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.  And every Friday, look for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty.

Admittedly, these are not the best of times.  But that doesn’t mean that we can’t add a bit of levity and see our circumstances through an artistic or humorous perspective every once in a while.

I recently had that opportunity when I went to see Avenue Q at the Warner Theater. 

I have a few story ideas to pitch to the Washington Post, which has devoted scarce front-page inches in the last week to articles about how the recession is affecting the dating lives of men in their 20s and 30s who are active in the local bar scene and extreme text messaging among teenagers.

There is nothing funny about this recession; however, I can’t help but find a bit of irony in what an understatement my words were about the economy back in June, when I was talking to the Washington Business Journal about wanting to pull the covers over our heads because of high gas prices and foreclosures.

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.  And every Friday, look for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty.

Pat Summit reached 1,000 wins last week – the first coach, male or female, in history to reach this milestone.

She has coached 12 Olympians and 18 All-Americans and has a 100 percent graduation rate of student athletes – an amazing summary of success.

A new study, "Predicting Poverty in the Commonwealth,” released by The Commonwealth Institute and Voices for Virginia’s Children forecasts that children will be hardest hit by the current economic recession and rising unemployment rates.

Young Sisters tells the stories of several young ladies from different backgrounds through their own words.  Author Anna Leung grew up in a traditional Chinese household.  She was very active as a child piano and karate lessons, Chinese school, church, and community service.  She soon found a natural love in the field of photography.  Working in the field of photography she repeatedly saw how women were being portrayed in the media as sexual objects and didn’t agree. 

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.

Picture this:  A 14-year-old girl with a camera and a burning desire to touch the lives of others.  She conducts five years of interviews and a journey of discovery into the hearts and minds of teenage girls from all over the globe.