Monica Almeida/The New York Times

“With the young girls, you promise them heaven, they’ll follow you to hell.” – Harvey Washington, Convicted Pimp

Those chilling words were spoken to a New York Times reporter by a man serving a four-year sentence in Arizona for pandering (a polite way to say “pimping”).

According to a New York Times series that’s running this week, the number of underage teenagers having sex for money or basic necessities is on the rise.  The series traces the increase back to a growing number of runaways who are forced to leave home as the recession puts more pressure on American households.

“Over the past two years, government officials and experts have seen an increasing number of children leave home for life on the streets, including many under 13.  Foreclosures, layoffs, rising food and fuel prices and inadequate supplies of low-cost housing have stretched families to the extreme, and those pressures have trickled down to teenagers and preteens.”  —New York Times

Survival in the Shadows
The National Runaway Switchboard told the New York Times an increasing number are surviving by selling drugs, panhandling, or engaging in prostitution.  And once they take a step into an underworld of crime, it’s extremely difficult to get them off the streets.

“’These kids enter prostitution and they literally disappear,’ said Bradley Myles, deputy director of the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington [DC] that directly serves children involved in prostitution and other trafficking victims.”  — New York Times

Close to Home
Solid statistics on just how many young runaways end up involved in prostitution or trafficking don’t exist yet, but according to the FBI, DC is one of the top 14 sites in the country for the sex trafficking of U.S. children.  To help combat the problem, DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson introduced anti-trafficking legislation nearly a year ago, but the bill hasn’t been passed yet.

Take Action
That’s why the DC Women’s Agenda and Sasha Bruce Youthwork are giving you an opportunity to learn more about the “Prohibition Against Trafficking Act of 2009.”

“Trafficking is an often overlooked problem in DC, but it’s one that affects countless women and girls,” says Debbie Billet- Roumell, coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda.  “This bill is a step towards changing their situations and ending this tragedy of human trafficking in DC.”

This “lunch and learn” event will be Friday, October 30, 2009 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, located at 741 8^th St. SE, Washington, DC.  Karen Stauss, Managing Policy and Legal Counsel from the Polaris Project, will speak about the problem of trafficking in the District, the proposed legislation, and what concerned citizens can do to advocate for strong provisions in the proposed bill.

If you’d like more information about the event or the DC Women’s Agenda, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at DBRoumell@wowonline.org.

The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

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.

Here’s this week’s news:

• As noted in the New York Times, 18-year-old Jamal Blair has been charged in the murder of 92-year-old Sadie Mitchell, a beloved woman in her low-income community in the Bronx.

• The Cincinnati Enquirer profiles the achievements of Cathy Franklin, who has turned from a beneficiary to a benefactor, donating to the United Way three years after checking in for social services.

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the law firm Troutman Sanders is offering pro-bono work for terminally ill, low-income women.

• Sheri West tells the New York Times how she came to live in a homeless shelter after losing her house to foreclosure.

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

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

Racism, classism, homophobia, oppression…diversity, cultural competency, inclusion, awareness…these are heady topics that have challenged (and frustrated) us as individuals, organizations, and a society for a very long time.  While many in our country could never have imagined they would live to see the day when an African-American man would be President, systems of oppression and marginalization abound.  We have come a long way in so many regards.  But we don’t need to look very far to see that we still have a long way to go. 

The Problem of Invisibility
“A Structural Analysis of Oppression,” a 2006 article by Sandra Hinson and Alexa Bradley, determined that as members of certain social groups, people usually experience oppression as one or more of the following conditions:

1. Exploitation
2. Marginalization
3. Powerlessness
4. Cultural Dominance
5. Violence

The piece, though a few years old, is an interesting, clear and concise way of framing these issues.  You can read it here, and I recommend it for anyone interested in understanding these terms and concepts better.

Unfortunately, the stories of the women (and men) most adversely affected by issues of exploitation discrimination, oppression, and marginalization are buried between the pages of the newspaper, if they are reported at all – invisibility is the insult to this injury.  Yet, there are organizations in our community working to do all they can to catch those that would otherwise fall through the cracks of “the system.” 

Shine a Light On the Solution
This year, the Leadership Awards program wants to identify those organizations working tirelessly to continue moving the needle on these issues, shine a light on the critical work they do, and make these organizations and their work “front page news!”  10 organizations will win $10,000 each!

The 2010 Leadership Awards program invites you to help us shine a light on these champions within our community.  Help us identify innovative or under-recognized  non-profit organizations in Washington, D.C., City of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax Counties, VA; or Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD working to positively impact the lives of women and girls from under-resourced, oppressed or marginalized communities (communities of women that all too often fall “through the cracks”), or through innovative work at the intersection of gender, race, class, sexual orientation, ability, etc. in their communities.  If you want to learn more about how to nominate, click here for a copy of the nomination guidelines.  Nomination forms are also available by clicking here.  The deadline for nominations is November 3^rd, so act now!

Between the Cracks & At the Intersections… a seemingly simple expression for very complex and important work.

Nicole Cozier is the Philanthropic Education Officer at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

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.

Here’s this week’s news:

• $2.3 million of stimulus money is being paid to beauty schools in the form of Pell Grants, which will be awarded to low-income, mostly female students, as reported in the St. Petersburg Times.

• The Washington Times features an article on Washington Area Women’s Foundation and the 116 nonprofits it is working with to increase opportunities and resources for women and girls in the DC area.

• In an article about the declining U.S. birthrate, the Kansas City Star cites a recent survey which found that almost a third of middle- and low-income women were putting off having a child because of the economy.

• According to the Albuquerque Journal, the Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team in Albuquerque will receive $500,000 to provide access to affordable lending for low-income New Mexicans.

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

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

The fall is a really special time of year. More than any other season, it signals exciting beginnings as we all return renewed from the slower pace of summer.  It’s also the fundraising season – a time when we attend benefits, write checks, and implore our supporters to help keep our organizations going.  Here at Washington Area Women’s Foundation, our main focus in the past few months has been on our own fall fundraiser, our annual Leadership Luncheon.

I’ve been a participant in the Leadership Luncheon for several years, first as a guest, then as a donor, and now as President of The Women’s Foundation.  Since the first time I sat around one of the tables and heard about the work of The Women’s Foundation and its Grantee Partners, the Leadership Luncheon has been my favorite fundraising activity.  It brings together a cross-section of wonderful women who participate. They are a terrific group who put together and take part in an amazing event.  The Community Briefing held in the morning right before The Leadership Luncheon, always provides stimulating insight into the programmatic work of The Women’s Foundation. 

Each fall, the Leadership Luncheon has been an opportunity for me to reconnect, and share; introduce others to the cause, and inspire and be inspired.  No matter where I’ve been in my life, I’ve always found a place in October around one of the tables at The Women’s Foundation Leadership Luncheon. 

On the eve of our 2009 Community Briefing and Leadership Luncheon, I’m anticipating it with bittersweet excitement: it will be my last Leadership Luncheon as President of Washington Area Women’s Foundation – though it certainly won’t be the last time I attend.  The Women’s Foundation was my among my largest philanthropic investments before it became my career, and I will remain dedicated to its mission, even as my role in it changes.

That role is shifting because I have accepted the Chief of Home Ownership Preservation position in the Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Stabilization.  It’s a position that will allow me to continue all of our efforts to make sure that families are able to buy and keep affordable homes.  As we all know, owning a home is critical to wealth creation for women-headed households in particular.

I will be leaving The Women’s Foundation staff on October 30th, however I remain a member of the Washington 100 donor network.  As a donor, I’m confident that The Women’s Foundation and its supporters will have no problem continuing on with our important mission: changing the lives of our region’s women and girls.

When I look back at the many Leadership Luncheons I’ve attended, one stands out most clearly.  At the 2008 Leadership Luncheon, the guest speaker at the event was “The Community.”  We heard from a broad range of people and found out what participating in and benefiting from The Women’s Foundation meant to them.  As those of you who attended recall, we saw a live community-based performance that showed the diversity and passion of the women and men who participate in The Women’s Foundation and our Grantee Partners.

The idea behind that play laid the groundwork for the theme of this year’s luncheon: Be That Woman.  Be That Woman is a phrase that represents the ways in which we’re all connected; the way we all help, and motivate, and inspire, and transform one another.  It’s a movement that you’ll be hearing more about in the coming months.

We can all Be That Woman (or that Guy Who Gets It!) for the people in our lives who need encouragement, advice, help or inspiration.  I first attended the Leadership Luncheon because someone was That Woman for me.  I’ve loved having the opportunity to Be That Woman for others. My title may be changing, but my commitment isn’t, and I’m going to continue to Be That Woman for The Women’s Foundation.  As this fundraising season comes and goes, I hope you continue to Be That Woman.

Phyllis Caldwell is President of Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

I’ve been working at Washington Area Women’s Foundation for a couple weeks now, and since I started, I’ve been wracking my brain for a way to introduce myself to this amazing new community I’ve joined.  My predecessor, Lisa Kays, suggested I start out with a blog post.  When Lisa gives me advice, I take it – I’m new to The Women’s Foundation, but I can already tell she’s left me with some big shoes to fill.

So, like I said, wracking my brain…. And then I stumbled upon a really great article, and I thought why not stick to my journalist roots, and tell someone’s story.  I came across the story at the Poverty News Blog, which had gotten it from The Independent Florida Alligator which is the student newspaper at the University of Florida.

Here’s the Story:

By now, you’re probably wondering what the story is, but there is a point to all this, and I’m getting to it….  You can read the whole story yourself by clicking here.  But to give you a synopsis: it’s about a Florida woman who has lived in poverty for the past two decades.  Marcee Winthrop says a series of bad relationships and the inability to find a job because of her appearance is to blame.  She’s missing a number of teeth and says that’s made it tough to find work, which has made it impossible for her to save enough money to get her teeth fixed – pretty tough for a woman whose nickname used to be “Smiley.”

This past New Year’s, Marcee made a promise to her 14-year-old daughter that they were going to get themselves out of poverty.  She’s gotten herself on the road to wealth creation by writing and self-publishing a book about her struggles.  Marcee sells “Poverty Revolution Part One: Skimming the Surface” for $20 a copy, mostly to University of Florida students.  She’s gotten attention around campus and that has resulted in a fan club (her daughter is president, of course) and the opportunity to take part in panel discussions around the community.  Because of the book, a local dentist has offered to help Marcee fix her teeth, and Marcee is planning on writing and publishing four more books.  Best of all, Marcee’s daughter says her mom is now her role model.

And Here’s the Point:

So, that’s a nice little story, right?  Absolutely, but it’s more than that.  Look beyond the surface and you’ll find so many inspiring details.  I think it took a great deal of courage for Marcee to admit to her daughter that they needed a change in their lives and to commit to making that happen.  It took so much creativity and dedication for her to write and publish a book, then market it despite being aware that her appearance needed improvement (by our society’s standards).  She created her very own fundraiser.  She touched the lives of students, who parted with their money, and she inspired a dentist to reach out and use his abilities to help her.  The story made it to one blog, and now I’m passing it along here.  So many lives touched by one New Year’s resolution…. And two lives drastically changed by creativity and determination. 

Nothing earth-shattering happened here – millions of dollars weren’t spent, policy wasn’t re-written, a celebrity spokesperson wasn’t involved.  But something really amazing and special happened because members of a community got involved with one another.  All of this goes beyond charity – it creates self-sufficiency.  And that’s what The Women’s Foundation and our space here online are all about.  In the coming months I’ll be sharing more stories from our region and elsewhere [including some great ones after Tuesday's Leadership Luncheon], and I hope you’ll participate by sharing your own thoughts, stories, and opinions.  We’re a community – we need to interact, be active, and introduce ourselves.  I’m Mariah Craven, the new Communications Director at Washington Area Women’s Foundation.

The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

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.

Here’s this week’s news:

• A New York Times article about premature births stemming from in-vitro fertilization among the affluent also stresses that efforts are being made to reduce premature births due to a lack of prenatal care for low-income women.

• According to an opinion article in USA Today, researchers found that black women are becoming happier, an improvement that has been credited to the Civil Rights Movement and the increase of wealth in the black community.

• Low-income and pregnant, April Matos in Harlem tells the New York Times that she overlooks New York City’s required restaurant calorie postings, selecting her food based on price rather than nutritional content.

• As Medicaid – the program for low-income children, pregnant women and disabled people – drives states to the fiscal brink, many governors are worried that Congress will expand the program, as reported in the Washington Post.

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

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, 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.  

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:

• The House of Ruth, the Calvary Women’s Services, and other agencies that provide services and housing to homeless and abused women will not be receiving as much city funding this year, as reported in the Washington Post.

• Single mothers are provided with groceries, advice about Section 8 housing, and other services by Hope Community Services in a poor part of New Rochelle, according to the New York Times.

• Oz du Soleil, who collects slightly used and new bras for needy women, told the Chicago Tribune that he has sent 1,400 bras to impoverished women and girls in the US and around the world.

• An opinion article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution states that encouraging American minorities to have healthy marriages may be a way out of poverty.

• The findings of a study published in the Washington Post state that twelve percent of stay-at-home moms live below the poverty line, compared with five percent of other mothers.

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

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.

We’ve partnered with The Urban Institute to provide continuing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones. Below you’ll find a summary of the latest research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families. This research is summarized and compiled for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

The following are excerpts of the research update.  For the full update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News
The median household income in the District of Columbia rose from $56,400 in 2007 to $57,900 in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey; however, DC residents with the lowest levels of education saw their incomes fall significantly from 2007 to 2008. (Full text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
One fifth of all families with children are headed by working single mothers. The families of single mothers have a high poverty rate – 28.3 percent. The persistent gender wage gap continues: in 2007, women who worked full-time, year-round earned only 78 cents for every dollar earned by full-time, year-round male workers. These findings suggest that a number of changes in policy and practice are needed to improve women’s earnings. You can read the details about these findings by clicking here.

Child Care and Early Education News
A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights (TPR) and adoption of foster children. Several judges reported that the absence of TPR limits the adoption recruitment efforts of the child welfare agency. Some judges report a need for more discussions with older children to explore and address their concerns about adoption. (Full text)

Health and Safety News
Today, there are about 1.1 million people with HIV/AIDS living in the U.S., including nearly 280,000 women. Women of color, particularly black women, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV on younger women is particularly notable – more than 6 in 10 new HIV infections among women were among those ages 13-39 in 2006. 76% of women with HIV/AIDS who were receiving medical care had children under 18 in their homes, which may complicate their ability to manage their illness. (Full text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects. The research includes a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and eliminate chronic homelessness. (Full text)