approach has helped 6,000 women increase their incomes and assets by $22 million.  Last year alone – in the midst of the recession – we helped 66 women become homeowners, 1,000 women increase their assets by $2.2 million, and 70 women increase their incomes by more than $600,000 due to job placements.

But even as we celebrate the achievements of thousands of women, we’re seeing frustrating setbacks across the community.  Today, 37 percent of women-headed families in DC are living in poverty—the highest poverty rate among all family types.  Some may look at the increase and throw up their hands in defeat and stumble off the field in dismay (apologies for the soccer analogy, World Cup fever).

I think that’s the wrong reaction.  At The Women’s Foundation, the startling statistics are pushing us to think creatively about our work and our investments, forcing us to re-examine our assumptions and open our minds to new possibilities, and most importantly, reinforcing the importance and necessity of collective action.  No one individual, nonprofit, business, government agency, or funder can do it alone, but collectively we might have a fighting chance.

Be Part of the Solution

That’s why Washington Are Women’s Foundation is supporting Defeat Poverty DC, a coalition of organizations and residents in the District working to bring greater focus during the 2010 election season and beyond to the damaging effects of poverty on our entire city.  As the mayoral and City Council races kick into high gear in their run-up to the primary on September 14th, there is no better opportunity to highlight the critical need to address poverty in DC.

Tired of feeling paralyzed?  Want to do something?  Visit Defeat Poverty DC’s website and take action:

• Join the Campaign and receive email alerts and updates about the campaign, as well as actions you can take to make a difference.
• Email Local Officials about this effort using a template email, which you can personalize or send as is.
• Spread the Word about Defeat Poverty DC through Facebook and Twitter accounts and by talking about the campaign on your community listserv.
• Download a Notice to Candidates and post it on your window or door to let candidates know that when they come knocking you expect to hear their plan for defeating poverty in DC.
• Attend a Volunteer Training on June 30th to learn about the best ways to get candidates to support real solutions to poverty.

With the poverty rate increasing to 19 percent last year (the largest increase since 1995), now is the time to come together and insist that our political leaders actively work to defeat poverty in DC by advancing policies that:

• Make Work Possible through job placement, increased literacy, and access to quality child care and reliable transportation.
• Make Work Pay by improving job training, ensuring access to better wages and benefits, and lessening the tax burden on low-income families.
• Make Basic Needs Affordable by bridging the gap between the high costs of living in DC and the incomes of working poor residents, including increased availability of nutritious food, health care and affordable housing.

If not now, then when?

Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat is vice president of programs at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

There is no question that District workers are struggling during this recession.  With unemployment at historical levels, more families are facing economic hardship and falling into poverty.  Although most jobs that have been lost during this recession have been by men, it is important to note that a significant percentage have also been lost by women.  A recent report by the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee found that from October 2009 to March 2010, women lost 22,000 jobs while men gained 260,000.  And, in March 2010, the unemployment rate for women with families was 11.3%, the highest rate in the past 25 years.  Women of color, in particular are struggling – 12% of Latino and 12.4% of African American women were unemployed in March 2010, compared to 7.3% of white women (link).

There is some good news: the District of Columbia has taken proactive steps to strengthen a vital safety net for jobless workers.  On Friday, May 14, 2010, Mayor Fenty signed the Unemployment Compensation Reform Act (A18-0401), legislation that will help thousands of D.C. workers cover their basic needs – rent, groceries, utilities – as they continue to search for long-term employment.  By temporarily filling this income gap for individuals, unemployment benefits can stabilize a household and prevent families from slipping into poverty.

The Act will do 5 things: (1) provide an additional $15/week to those with children or dependents; (2) extend unemployment insurance to those enrolled in a qualified training program; (3) expand eligibility to those who leave their jobs because of domestic violence against themselves or members of their immediate family, to relocate with a spouse or domestic partner, or because they must care for an ill or disabled family member; (4) extend the deadline to appeal a denial of benefits from 10 to 15 days; and (5) include a good cause exception for those who miss the deadline.

These changes will help all workers, but particularly women workers – and single women with children – whose choice to leave a job is often one of necessity and beyond their control.  In fact, women workers account for 70% of employees who leave their jobs for domestic reasons.  As one of our clients noted during her testimony before the D.C. Council, “I am the primary caregiver of a three year old and of my 91 year old mother-in-law, and have had to leave a job in the past to care for them.  This new law will no longer penalize me for making this necessary decision.”

With this new legislation, the District will now be qualified to receive $18 million in federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  D.C. was only required to enact two reforms in order to receive the federal funding.  By going above these minimum requirements, the District is able to maximize the impact of the stimulus funding and spread much needed relief to more struggling workers and families.

These new provisions will go into effect in the summer.

Courtney Chappell is the director of advocacy at D.C. Employment Justice Center.