– Prince George’s County Tennis & Education Foundation — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — is featured on the official website of the United States Tennis Association in celebration of Black History Month.  Click here to read an article that describes the program and the impact is has on young athletes in Maryland.

– Maryland’s governor is continuing a push to force banks and mortgage companies into mediation before they foreclose on a home.  Governor Martin O’Malley says his push is in response to stories he heard from nonprofit groups that work with homeowners.  Click here for more details.

– There’s more proof that increasing girls’ sports participation will benefit them later in life.  A new study has found a direct effect on women’s education and employment.  According to the New York Times, the study ”found that the changes set in motion by Title IX explained about 20 percent of the increase in women’s education and about 40 percent of the rise in employment for 25-to-34-year-old women.”  Click here for more details.

How is the lingering recession impacting the food security of District households?

In the face of skyrocketing unemployment in the District— which reached 12.1 percent in December 2009, the highest rate in more than 30 years— many families are finding it harder or impossible to pay for such basics as housing, utilities, transportation, and food.  Since families must pay fixed costs like rent (or face eviction) and child care (in order to work or look for a job), many opt to reduce food spending first.

– Recent figures reveal that the economic downturn has sent more women into the workforce.  Since the start of the recession, hundreds of thousands of women have gotten jobs, increased their hours, or become the sole breadwinners in their families.  Click here for more details.

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.

– For families already scraping to get by, the record-setting snowfall in our area has brought with it new challenges for those who need help and the organizations that work to assist them.  Click here to listen to a commentary on the topic by Terri Lee Freeman, president of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region.

– Warming centers and emergency shelters have been set up in D.C., Maryland and Virginia for people who have been affected by the storm.  Click here for a list of locations.

– Plans for a new development in western Montgomery County are widening a rift between the east and west sides of the county.  Residents and lawmakers in the county’s eastern sector say they’re already losing out on jobs and other valuable economic opportunities, and a proposed “science city,” which will bring 23,000 high-paying jobs to the west, will only make things worse.  Click here to read more.

– As the region continues to dig out after this past weekend’s snowstorm, local officials are starting to open up shelters for residents whose homes still don’t have heat.  For a full list of shelters that have opened as of Monday morning, please click here.