Politics

D.C. Government Slashes Funding for Some of the City's Most Vulnerable Women

Posted on by Kris Thompson

Days after the District made the shocking announcement that $20 million had been cut from the homeless services budget for the 2010 fiscal year, advocates and organizations that provide shelter for the homeless are still reeling. One of The Women’s Foundation grantee partners is reaching out for help – as winter approaches and the organizations that assist the homeless face a crisis.

Calvary Women’s Services was notified Monday, September 28, by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP) that contract funding for Calvary would be cut by nearly $75,000 beginning October 1st.  These funds support safe housing and other services for 150 homeless women each year.  TCP is an independent, non-profit corporation that coordinates DC’s Continuum of Care homeless services.

Calvary is one of many social service providers notified of cuts to their existing contracts. Emergency, transitional and supported permanent housing programs were all targeted as the city attempted to close an ever-widening budget gap.  The impact of these cuts on the overall homeless services system is going to be severe, with some housing programs reducing their services and others likely closing programs. 

Although these cuts may provide some immediate relief to the city’s budget problems, the real impact of the cuts will be felt by those in need of safe housing and support services.  Women who have already lost their jobs in this economic crisis will have fewer services and housing options available to them. These cuts will make women who are already at-risk much more likely to end up living on the streets or in unsafe situations.

The women who come to programs like Calvary are survivors of violence, women struggling with mental illness, and women working to overcome addictions.  At Calvary we make sure they have access to all of the services they need to address these challenges – in addition to providing a safe place to live.

We know that programs like ours work.  Every five days a woman moves out of Calvary and into her own home.

We have always relied on the support of both public funding and private donations to make our programs possible.  In the past, supporters have helped us close gaps like this one, and I am hopeful that the community will step up once again.  But I am also concerned that this gap may be too wide for our generous donors to close.

The coming months will be challenging ones for organizations like Calvary, as we try to find ways to continue to provide women in this community with critical, life changing services.  More so, they will be challenging months for women who need services like ours, as they face closed doors and reduced services at programs across the city.

 You can make a difference.  Support Calvary – or another agency facing these cuts – today. 

 Volunteer, donate or learn more at www.calvaryservices.org.

Kris Thompson is the Executive Director of Calvary Women’s Services, recognized as a 2009 Leadership Awardee by The Women’s Foundation.  Learn more about them on their Web site or on Facebook.

What the stimulus package does for our region's women.

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

President Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law yesterday afternoon.  Many people in the nation’s capital and state capitals around the country will be combing through it in the days and weeks ahead to understand the scope and breadth of what it does – and doesn’t – do.

At The Women’s Foundation, we wondered: What does this historic legislation do to help women and girls in our region preserve and even increase their economic security?

Nationally, according to the White House, the bill will create or save about 3.5 million jobs in the next year.  The President’s economic advisors estimated (before he was inaugurated) that that about half of those jobs would go to women.

More locally, also according to the White House, the bill will create or save at least 12,000 jobs in the District of Columbia, 16,000 jobs in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties (Maryland), and 8,300 in Arlington and Fairfax Counties and the City of Alexandria (Northern Virginia). 

If half of these jobs are held or filled by women, that means about 18,000 jobs saved or created for women in our region.

A quick look at some of the investments in economic security-related programs in the bill also gives us much to be hopeful about, including:

Investments in skills training. The new law adds nearly $3 billion to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which supports job training and other services, which, in our region, go primarily to women. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) estimates that $9.7 million of the funds will flow to the District of Columbia, $29 million to Maryland, and $32 million to Virginia.

Of the $3 billion, $500 million is for the WIA adult program, and the law requires states to give recipients of public assistance and other low-income individuals priority access to training. Many of those helped by this provision especially are likely to be women, particularly single women with children.

Increases for child care assistance.  The new law adds $2 billion to the Child Care and Development Block Grant.  The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) estimates that the District of Columbia will receive nearly $2.7 million of these funds, Maryland will receive $24 million, and Virginia will receive $37.9 million.

Improvements in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program.  Changes in the UI program are likely to increase significantly the number of women workers (as well as part-time and low-wage workers) eligible for benefits.  The law also includes a $25 per week increase in UI benefits, which the National Employment Law Project (NELP) estimates will help more than 35,000 people in the District, 241,000 in Maryland and 247,000 in Virginia.

Expansion of programs to help trade-affected workers.  The stimulus expands eligibility for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program to service sector and public sector workers who lose their jobs as a result of trade and doubles the program’s funding for training. This could significantly increase the number of women who receive income support, training and other benefits through the program.

Funding for training and other services for women in highway construction.  The law includes $20 million for training and related services to help women and minorities pursue careers in highway construction (through the US Department of Transportation).

Increase in funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamps).  The law adds $20 billion to increase benefits through 2013. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that this will help about 99,000 in the District, 412,000 in Maryland, and 594,000 in Virginia.

Taken together, these investments in the stimulus package are a sign of hope. Not only will they channel much-needed dollars into our region, but also they are an acknowledgement that our nation’s leaders recognize what we have known all along: Investments in women and girls are the best, fastest, surest way to ensure the economic stability of a family, a community and a nation.

Gwen Rubinstein is a program officer at The Women’s Foundation.

First Lady Michelle Obama visits Mary's Center!

Posted on by Maria Gomez

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Mary’s Center to learn about the work done by our organization for families and children in the nation’s capital. 

Her first official visit to a D.C.-based nonprofit was a great honor for all of us who have been involved in Mary’s Center. She recognized our accomplishments over the last 20 years, providing a safety net and improving the health and well being of thousands of families in our community.

During her time with us, I talked with Mrs. Obama about the multiple needs of our clients and the uniqueness of the Mary’s Center model of comprehensive services. She was deeply touched by the powerful personal accounts of several of our participants, who spoke about the impact that Mary’s Center has had on their lives and how we have helped to strengthen their communities in countless positive ways.

The First Lady read Brown Bear Brown Bear to a group of toddlers from our Family Literacy Program and inspired our Teen Program participants with her words of hope.

We at Mary’s Center are on the front lines of the most critical issues facing our country today.  Every day, through our work, we are proving that transformational change is possible.

I hope that through this visit, Mrs. Obama deepened her understanding of the issues affecting our nation’s most vulnerable families and children.  I also hope that she views our comprehensive social change model as a solution that could be replicated throughout the country to improve the health and well being of our underserved citizens.

As all of you know, the stimulus package before Congress includes aspects of many health services provided by organizations like Mary’s Center.  Moving forward, we look forward to advising Mrs. Obama’s staff on how to implement the policies that will result from the package, particularly those that directly affect women and children.

As we cherish the opportunity of being the first community organization officially visited by the First Lady, we also look forward to the Obama Administration’s initiatives to improve health access through a comprehensive health reform that will benefit the communities we serve.

For photos and more information about the First Lady’s visit to Mary’s Center:
DCist coverage
Washington Grantmakers coverage
Mary’s Center Web site

Maria S. Gomez, RN, MPH, is president and CEO of Mary’s Center, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

A young woman's take on a new America…

Posted on by Tia Felton

Since the presidential election all you see is change and more change. The nation has had an urgent need for change because of our new president, Barack Obama. You can really see change in people’s attitudes around the country and how they portray themselves as Americans. 

People are now actually proud to be American, a label that some have been ashamed to wear.  Now, that country that was one laughed upon as being selfish, spoiled and very overweight is the same country now pushing those selfish ways aside and making a change for the greater good.

I, too, felt proud to be an American for the first time. 

For most of my life, American has simply been the country were I was born; but there have been no real feeling behind it for me.  Yet, while I was watching the inauguration on television that day, there was a smile on my face the entire time and I didn’t realize it. 

To watch something that people have only joked about for years actually happen in front of your face is wonderful.

I have seen houses throughout the Washington area decorated in red white and blue, something you wouldn’t even see here on the Fourth of July. 

On January 20, 2009, the whole country celebrated.  In fact, other countries even celebrated with us.

It was a truly joyful moment for all.  I still can’t tell you exactly what it means to be an American, but I can tell you that right now, being one feels very good.

Tia Felton is a senior at McKinley Tech High School and an intern at The Women’s Foundation through Urban Alliance. When she graduates from high school this year, she will go to college to study political science and hopes to eventually to become a lawyer.

To learn more about the Urban Alliance internship program, click here.

The Obama Administration's priorities on women…

Posted on by Lisa Kays

Well, while probably not in direct response to our requests of the new Obama Administration on behalf of women, the Administration has developed a Web resource covering their priorities and issues, and women are on the agenda–one of the 23 priority areas.

I for one, was pleased to see women getting their own agenda item, rather than being rolled in as a footnote into policies on family or health care or education, as is so often the case.

The Administration’s page on women covers priorities and policies related to health care, reproductive choice, preventing violence against women, economic issues, national security, poverty and education–all seen through a gender lens.

The page is worth checking out.  After you do, let us know your thoughts.  Do you think it goes far enough?  Is it leaving anything out? 

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s director of communications.

Dear Mr. President…

Posted on by Lisa Kays

On the day after President Obama was sworn in just a few blocks from our office, the staff of The Women’s Foundation thought we’d offer our congratulations, along with (of course) a few items for our wish list of action on the part of the new President. 

So, in the spirit of, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America," we respectfully ask:

Dear Mr. President, Please be holistic in your policies to improve the economic security of low-income women with children. We know what works – although we don’t always act as if we really do. Good policies and programs include income support (or paid time off for participating in training or re-training), child care and transportation (critical work supports), access to health (including dental and biopsychosocial) assessments and services, financial education (debt reduction, credit repair, savings) and access to other needed social services. They also cannot stop when the woman walks out of the training program and into a new job."  Sincerely, Gwen Rubinstein

Dear Mr. President, I urge you to take immediate action to reverse the damage done by new rule adopted in the 11th hour of the Bush Administration, which allows individual health care providers to deny critical information to patients based on the providers’ personal biases. The patient may not even know what’s missing. This rule is particularly damaging for low-income women whose access to health care is already limited.  Please, tell congress to withdraw this damaging rule.  I also ask that you invest in a new green economy. Not only will you work to stop global warming, but you can revitalize our economy through new job growth. We know the best way to improve the lives of communities is to stabilize family income. New jobs in high-growth industries such as this one will go a long way to improving our homes and country, inside and out.  Thanks!  Allison Mitchell 

Dear President Obama, My wish for your administration is that every time you consider a policy or program, you think about the amazing and strong women in your life – your wife, daughters, sister, mother-in-law, mother and grandmother – and think about what that policy would mean for them. Would it keep them safe or put them at risk?  Would it open the door to new opportunities for them or shut them out?  Given the incredible impact on your life that all of these women have had already, their continued guidance can only ensure that your message of hope, inclusiveness and understanding becomes a reality during your administration.  Sincerely, Sharon Levin

Dear President Obama, I would ask you to keep in mind in your staffing and appointments the importance of women’s leadership, which does make an impact in ensuring that decision-making reflects the needs, concerns and realities of women and families.  In addition, just as you are a model of leadership for a new generation who will no longer see race as a barrier to achievement, so too is it important to have similar models for young women showing that gender need not pose a challenge or deterrant to any of their dreams and choices.  Sincerely, Lisa Kays

Dear Mr. President, I hope that all little children to have access to quality early education programs so that they may succeed in school and life.  Sincerely, HyeSook Chung 

But most of all, we congratulate you, and wish you the best as you and your Administration work to lead our nation at a time of such challenge and opportunity.

Do you have any ideas or requests of the new President and his Administration for how they can work to improve the lives of women and girls?  Leave them in comments!

Good news for working women!

Posted on by Sharon Levin

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed two bills that would greatly improve the ability of women and other employees to bring claims of wage discrimination. President-Elect Obama has said that he would like to sign the bills — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act — in his first days in office. So, if the Senate moves quickly to pass both bills we could take an important step towards pay equity in the next few weeks.

The provisions of the bills include:

  • The correction of a Supreme Court decision that incorrectly bars many (if not most) wage discrimination cases from being heard in Court;
  • An increase in the remedies available to women who win wage discrimination suits and the easing of rules that allow women to bring class actions;
  • Procedures to bring greater attention to model employers so that others can emulate “best practices;”’ and,
  • A prohibition of employer retaliation against those who file wage discrimination cases.

Women still only earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The passage of these laws will allow women who have been paid less than they are worth to seek justice.

You can help to have these two bills passed quickly by contacting your Senators and urging them to support both the Ledbetter and the Paycheck Fairness Acts.  You can reach them at www.senate.gov or 202.224.3121.

Think about what a great way this would be to start the New Year!

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Policy Advocacy.

For a first-time voter, this election signals call to action.

Posted on by WAWF

As my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, I stirred sleepily and wondered what in the world I was thinking setting the alarm so early!  Then I remembered what day it was.  It was Election Day for my very first Presidential election as a U.S. citizen! 

As I approached my polling site, I saw the line stretched down through the parking lot, around the corner, and down the street.  Rather than being annoyed at the time I would have to wait in line, it only fueled my excitement!  I was amazed that all of these people, regardless of political affiliation, were not only moved to vote and exercise their right to be heard, but they were committed to waking up early and standing in line to do so!

I was reminded by a quote from writer/activist Arundhati Roy who said, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

I truly could not have asked for a better or more memorable experience as a first time voter.

And as I waited in anticipation as the day rolled on into evening, and I gathered with my friends to watch as the poll results started coming in, I was once again awestruck at the level of participation that this election generated. Young and old, African American, Caucasian, Latino, Asian, men, women.

As I sat and watched the news the day after the election, I was moved to tears yet again to see how many people all over the world had been tuned into what was going on in our election.  The magnitude of the outcome of this election on the global stage just continued to echo the significance of it here within our own borders. The promise of a level of achievement that was previously unimaginable by so many boys and girls in our country. The recognition of dreams realized by so many older Americans who never thought they would live long enough to see such an event come to pass. The sense of community as total strangers hi-fived and hugged each other in the streets like long-lost friends. And the sense of hope reflected in the eyes and words of men and women all over the world.

As daylight turned to dusk on November 5th, some of the excitement gave way to the acknowledgement of the enormity of the task that lay before this historical President-elect. Through the realization that the weight of the world truly was on President-Elect Obama’s shoulders, I was reminded of something very important, that the President is meant to be a leader, not an island unto himself.

And that just as the weight of the world was on his shoulders, it is on the shoulders of every single resident of this country.

The symbol of hope that is reflected in the image of the first African American President of the United States, a man whose first job as a community organizer only paid him $10,000 per year, a man who was raised by a single mother who relied on food stamps to feed her family – this is also a symbol of the power of the individual spirit, and a symbol of the power of the people.

The power of youth, the power of unity beyond race, and beyond class.

We have no more excuses.  We have made history.

It is incumbent on all of us to ensure that this is not just a page or a paragraph in the history books of the future, but the beginning of a whole new chapter of how we did things differently.

Just think, what would Sisyphus be able to do if he had a whole community of people helping him to roll that boulder up that hill?

As of November 6th, we all have a new call to action. 

Look around you. Look around your community.  What can you do to make a difference?

This is a legacy that we are all leaving!

How we contribute to it in our own lives every single day from now onward in what is ultimately going to make the difference in how others reflect on this achievement in the years ahead.

How can we ensure that the women and families in our own backyards living in poverty or on the brink of can see not only the new possibilities for a future for their children in 20 years, but right here, right now, today?

As of November 5th, I believe that everything has changed. The stakes are higher. 

We can’t turn a blind eye or bury our heads in the sand.  We can’t think in terms of “me” or “my” but as “us.”  None of us can prosper if any of us fails.

Because our children are watching and the world is watching.  They are watching to see what we are all going to do with this moment and the possibility that has been handed to us.

What are you going to do?

Nicole Cozier is philanthropic education officer at The Women’s Foundation. 

It's now more important than ever for single women to rock the vote!

Posted on by Deborah Avens

Why should single mothers register and vote?

According to Women Work!, a national nonprofit organization that advances economic justice and equality for women through education, advocacy and organizing, just 65 percent of women voted in the 2004 presidential election, leaving the needs and concerns of more than 35 million women – the majority of whom are single mothers and unmarried women – out of the political discourse.

And yet,  American poverty is disproportionately female.  Women earn less money than men.  Women are disproportionately segregated into lower-paying jobs.  And, women are far more likely to have family care responsibilities than men.

Women have much to gain by voting in the upcoming presidential election, so Virtuous Enterprises, Inc. will hold voting drives for single mothers on:

Friday October 3 – 10 am – 2 pm
Saturday October 4 – 10 am – 3 pm
Friday, October 10 – 10 am – 3 pm
Saturday October 11 – 10 am – 3 pm

Location: In The Lobby
4305 St. Barnabas Road
Temple Hills, MD 20748

Voter registrants will receive a Money Management Workshop voucher.  Vouchers will be activated with an “I Voted Sticker” and any other proof of voting material.

If you have any questions, please call 301.316.1955.

Deborah M. Avens is president of Virtuous Enterprises, Inc., a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  She blogs about issues impacting low-income women in the Washington metropolitan area at Sister Table Talk.

Girls in Wards 7 and 8 pose tough questions for DC Council candidates.

Posted on by Debbie Billet-Roumell

In a new report released last week by the D.C. Women’s Agenda, ninth grade girls residing in Hillcrest, Naylor Gardens and Woodland Terrace challenged DC Council candidates for Wards 7 and 8 and At-Large positions to answer questions about daily hardships they must confront.

The girls’ questions included issues related to lack of concentration in schools due to no walls; rats and mice in the school; the need for extra tutoring and teachers; unsanitary bathrooms in schools; security on metro buses; surveillance cameras at street intersections; neighborhood watch programs; curfews for youth; and, other questions relating to health insurance and affordable housing.

All of the candidates offered numerous proposed solutions to the many problems raised by the girls. In response to the problems of rats in the school, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander planned to work with Allen Lew, head of the new Office of Public Education School Modernization to “ensure that our schools are rodent free.” She encouraged students to “e-mail [her] every time a rodent is seen in a school.” Ward 8 Candidate Howard Brown offered a different solution: “I would recommend that the school include rodent and pest control in the curriculum. I would propose an educational program that teaches the science of why rodents dwell in our facilities, and how to eliminate the problem.” Ward 8 Candidate Charles Wilson said he, “will work with the District rodent task force to rid our schools of mice, rats and other rodents.”

I spoke up and noted that while it is important to examine the candidates’ responses to these problems, it is essential for the D.C. community—including all elected officials—to take note of what these girls are experiencing.  The D.C. Women’s Agenda believes that these questions go to the heart of the policy matters that must be addressed when the DC Council enacts legislation addressing problems of youth in our city.  We will continue to bring these concerns to all of the newly elected and sitting officials in the Council this fall, I explained.

The report, 2008 Election Guide/ Supplemental Questions and Candidates’ Responses from Girls in Wards 7 & 8, details candidates’ responses to questions that came directly from girls in Wards 7 and 8. The guide is designed to help voters understand candidates’ positions on girls issues related to schools and libraries, safety, health, and housing.

Debbie Billet-Roumell is the coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation that is a coalition of advocacy organizations, service providers, and individuals working to promote the advancement of equality, safety and well-being for women and girls in the District. It is chaired by the DC Employment Justice Center and Wider Opportunities for Women.

The Election Guide is available online or by requesting a hard copy at DBRoumell@wowonline.org.