Monday was a set-back for low-income residents in Washington, D.C.  For those of you that have not followed the events of this past week, here is a brief re-cap:

On Friday November 7th, the DC Council announced a proposal to cut $16 million from the FY 2009 budget to address the $131 million budget short fall as well as to anticipate worsening economic times. The Council is also creating a $50 million reserve if the economy continues to decline. The Council’s proposal passed.

Mayor Fenty had already proposed a budget to close the budget gap by not filling vacancies as well as looking for other cost saving measures. The Council’s budget includes the proposed changes in the Mayor’s budget as well as many additional cuts noted below.

Many advocates made calls and met with Council members and their staff.  We were successful in restoring some of the funds for Housing First as well as new housing/programs for domestic violence victims.

The DC Women’s Agenda continues to work with other advocacy groups to have the money restored. The DC Council will meet in legislative session on Tuesday, November 18th and all persons concerned about the cuts should attend.

Current cuts:

• $2 million for the rent supplement program that would have provided 150 units of affordable housing at a time when there are over 26,000 DC residents on the housing assistance waitlist;
• $1.3 million for a Temporary Assistance to Needy Families cash assistance increase for some of the District’s most vulnerable families at a time when energy costs are increasing by 29 percent and prices for basic food items are increasing by 11 percent. TANF recipients have already begun to receive the 2009 increase of $9.00 per month;
• $12.4 million from the Housing First Fund which will result in nearly 400 individuals already placed in permanent supportive housing to lose their homes within 6 months. In addition, no homeless families will be able to be served under the program. A PORTION OF THIS FUNDING HAS BEEN RESTORED; and, 
• $19 million for the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), which will reduce the amount of funding for low- and no-interest loans that help low-income first-time homebuyers purchase homes in the District.

The following measures will not be cut:  

• $20 million business tax break enacted in FY 2009;
• $141 million in tax cuts provided to DC’s wealthiest residents several years ago.

To learn how you can take action or learn more about these issues, contact me at DBRoumell@wowonline.org.

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.

Goodwill of Greater Washington offers numerous programs in addition to the Women in Construction program that The Women’s Foundation supports.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending a graduation ceremony for the most recent learners in Goodwill’s Bank Skills Training Program.  I left so inspired by all of the graduates and how far they had come. 

Especially moving were remarks by one student in particular, Susan Jelanizada, who told the story of her path to Goodwill and a new job in banking, which began in Afghanistan.

I share her remarks here because I think they can also inspire other women and girls and demonstrate the power of the programs that support their journeys to financial independence and economic security–whether those journeys begin in Arlington or Afghanistan.

Susan says:
 
“… Only a few years ago, women in my homeland of Afghanistan were denied any access to education or a meaningful role in society. Women and, to some extent, men, were barred from any meaningful education or professional pursuits. Girls were not allowed to continue any form of formal education beyond age 13.  Boys could only study at the ultra-conservative and extremist madrasas. My family and I were fortunate enough to have left Afghanistan and avoided the brutal realities of daily life under the extremist regime. Nonetheless, living in Pakistan was no picnic, either.

We faced many challenges living in Pakistan, including a language and some cultural barriers. However, life there offered us something that we could not get back home: access to basic education. We worked hard, and we took advantage of whatever opportunities were available.

While I count myself as one of the lucky few who has had the privilege of migrating to the United States, starting life anew has not been easy.

First, there is the culture shock.  America is a place where people enjoy freedoms unheard of in my homeland.  It is also a much different environment as far as the culture and norms are concerned. It was especially difficult for me as the oldest child in the family to leave my family and live all by myself for the first time. And this was not just a few miles away from home, but thousands of miles away. We value our family greatly in my culture and visit one another pretty often. Social life in Afghanistan tends to be more intimate and families tend to have close relations with one another.  Furthermore, it is quite untraditional for an Afghan woman to live by herself and away from her family in Afghanistan. 

However, I believe living away from my family has made me stronger and given me opportunities as well as challenges to grow and succeed in ways impossible back home.

My experiences have helped me develop a certain level of interest and appreciation for education and yearn for a brighter future; however, it was very hard for me to find the way how to do it.  I was not sure how to start the new life in the United States, how to pursue my career and my goals.  I didn’t know anything about the culture and environment.

I tried to apply for jobs online, but somehow I did not get a positive response. Maybe it is because I did not have work experience in the U.S., or maybe I didn’t know how to make my resume according to the job opening.

Finally, feeling disappointed and exhausted, I asked my employee specialist at the Department of Social Services of Fairfax County to let me know if there were training programs to prepare me for a job.

I had never thought about banking before coming to Goodwill, but after sharing my work experience with David, the Bank Skills Trainer, I found out that I had done all the jobs and had the skills that are needed in a bank for a teller.

I was so impressed by the service and training I received from Goodwill.

It has helped me to achieve my goals and start my new career in banking.  At Goodwill, we have learned about banking terminology and jargon.

Besides this, David helped us in making our resumes and prepared us for interviews.

I personally really liked the practice interview part where we really received constructive feedback from the recruiters. The practice prepared me to pass the real interview at the job fair and, luckily, I received an offer to work with Bank of America on the day of the job fair.

I count myself a successful person because I have never given up in life, despite all the ups and downs. I always believed in myself and knew that ‘I can do it.’  I am happy and proud to have been part of this class where I got to know all the wonderful people who are graduating today, as well as the volunteers from so many banks.

In closing, I would like to thank Goodwill for providing such training programs that help people start their careers. Thank you to David for being so nice and helpful with all of us and thanks to Valerie for helping us and providing us extra support.

Thanks to all of the Goodwill team for giving us a chance to achieve our career goals.

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

It seems like only yesterday I was attending my very first event at The Women’s Foundation: The Leadership Awards reception.

The Leadership Awards Program is a signature program of The Women’s Foundation that identifies and recognizes local – but largely undiscovered – nonprofits demonstrating innovation and measurable success in the service of women and girls.

The event started out as so many others, with snacks and drinks, friendly chit chatting, and meeting new friends and old.  It was lovely, but also very reminiscent of a number of other receptions I had attended before.

That was about to change.

As the program began and the awards committee co-chairs began to introduce the recipient organizations, I could feel the whole tenor of the room change. I was immediately enthralled with the work of these organizations and the individuals working within them.  All of these incredible organizations were doing work right here in my own back yard! 

More amazingly, I had never heard of most of them! I realized then that though I had lived in the area of the last 10 years, I did not really know my own community.

By the end of the awards presentations, this ordinary reception had become an extraordinarily inspirational event – and not just for me. As I looked around the room, I could see that many other attendees had been as amazed and inspired as I was.   (See event photos!)

Today, I am part of the great process that brought these wonderful organizations to the attention of so many others that evening back in March 2008.  I am working with at least 45 volunteers eager to get to work on what will no doubt be a challenging, but engaging selection process.

As was the case last year, the Leadership Awards are focused on organizations working to improve the health and safety of women and girls.

I can’t wait to see what hidden gems we uncover!

But we all know that we can’t do this alone. To uncover gems like these, we need the involvement of many people.

We have officially opened nominations for organizations to be considered for the 2008 Leadership Awards.

Additionally, I encourage all of you to get involved in identifying innovative and emerging organizations – many of them operating below the radar – working to improve the health and safety of Washington-area women and girls.  Visit TheWomensFoundation.org to learn more about how YOU can help the Leadership Awards committee by either joining a regional team or nominating an area nonprofit.

We will continue to welcome new members to the committee through October 24, 2008.

If you are interested in joining, please complete and return the volunteer commitment form and be prepared to attend the kick-off meeting on Tuesday October 28th from 6-9 p.m.

Or, to nominate an organization for a Leadership Award, click here.

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

New economic development initiatives can present outstanding opportunities for new partnerships – including partnerships that support employers and low-income single working women and their children.

That kind of thinking led Prince George’s Child Resource Center (PGCRC), with support from The Women’s Foundation, to reach out to Gaylord Hotels as it developed the National Harbor project on the Potomac River in Oxon Hill.

The goal: to connect low-income single mothers working at National Harbor to early care and education providers nearby.

The outcome: PGCRC is providing brochures and other information to National Harbor for its workers, and National Harbor is promoting PGCRC’s services through its human resources office and its internal communications with employees.

The work has also recently drawn the attention of the Prince George’s County Gazette.

No wonder. This is a smart strategy.

Gaining access to more affordable, reliable and convenient services for their children means the women working at National Harbor can become highly dependable workers, which has significant benefits for their employer and the community.

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

On Sunday, The Women’s Foundation’s president, Phyllis Caldwell, was quoted in Philip Rucker’s Washington Post article, "Mortgage Giants’ Fall May Hurt Nonprofits."  Grantee Partners Doorways for Women and Families and Northern Virginia Family Services were also quoted. 

"There’s tremendous anxiety," Phyllis said.  "The uncertainty around what will happen will just cause things to stand still, and that creates more anxiety."

To read the rest of the article on how the takeover of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could impact the nonprofit community in the Washington metropolitan area, visit WashingtonPost.com or view the PDF.

In their September issue, Real Simple magazine highlights the story of Barbara Mason’s 25 year journey helping thousands of children living in poverty and the one board member, Dagobert Soergel, who has been with her from the start.

In fact, Soergel, a University of Maryland professor, not only has been a board member from day one, he also wrote the newspaper ad that Mason answered nearly 25 years ago that offered a chance to make a difference in the life of a child.

The piece features a conversation between Mason and Soergel that illuminates the pivotal role Soergel played behind the scenes in helping The Child and Family Network Centers (CFNC), a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation, develop into a nationally accredited organization that now provides nearly 200 children from low-income families with free preschool every year.

At one point during the interview, Soergel reveals a secret: “In CFNC’s second year, there was a workshop through High/Scope, an educational research foundation renowned for its preschool approach. I knew Barbara wanted to go, but CFNC didn’t have the money. I found an organization to pay for half. And Barbara doesn’t know this, but I contributed the other half.”

The article appears on page 90 of the September issue of Real Simple, which just hit newsstands.  Or you can see it online here.

Ryan Patrick Smith is manager of grants and major gifts at The Child and Family Network Centers, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

In an election guide released this week by the DC Women’s Agenda, DC Council candidates were challenged to find solutions to staggering issues confronting women and girls in DC, including the facts that 12% of DC women lack health insurance; 25,000 individuals, primarily women, are on the DC Housing Authority wait list for affordable housing; and, 9% of babies born with HIV/AIDS nationwide come from DC.

In response to a proposed policy that would support the adjustment to inflation each year for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (currently at 19% of the federal poverty line), the At-Large candidates offered different point of views. Councilmember Kwame Brown said he would “consider supporting this option but would like to have more information…to ensure that this is the best option to improve the quality of life for our local parents and children,” and Candidate Patrick Mara said he “would need to assess the implications of such a policy change in light of the present budget situation.” Councilmember Carol Schwartz said she “favored adjusting the amounts of TANF benefits to account for inflation” and Candidate David Schwartzman said “a cost of living adjustment every year for TANF benefits is absolutely necessary.”

This issue is especially important when you consider that for a family of three, to meet their basic living expenses, they must pay $4,386 per month, according to Wider Opportunities for Women. Even with a variety of public benefits, including food stamps in the amount of $426 per month, Child Care and Development Fund Subsidy and Medicaid, families’ expenses are more than they can afford with the TANF benefit of only $427 a month.

The 2008 Election Guide/ Issues Affecting Women and Girls details candidates’ responses to questions related to women’s issues in the upcoming election and is designed to help voters understand candidates’ positions on issues related to health care, housing/homelessness, wages, benefits and economic self-sufficiency, teens and child care. The D.C. Women’s Agenda calls for candidates to focus on the issues facing women and girls and encourages D.C. residents to expect the same of the candidates – both now and after the elections in the fall.

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.

I always knew the Women’s Foundation’s grantmaking process was rigorous, but it wasn’t until I joined the Open Door Capacity Fund Committee that learned why it is so successful in identifying the most deserving organizations and in holding each of them accountable for the greatest possible impact in their community.

My first round on the Open Door Capacity Fund Committee was this past spring, and I’ve been reflecting on it lately since we’re about to head into another round in a few weeks–what will be my second as a committee member. 

The committee makes relatively small grants to existing Grantee Partners for capacity building.  Because the applicants have already been vetted by The Women’s Foundation, I figured the process would be somewhat relaxed.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Each organization that applied for a grant was asked to provide detailed information about the history and operation of the organization, its governance, financials and the project for which the money would be used.  Each member of the committee was then assigned to do a detailed evaluation of the information provided and present that analysis at a committee meeting in which all members assessed and questioned the organization, the information provided and the merit of the project proposed.

Next, site visits were set up and two members of the Open Door Committee met with members of senior management at the applicant organization’s headquarters to see the operation first-hand and discuss the committee’s findings, any reservations and questions.  Detailed site visit evaluations were then completed and the committee mets one last time to make final decisions on the grants.

It was so inspiring to me how hard this committee works to ensure that each donor dollar is devoted to the worthiest, most vibrant organizations and the projects that would make the greatest difference.

Cathy Isaacson is a member of The Women’s Foundation’s board of directors and serves on the Open Door Capacity Fund Committee.  She is also a member of Washington 100.

The Open Door Capacity Fund is now accepting proposals from eligible Grantee Partners.

I frequently ponder and analyze various issues affecting women, and the lives of women in general.  How far we have come over the last few decades, how grand the numerous obstacles that still hinder us are, what the plentiful definitions of feminism are and how women choose to adopt them.

But lately, my mind has been on a different spectrum of women, namely older women. Specifically, I’ve been thinking more and more about services for older women- or the lack thereof. I don’t really know why, or if there was a specific event that triggered this novel introspection, but I became curious, and began asking myself what services are available for elderly women, what are their needs, and how do their needs differ from those of younger women?

It’s easy, for me at least, to focus on helping young girls and middle-aged women.  I think I’ve always had an ability to conjure up images of little girls, young adults, and middle-aged women when I am doing work around issues specially related to women, or analyzing “women’s issues.”   When I read success stories on women working their way out of economic poverty, landing better jobs, getting landmark promotions, or something of the sort, I generally picture someone in their twenties, thirties or forties.

But now, a change has come. I visualize women like my mom. I wonder about the lives of female baby boomers.

What happens with older women recently released from prison?  What sort of assistance is readily available for them to get back on their feet (e.g., finding safe shelter, food, financial assistance, quality health care, etc?) 

How many are still in prison for non-violent crimes committed decades ago and how do their hardships differ from that of their younger counterparts?

What about the homeless? What kinds of services specially catered to their varying needs are readily available?

How much attention is being paid to the increasing number of retired women who fall prey to investment schemes and lose all or most of their life savings to skyrocketed and/or hidden fees?

How do the ones who are out of work on disability and depend on social security income to make ends meet spend their spare time?

How big of a problem is a lack of health insurance?

My wide spectrum of questions applies to older women all over the world. I wonder what everyday ills plague their lives. These women are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, care-takers of their children’s children, widows, divorcees, survivors of war, cancer survivors, retired professionals, etc.

It would behoove me to learn more about the older age bracket, because they always have and always will be an intricate part of my life, and life in general.

Even though so many great projects and initiatives exist today to sustain young girls and help them grow into adulthood with security, success, and the knowledge to fight against discrimination, we can’t afford to forget about the older generation. They might not be creating communities anymore, but they sure are sustaining them, all over the world. They are our bloodline.

I even put these thoughts in connection with recent and past natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the recent earthquake in China that left a daunting amount of fatalities, the May 2008 tsunami in Myanmar, and countless others.  How do these life-changing calamities alter life, particularly for older women?

I don’t really have any answers, yet.  But I think it’s important that we consider these issues, and work towards their solutions. 

I intend to start with me.  Once I learn more, I can also learn what I can do about some of the problems. Just remembering that I have to consider all women when thinking of women is a turn in the right direction.

Just laying these words down helps awaken my senses.

Thankfully, I do know that there are many wonderful people and programs that have been way ahead of me! They are on the front lines working to combat the hardships that are unique to older women.  There’s the Older Women’s League with many initiatives geared towards helping and caring for older women. There’s also The Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, a nonprofit housed in Philadelphia that offers a comprehensive list of activities and services for older adults.

Even some of The Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partners have services that directly and indirectly benefit older women. The vast array of Grantee Partners’ work focuses on issues such as mental health, homelessness, incarceration, domestic violence, immigration, finding good jobs, etc., and these types of broad issues affect women across the age spectrum.

It’s now my preliminary mission to learn specifically about the problems that plague older women, determine how I can help at an individual level, and discover what other organizations exist for older people, namely women.

I have a feeling that it will be cumbersome to find organizations working solely with the issues affecting older women, but it’ll be interesting to see how I can play a role in fixing that problem.

Sherell Fuller served previously as The Women’s Foundation’s program assistant.

Pimps were everywhere.

That is the first thing that I noticed when I arrived with a colleague in downtown D.C. late in the night last week to conduct outreach to prostituted teen girls. And, the police seemed to be out in large numbers, too.

So, if it’s so easy for us to find the pimps and traffickers, then why don’t the police just arrest and prosecute them – like the 2008 conviction and 96 month sentencing of Levar Simms for the prostitution of a 16 year old minor across state lines?

We hung back and watched young women, most of whom looked between the ages of 20 and 25 but could have been in their teens, as they stood on the corners and watched men go by in cars. The cars would slow down and a girl would look back to her pimp to see if she should get in the car.

Other times, a girl would be alone.

I handed some girls food and my colleague would hand them outreach cards with a hotline number for trafficked persons. As one very thin young woman with a black eye said, “At least I am not dead, but I am still out here.”

Then, she turned to follow a potential client’s car down the street.

A pimp is someone who forces someone else, usually a very young girl, to have sex for money. The pimp takes the money that the girl “earns,” and does so successfully because they are abusive and manipulative. They have strict rules, strict quotas, and dole out punishments to the girls in their "stable".

As some of the teens in our D.C. classrooms told us “Pimps Up, Hoes Down,” which means that if a girl is walking down the sidewalk and another pimp walks onto that street, she must go into the street and cross over.

I find it very disturbing that any 14-year old girl would know so much about prostitution.

Pimps run the largest growing criminal industry by exploiting girls across the globe.  So, how is it that these pimps are just standing around on 14th and K in downtown D.C.?

Pimping is illegal in Washington, D.C., as is prostitution and solicitation. And, if you are minor involved in commercial sex it is considered a form of human trafficking. As a member of the D.C. Anti Trafficking Task Force, our organization, FAIR Fund, has trained some very caring police officers in how to identify and assist victims of trafficking.

Still, the problem is everywhere on the streets - and what seems worse - increasingly moving online.

There are several reasons why an arrest for pimping and paying for sex is so difficult. 

First, both parties would essentially have to incriminate themselves. FAIR Fund has found, though, that the true barrier to ending sex trafficking of minors here in D.C. is that there are few incentives for a young girl (or boy) who is identified to testify against their exploiter because law enforcement and outreach organizations that work to help young victims have very few options to present to him or her.

Typically, she is jailed as the only means of detaining her - not exactly a comforting environment.  Nevermind the irony that In a city where a 15-year old is too young to consent to sex, she can still be charged for prostitution.

And, because there is not a single safe space designed in the District or surrounding areas that is available for a teenager who is being commercially sexually exploited, life away from a pimp means hunger, homelessness, and an uncertain amount of abuse. Trying to convince that young person to testify against her trafficker could very well seem more risky than it does safe.

Imagine, though, if there was a space for these young victims to be safe from their violent exploiters. A space where the District Attorneys Office, our Metropolitan Police Department, and local nonprofits would be able to direct a young victim to the services and support that she needs while advocates are busy working to build a case against a trafficking and pimping network.

Perhaps, then, she might feel supported enough to press charges against a man that has put her on the street since she was 13.

Perhaps, then, she might be the key to arresting, prosecuting, and jailing what we would argue are some of the most dangerous criminals in Washington, D.C. 

Perhaps, then, the scene on the streets would change and the pimps wouldn’t be everywhere.

Andrea Powell is co-founder and executive director of FAIR Fund, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.  She co-wrote this blog with FAIR Fund’s development officer Amelia Korangy.