Got an old, unused cell phone around gathering dust?

Do a good deed by keeping it from a landfill and helping generate funding for work benefiting women and girls around the United States and the world.  For every cell phone you recycle, you’ll also save an estimated 66 pounds of carbon dioxide–the cause of global warming. 

Visit the Good Deed Foundation to learn more, request a postage-free envelope and get that cell phone out of the closet and put to good use.

Or, if you’re coming by The Women’s Foundation’s office or to a meeting, bring your used cell phone to the front desk or a staff member and we’ll ship it off for you.

It’s never been easier to do a good deed and help out the world’s women and girls and the environment.

To request a postage-paid envelope to use to mail in your phone, click here.

As part of our ongoing commitment–in partnership with The Urban Institute–to providing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones, please find below summary of recent research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News

The Cost of Maintaining Ownership in the Current Crisis: Comparisons in Twenty Cities
By Dean Baker, Danilo Pelletiere and Hye Jin Rho
Center for Economic and Policy Research
April 2008

The collapse of the bubble in the U.S. housing market is creating chaos in financial markets, while throwing the economy into a recession. It is also threatening millions of homeowners and renters with the loss of their homes. This paper compares ownership and rental costs in twenty major metropolitan areas.

Key Findings:

• In many markets, homeownership costs are in line with rental costs. In these areas, it is practical and desirable to focus on policies that keep homeowners in their homes.
• Prices are now falling rapidly in many of these markets; homeowners are unlikely to accumulate equity. In fact, it is likely that many homeowners will end up selling their homes for less than their outstanding mortgage, even if new mortgages are issued with substantial write-downs from the original mortgage.
• In bubble-inflated markets, homeownership is not only a costly and risky proposition, but continuing price declines mean that homeowners will not accrue any equity.
• A policy of ensuring suitable rental options is likely to be more helpful to many current homeowners. This policy can encourage the rapid conversion of vacant and abandoned units to rental properties, as well as policies that facilitate the conversion of ownership units to rental units for the same households.
• Many of the properties facing foreclosure are already rental properties. In these cases, foreclosures often result in the displacement of the current tenants. Congress should recognize this problem and consider policies that provide greater security to tenants in such situations.

Abstract, introduction and key findings
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Jobs and Business Ownership News

Hometown Prosperity: Increasing Opportunity for DC’s Low-Income Working Families
DC Appleseed and DC Fiscal Policy Institute
January 2008 (Released April 14, 2008)

This report describes working poor families with children in the District and the barriers they face to economic advancement, and lays out essential policy changes that could improve their situation.

Key findings and Policy Recommendations:

• Nearly one in three working families in the District was poor in 2005.
• In fact, a higher proportion of working families in the District is poor compared to the proportion of working families in neighboring states or in the nation as a whole.
• Enhance access to community college educational offerings for its residents by encouraging and developing regional partnerships and/or investing in the creation of a local community college as a branch of or separate from the University of DC.
• Make a priority of raising wages in women-dominated sectors and moving women into non-traditional careers.
• Set wage and benefit standards for all economic development programs.
• Implement paid sick leave for all District workers and consider developing a paid disability/family leave program.
• Continue to address the affordable housing crisis in the city, and promote housing for low-income families that takes into account access to transportation, jobs, and educational resources.

Abstract, introduction and key findings
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Human Capital and Women’s Business Ownership
By Darrene Hackler, Ellen Harpel, and Heike Mayer
Small Business Administration- Office of Advocacy
April 2008

This article begins to shed light on the relationship between different elements of human capital and self-employment among women.

Key Findings:

• The study finds that self-employed women have more education and increased their educational attainment at a faster rate compared to other working women.
• The percentage of self-employed women in managerial occupations consistently exceeded the rate for other working women, and self-employed women participated in different industries than other working women.
• More self-employed men hold an advanced degree compared to self-employed women over the study period, but the gap narrowed considerably by 2006.
• Self-employed minorities were slightly more likely than self-employed whites to have a college degree throughout much of the study period.
• Earnings data show that the self-employed were most likely to be either in the first (lowest) or fourth (highest) quartile.
• A lower percentage of self-employed women hold managerial occupations than do self-employed men, and there are lower rates of self-employment in industries where there is less overall female participation (such as communications, transportation, wholesale trade, manufacturing, and construction).

Abstract, introduction and key findings
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Child Care and Early Education News

Planning for Quality Schools: Meeting the Needs of District Families
By David F. Garrison, Marni D. Allen, Margery Austin Turner, Jennifer Comey, Barika X. Williams, Elizabeth Guernsey, Mary Filardo, Nancy Huvendick, and Ping Sung
Brookings Institution, The Urban Institute, and 21st Century School Fund
April 24, 2008

This report is the first phase of a three-part project to help the District of Columbia create a firm analytical basis for planning for quality schools to meet the needs of the city’s families.

Key Findings:

• The District’s population has increased since 2000; the total number of school-age children has declined slightly. Conditions in both the housing market and the public school system contribute to this trend.
• The District’s population is becoming increasingly diverse, with rising numbers of whites and Hispanics and a declining share of blacks. Still, the District remains highly segregated along both racial and income lines. The populations of Wards 7 and 8 are over 90 percent black, while nearly all of the city’s white residents live in Wards 2 and 3. And in 2006, median household income for the city’s white residents was $92,000, almost three times as high as the $34,000 median household income of the city’s blacks.
• Almost half of all white public school students live in Ward 3, and almost none live East of the River. In contrast, more than half of all black public school students live East of the River, while Hispanic students are heavily concentrated in Wards 1 and 4.
• There are 234 public schools and distinct public school programs in the District serving pre-school students through adults without high school diplomas, a significant expansion of supply since 1997.
• In 2006-07, 72, 378 students were enrolled in DCPS and public charter schools, close to the same number as the previous year, but substantially lower than a decade earlier. Since 1997-98, the number of students attending DCPS schools has dropped by almost one-third, while public charter enrollment has grown by over 400 percent.
• In 2006-07, there were 10,857 public special education students in the District, just over 15 percent of all public school students. This is on the high end compared to other high-poverty urban school districts. Special education students, like the general student population, are concentrated East of the River, and a disproportionate share of black public school students are classified as special education students (compared to white and Hispanic public school students).

Abstract, introduction and key findings
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The Impact of the Mortgage Crisis on Children and Their Education
By Julia B. Isaacs and Phillip Lovell
Brookings Institution
April 2008

By examining past research, this article examines the potential impacts of these foreclosures on children are their education, behavior and health.

Key Findings:

• Research shows that children who experience excessive mobility, such as those impacted by the mortgage crisis, will suffer in school.
• The National Assessment of Educational Progress (known as the Nation’s Report Card) has found that students with two or more school changes in the previous year are half as likely to be proficient in reading as their stable peers.
• One study found that frequent movers were 77 percent more likely than children who have not moved to have four or more behavior problems.
• One study found that working families spending more than half of their income on housing have less money available than other families to spend on such crucial items as health care and health insurance
• The mortgage crisis is more than a blow to our economy. It is crippling our children, their education, and as a result, the nation’s future. And while our government is working to alleviate the financial damage caused by this calamity, the impact on the nation’s children is going unnoticed. As economists focus on solving the problem, policy-makers must make an effort to mitigate the damage of this disaster on our young people.

Abstract, introduction and key findings
Full text 

Health and Safety News

Medicaid, SCHIP and Economic Downturn: Policy Challenges and Policy Responses
Kaiser Family Foundation
April, 28 2008

Examines the implications of a downturn for health coverage and state programs and projects the impact of one percentage point rise in the national unemployment rate on Medicaid and SCHIP and the number of uninsured individuals.

Key Findings:

• Economic Downturns Increase Medicaid Enrollment and Spending – This analysis shows that a 1 percentage point rise in the national unemployment rate would increase Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment by 1 million (600,000 children and 400,000 non-elderly adults) and cause the number of uninsured to grow by 1.1 million.
• Economic Downturns Reduce State Revenues – Medicaid and SCHIP are also affected by state revenue declines. Recent Urban Institute research shows that a 1 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate causes state General Fund revenue to drop by 3 to 4 percent below expected levels. 
• State Policy Responses Can Worsen Cyclical Downturns – Unlike the federal government, almost all states are legally required to balance their budgets. To meet this requirement in times of economic stress, states may take such steps as tapping reserves, borrowing from trust funds, securitizing future revenue streams, delaying spending from one fiscal year to the next, etc.
• Congress May Consider Options to Better Target Federal Relief – As states enter a new economic downturn, policymakers could consider three basic options for fiscal relief. One approach would, like JGTRRA, provide a uniform increase in Medicaid matching rates to all states, for a specified time. 
• Federal Fiscal Relief Can Prevent Medicaid Cuts During Economic Downturns – As a new economic downturn unfolds, many states appear headed for serious budget shortfalls. The federal government does not have balanced budget requirements, so it has the flexibility to target supplemental funds to states during an economic downturn, preventing harmful and ill-timed cuts in health coverage.

Abstract, introduction and key findings
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Other News and Research

Women in the Wake of the Storm: Examining the Post-Katrina Realities of the Women of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
By Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
April 2008

This report tells the stories of women post-Katrina and, in so doing, provides an analysis of women’s increased vulnerability during times of disaster, and discusses how the experiences of women affected by Katrina align with the experiences of women around the world who have experienced other large-scale crises. It also provides a race/class/gendered analysis of women’s post-Katrina experiences, with a special emphasis on what they are doing now to rebuild their lives, reconstruct their homes, restore their families, and reclaim their communities.  It tells the story of Katrina from the eyes of the women who lived through it.

Key findings:

• Most of those with whom the author spoke with seemed relieved that other people wanted to know what they had been through, how they had survived, and what they were doing now to keep on keeping on. Nearly every woman bemoaned the fact that their voices had not been heard and as a result, their stories have been left untold.
• In conversations with women in and around New Orleans, three primary issues remained at the forefront of their concerns: housing, healthcare, and economic well-being. Each of these issues had multiple and often interlocking reverberations on their lives. All of those with whom we spoke expressed a deep commitment to their communities and desire to face any remaining challenges; however, our contacts’ health, sense of security, and for some even that small but persistent kernel of sustaining hope all have been jeopardized by the slow pace of recovery and the prolonged lack of normalcy.

Policy Recommendations:

• Make affordable housing a top priority. The safety of women and girls remain in jeopardy with each day that severe housing shortages go unaddressed.
• Incorporate women in the rebuilding economy through non-traditional training and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. Women by and large have been shut out of the most lucrative aspects of the rebuilding economy and have suffered as a result.
• Increase the availability and quality of child care and schools. As the population of the region continues to expand, so does the need for child care and educational institutions.
• Address both physical and mental health care needs, especially among the most needy. Health care post-Katrina, for many, has become yet another disaster.

Full text

To kick off our bi-monthly “Lunch and Learn” seminar series, the DC Women’s Agenda (DCWA) sponsored a presentation in March by Dr. Shannon Hader, Senior Deputy Director of the DC Department of Health, HIV/AIDS Administration, on: “Disturbing Data on HIV/AIDS and DC Women”.
 
Dr. Hader opened the presentation by explaining that the discussion concerning HIV/AIDS in D.C. has changed because of updated statistics on the disease.  Before 2007, we were relying on statistics from 2002; now we have the opportunity to see what is really going on with HIV/AIDS in D.C. and around the country.

The data showed that D.C. has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the country; two times higher than New York City and four times that of Detroit, Michigan. One third of HIV/AIDS cases are due to heterosexual intercourse and one fourth are due to male-male intercourse.

The numbers show that no one is protected because of their socio-economic status, education, sexual orientation or gender.  In Wards 7 and 8, the ratio of males to females infected with HIV/AIDS is 50/50.  In other Wards, it is closer to 70 percent males and 30 percent women.

The number of women and girls getting this disease is on the rise.

Dr. Hader discussed the fact that women are uniquely impacted by this disease because they bring babies into the world. Astonishingly, D.C. babies with HIV/AIDS make up 9 percent of the nation-wide HIV/AIDS babies.  Dr. Hader believes that part of the problem is that the health care system is not providing the necessary comprehensive services to raise awareness and prevent the growth of HIV/AIDS.  Physicians need to be routinely testing for HIV/AIDS in the same way that they take a patient’s blood pressure.  There should be signs in doctors’ offices reminding women to get tested, as well as in TANF and Medicaid offices.

The participants at the DCWA meeting grappled with the issue of sex education in schools. Data shows that 10-15 percent of 13 year-olds had sex before they were 11.  Next year, Metro Teen AIDS will provide HIV/AIDS training for all 10th graders and school nurses. This is a step in the right direction. The more HIV/AIDS testing is normalized, the more often it will occur. Early education and testing has proven fruitful. The data indicates 20 year-olds that have been tested once are more likely to be tested again.

Over 50 people were in attendance and the participants continued to want more information. The DCWA, based on requests during this presentation, is exploring the idea of a half day forum on the topic.

If you are interested in becoming involved in this issue or DCWA in general, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at DBRoumell@wowonline.org or 202.464.1596. We welcome your involvement!

Debbie Billet-Roumel is Coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  DCWA is a local advocacy and policy coalition whose primary goal is to promote the advancement, equality, and well-being for all women and girls in D.C. In alternating months, the agenda will sponsor a speaker to discuss current issues impacting women and girls in the District.  To learn more about upcoming educational forums or to get involved with DCWA, contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at DBRoumell@wowonline.org or at 202.464.1596.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And who is affected? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Can’t be said better than that.

Last week was National Women’s Health Week.  It seems like an appropriate time to talk about the very real health needs that exist in the Washington metropolitan area and the wonderful work our Grantee Partners do to address them.  Also, at the end of this blog I’ve included a link to a new resource that you can use to advocate on behalf of women’s health.

Despite the presence of some of the nation’s best hospitals, our region still lags behind the rest of the United States in several critical areas of women’s health. For example, women in Washington, D.C. have the worst life expectancy of any state in the U.S. – and Maryland (ranked 40 out of 51) and Virginia (ranked 31 out of 51) don’t fare much better.

D.C. also has the worst AIDS rate for women, and again Maryland (ranked 50 out of 51) and Virginia (ranked 32 out of 51) are also at the bottom of the list.

The District also has one of the highest rates of people living in a medically underserved area; Maryland has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country; and Virginia has one of the highest rates of bad blood pressure.

Here are just a few examples of our Grantee Partner’s projects that address a wide range of health issues for women and girls:

Children’s National Medical Center: Girls Teen Life Clubs
Teen Life Clubs is Children’s year-long health education, empowerment program for 11-14 year old adolescents, who live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Separate clubs exist for girls and boys.

Friends of Guest House
Friends of Guest House was founded to provide a temporary house for women charged with or convicted of a criminal offense who are in the need of basic human services to facilitate their new start in life and adjustments to the community at large. These services include individual & group counseling and medical services.

Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care
Established in 1988 with funding from the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs(OLA) and the Department of Health (DOH), Mary’s Center addressed the demand for bilingual services to pregnant women and their infants in predominantly Latino areas of Ward One. Today, it serves multicultural populations throughout the metro Washington, D.C. region, serving individuals and families who have limited or no access to health-related services.

Women Empowered Against Violence
WEAVE works closely with adult and teen survivors of relationship violence and abuse, providing an innovative range of legal, counseling, economic and educational services that leads survivors to utilize their inner and community resources, achieve safety for themselves and their children and live empowered lives.

And, of course, all of our Leadership Award-Winning Grantee Partners this year focus on health and safety as well.
Ascensions Community Services
A Wider Circle
DC Abortion Fund
Divine Images Network
Fair Fund
Nueva Vida
Pregnancy Aid Centers
The Women’s Collective

If you would like to get more involved in advocating on behalf of women’s health, the National Women’s Law Center has just launched Reform Matters: Making Real Progress for Women and Health Care. This is a new project aimed at encouraging women to be active and vocal advocates in the fight for progressive health care reform and giving them the tools to do so

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

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

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

Not a common experience in Africa.

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

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

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

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

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

It’s been good for Rwanda.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I couldn’t help but pass along some of the words of inspiration I gathered at last week’s Women’s Funding Network Conference.  I thought these might be a great way to brighten up a rainy Friday and to wish everyone an awesome weekend!

Words of wisdom and inspiration:

"Know that you have women in the halls of Congress committed to moving millions…billions of dollars to improve the lives of women and girls."

"Repeat after me… a simple act… a world of good."–Angela Bassett

"I wasn’t trying to start a movement; I just wanted to plant trees."–Dr. Wangari Maathai

"The best criticism of the bad is a practice of the good."

"Provide grants that build wealth and worth."

"Foundations are really good at overwhelming people with data…. too much information; we need to meet people where they are."

"All things that are measured are not of value, and all things of value are not measured."

"The right to live with dignity applies to everyone."

"For real change, you need Optimism + Strategy + Communications Tools."

Happy Friday everyone!