Maryland

Homeownership

*A new foreclosure law will keep more families in their homes by requiring lenders to try to negotiate new payment plans.  Governor Martin O’Malley (D) told the Washington Post that the law will put families on “more equal footing with mortgage companies that too often can’t be bothered to pick up a phone before beginning a foreclosure proceeding.”

Children

*The “Kids First Express Lane Eligibility Act” will allow the Maryland Comptroller to use tax returns to identify families with children who may be eligible for Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Program.  The comptroller will share that information with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which will then send application materials to the families.  The new legislation builds on the “Kids First Act of 2008.”

Education

*The state has established a Tuition Stabilization Trust Account in the Higher Education Investment Fund that will help stabilize tuition for resident students at public universities and colleges.  The legislation also limits tuition increases to a “percent not to exceed the increase in the 3-year rolling average of the state’s median family income.”  The bill was written, in part, because “Maryland has fallen from the 6^th highest public tuition state in the nation to a current ranking of 17th.

*The state cut funding to programs for disruptive children in Maryland public schools.

Virginia

Safety

*Domestic violence victims will be able to extend protective orders obtained in cases of family abuse or stalking.  Protective orders can be extended for two years and there is no limit on the number of extensions that can be requested.

Public Supports

*New legislation allows Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants to continue to receive financial support payments to which they are entitled, either on their own behalf or on behalf of a family member, prior to beginning to receive TANF.

Children

*Residents convicted of nonpayment of child support will need certification from the Department of Social Services to renew a driver’s license or end the suspension of a license that was suspended because of nonpayment.  The law also establishes the option of home or electronic incarceration of a person convicted of nonpayment of support.

*Courts will now be able to appoint vocational experts to conduct evaluations in child and spousal support cases where the earning capacity, unemployment or underemployment of an individual is being disputed.

Healthcare

*Virginia residents will not be required to obtain or maintain individual health coverage with certain exceptions.

Licenses

*A special license plate law authorizes the issuance of a number of plates, including one that reads “Trust Women / Respect Choice.”  Last year, “Choose Life” plates became available to drivers in Virginia.

Tags: virginia, maryland, new, laws, effect, 2010, tanf, domestic, violence, child, support, tuition, programs, funding, cut

– Today marked the launch of Defeat Poverty DC, a new coalition of residents and organizations (including The Women’s Foundation) working to bring greater focus during the 2010 election season and beyond to the damaging effects of poverty on the entire city.  Click here to learn more about Defeat Poverty DC.  Click here to read a preview of the launch in the Washington Post.

– More doctors nationwide are starting to partner up with attorneys to provide patients with legal help if they need it. Doctors and social workers say that medical care alone is not enough to address the health issues of the poor, which are often related to diet, living conditions and stress.  Click here for more details.

– The Center for Housing Policy has released a new study that takes a look at the costs of renting and owning homes in cities around the country. According to the study, “in some high-priced communities, people who provide the bulk of vital services… cannot afford to live in the communities they serve.”  The study also found that residents in moderately-priced communities still pay an excessive portion of their income for housing.  The study found that Bethesda was the 19th most expensive city to buy a home in last year.  Washington, D.C. was the sixth most expensive rental market.  Click here for more information.

Tags: women, girls, washington, dc, maryland, virginia, bethesda, defeat poverty, dc, healthcare, low, income, doctor, housing, rental, homeowners

– Hopkins House — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — was recently awarded a giant check — both in size and amount.  The $250,000 check was presented by Rep. Jim Moran.  The money will fund Hopkins House’s Early Childhood Learning Institute, which will help 100 low-income adults earn a Child Development Associate credential and 31 credits toward a college degree.  Click here for more details.

– An overhaul of child support guidelines is on the jam-packed agenda of Maryland lawmakers, who have three weeks to wrap up the current legislative session.  If the bill is passed, it would be the first major change to the child support guidelines since 1989.  It would change the schedule used by courts to determine child support obligations and would be updated to reflect the realities of the current economy.  Many noncustodial parents would end up paying more.  Click here to read the details of the legislation.

– Three young, women journalists at Newsweek are taking a look at sexism in the workplace, comparing their experiences to those of a group of women who sued the magazine for gender discrimination in 1970.  Click here to find out what’s changed and what hasn’t.

Photo credit: Local Kicks

Tags: washington, dc, maryland, virginia, women, girls, gender, discrimination, newsweek, sexim, child, support, bill, hopkins house, jim moran, early, childcare, education

Car Free Day is intended to highlight transit, bicycling, walking and all alternative modes of transportation and take cars off the road so people can think about what their region, city or neighborhood might be like with fewer cars.

I want to propose a different type of car day: Cars for People Who Need Them but Can’t Afford to Buy, Insure or Maintain Them Day.

I know, I know – it’s not as catchy.

It’s not that I’m opposed to Car Free Day. 

I celebrate it nearly every day because I don’t own a car.  I am a big fan of public transportation (I commute by bus) and walking.  But I live and work in parts of town with rich public transportation options.

The frustrating truth is that many low-income residents in our region – especially low-income, women-headed families East of the River and in Prince George’s County – actually need more access to private transportation to be able to work and take care of their families.

According to Census data, nearly half (48%) of all non-elderly poor in the District lived in households without a car.  They participate in Car Free Day every day but not all willingly.

Car ownership programs for low-income families and individuals have demonstrated their effectiveness by producing significant income and asset gains for participants. Programs in our region, like Vehicles for Change, and national programs like Ways to Work and its local partners Northern Virginia Family Service (a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation) and Family Matters of Greater Washington need and deserve support.

I hope we can all agree that our region’s transportation challenges call for multifaceted solutions beyond just “more people should take public transportation.”

Gwen Rubinstein is a Program Officer at The Women’s Foundation.

Here at The Women’s Foundation, we’re celebrating meeting an ambitious goal: maintaining our grantmaking as we close out the fiscal year!  With our most recent approval of grants, we hit our goal of granting $1.1 million to nonprofits working to improve the lives of women and girls in our region.

Our Stepping Stones grants support critical work in the areas of financial education, job training and early care and education, all of which provide the essential tools and support needed to assist low-income women and their families during these tough economic times.

Organizations like Community Tax Aid, Doorways for Women and Families, and Manna, Inc. will continue their work with low-income, women-headed families by providing them with the financial education and tax prep assistance needed to start them on a path of economic success.

SOME and Year Up are providing the job training that is essential to putting women on a career pathway.

Food stamps are an important work support and play a critical role in moving a women and her family out of poverty.  DC Hunger Solutions will continue its advocacy work to ensure that eligible women and their children are receiving food stamps.

Another key work support is access to quality child care. Montgomery College Foundation, Prince George’s Child Resource Center and WETA will work to improve the quality of early care and education.

Now more than ever, nonprofit organizations face a myriad of challenges and navigating complex systems can be overwhelming. The Human Services Coalition of Prince George’s County will work to improve public policies so they enhance, rather than hinder, the effectiveness of the work nonprofits do on behalf of low-income, women-headed families in Prince George’s County.

Through our Open Door Capacity Fund, we’re funding capacity building work that aims to shore up the long-term sustainability of organizations. This work is essential to ensuring that these organizations have the necessary resources to address key organizational and operational improvements, while maintaining the much-needed services they provide to our region’s at-risk women and girls.

Please take a moment to review our most recent grants and take pride knowing that together we’re making a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community.

Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat is the Vice President, Programs at The Women’s Foundation.

Tags: grantmaking, Open Door Capacity Fund, Technical assistance, Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat

The list is a prestigious one given that organizations are vetted by a diverse, knowledgeable group of stakeholders throughout the community who know our region, its issues and the organizations and work that is making a difference–much like the volunteer committees and giving circles that participate in The Women’s Foundation’s grantmaking processes.

Not only is The Women’s Foundation proud to have a number of staff members who volunteer on the review committee, but each year, we are always thrilled to see our own Grantee Partners make the list!

Last year, there was a lot of overlap, and this year is no different.  Today, when the Catalogue of Philanthropy: Greater Washington Class of 2009-2010 was announced, we were proud to note the following Grantee Partners listed:

Centro Familia, which engages immigrant families in early care and education
Urban Alliance Foundation, which facilitates year-long professional internship opportunities for at-risk youth
ASHA for Women, which empowers South Asian women to live free of abuse
Through the Kitchen Door International, which provides life and employment skills training that changes trainees’ lives
Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE), which provides legal, economic, counseling and educational services for domestic violence victims
Pregnancy Aid Center, which provides prenatal and health care for women and newborns in need
Doorways for Women and Families, which provides shelter and services for homeless families and domestic violence survivors
Silver Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition, a transitional and supportive housing program serving homeless and low-income people
Tahirih Justice Center, which protects immigrant women and girls who are fleeing gender-based violence
Computer C.O.R.E., which provides job-readiness training in computer and life skills for low-income adults
Jubilee Jobs, which provides compassionate, skilled job placement and ongoing support
STRIVE DC, an employment program transforming the lives of disadvantaged people in Washington, D.C.

The Women’s Foundation is proud to partner with these organizations doing outstanding work on behalf of our region’s women and girls, and congratulates them and all of the 2009-2010 Catalogue Class, which represents the effective, innovative work The Women’s Foundation is proud to support throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications.

Tags: Catalogue for Philanthropy Greater Washington Class of 2009-2010, Barbara Harman

In the past eight months, DCAF pledged financial assistance to four uniquely challenged women—from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia, as well as in Omaha, NE, to obtain a third-trimester termination from Dr. Tiller at Women’s Health Care Services in Wichita.

Two of the women were taking medications considered harmful to fetal development.  One attempted to self-abort countless times before reaching out—terrified because she came from New Guinea, where abortion is illegal.  One spent 10 weeks trying to raise money to afford her abortion before finding DCAF.
One patient was a fifteen-year-old sexual assault survivor who didn’t know she was pregnant until the beginning of the third trimester.  One of the women had diabetes and a fetal anomaly.

While heartbroken for the women we assisted, we found solace in knowing Dr. Tiller was willing to provide comprehensive care when there was no other option.

DCAF is eternally indebted to the legacy of boundless courage and compassionate health care offered whole-heartedly by this man who gently and faithfully urged us to trust and support women.  He truly exemplified reproductive justice for all by working tirelessly to accommodate struggling families all over the country.

In accordance with our respect for Dr. Tiller’s profound service to women, DCAF is grateful for our partner clinics and heroic providers–true warriors on the front lines, ensuring access to quality abortion care in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

In memory of our angelic and wise doctor and beyond the shadows of opposition, we remain determined in our mission to provide our neighbors with dignified health care regardless of what’s in their wallet.

Elisabeth Sowecke is the lead case manager at the DC Abortion Fund, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

Tags: Dr. Tiller, DCAF, DC Abortion Fund, Elizabeth Sowecke, abortion, reproductive justice

The session that I attended was wonderful.

The room was filled with a cross-section of the Montgomery County community — concerned citizens, religious leaders, government representatives, philanthropists, advocates, direct service providers–the list goes on. And, everyone was committed to having a very serious conversation about poverty in Montgomery County.

Now, I must make a confession. Generally, I am not a big fan of facilitated meetings like this. Far too often, they consist of hours of talk that often veer off subject and lead to nothing happening.

And a year later, we have the same meeting and the same discussion again.

The conversation that Rebecca organized was just the opposite.

I participated in in-depth discussions about the challenges of bringing attention to the needs of the poor in Montgomery County when the public perception is that there isn’t much poverty in the County because it is so wealthy.

Sadly, the fact is that there are tens of thousands of people living below the federal poverty line in Montgomery County. And, because the cost of living in the County is so high, there are even more people who live there but cannot afford to support themselves and their families.

In addition, the County is very large and its population is very diverse (we tend to forget that there are still farms in Montgomery County), which poses unique obstacles to providing services that are accessible and appropriate. And, the demographic make-up of the County has been changing rapidly, which makes it hard for service-providers to keep up with the need.

The great news is that these Conversations have accomplished Interfaith Works’ goal – as a result of these convenings, other meetings are going to be held.

Most notably, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services is going to host a meeting on October 10th to discuss an agenda to address these problems. For more information about this meeting, please contact Diana Day at the County HHS.

Here at The Women’s Foundation, this conversation feeds into our work in many ways.  It sets the stage for some meetings we will be holding on women and poverty later this year. It informs us of the needs in the County as we formulate our funding priorities for the next year.  And, it gives us the opportunity to learn about the work being done by nonprofits that we may not have worked with yet.

All in all, the Conversation on Poverty was a true success.

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Policy Advocacy.

Tags: Sharon Levin, Conversation on Poverty in Montgomery County, Interfaith Works, Rebecca Wager, Montgomery County, poverty

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.

Tags: Gwen Rubinstein, Prince George's Child Resource Center, Gaylord Hotels, child care, early care and education, National Harbor Project

Once comfortable retirees now worry about managing, while looking for part-time work. Recent hires, entry level and service workers are losing benefits, hours and eventually jobs.

The trends are going in the wrong direction.  Needs are growing and revenues are reduced.

These economic troubles are anxiety-inducing to us and terrifying for the families we see at our door at Interfaith Works.  Working poor families are literally falling off the cliff try to make ends meet.

Interfaith Works is a coalition of more than 140 congregations working together for 36 years to meet the needs of the poor in Montgomery County.  Last year, we served more than 30,000 residents in our County. We provide emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing, centers for distribution of clothing, household goods, baby and school supplies, and emergency assistance for utilities and eviction prevention.

In my eight years at Interfaith Works the depth of need of those we serve has never been greater.

You have been reading the numbers every day—what we know is that in less than two years, the cost of fuel oil has increased 31%, gasoline 17%, eggs 63%, flour 39%, bread, 42%, milk 20%.

I would remind you that more than 50,000 people in Montgomery County–a third of them children–live below the federal poverty line of $16,000.

When you are living from pay check to pay check, there is no way to cover an additional $15 per week increase in gasoline to get to work, heating bills that are one third more, and food costs that are 20% more.

So what do we do when we work as hard as we are able, and we can’t support our families?

It is a chronic shortage of income that does people in– that brings them to Interfaith Works’ door. A family is short on rent one month because the utility bill was higher than expected, medication costs used the monthly budget for food, or work was missed because of a sick child that left the hourly wage worker short on pay.

The cycle continues.  If you are listening, you will hear people in pain.

Well, we are listening. Over the years many of us have been involved in work related to poverty in our community. Each of us has developed our own perspective on the complex and interrelated issues of poverty. We have been done many good things, but it is time to ask, “Are we doing the right thing?”

Interfaith Works is hosting a series of community discussions called “Changing the Conversation about Poverty in Montgomery County”. This opportunity is a time to reflect on our views and to explore new ways of thinking about poverty in the county.

This will not be just another brainstorming session.

Instead, we are bringing together a diverse group to share our thinking and engage in conversations that will be generated by a set of provocative questions.

These difficult times call for our renewed commitment and more than members of faith communities, elected officials, government staff, philanthropic organizations, corporate representatives, service providers, those receiving services and interested neighbors who are prepared to speak honestly to each other.

Now is the time for strengthening commitments to our work and our community.  We are “Changing the Conversation About Poverty in Montgomery County” and I hope you will join us.There is still time to sign up for this important conversation. Will you consider making time for this discussion scheduled on the following dates:

• Session #1: September 23, 2008, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
• Session #2: September 23, 2008, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm
• Session #3: September 24, 2008, from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm
• Session #4: September 25, 2008, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Our location is the Vis Arts Center at 155 Gibbs Strett in Rockville.  Please R.S.V.P. to me or to Adria Olaleye if you plan on attending.

In addition to the four sessions listed above, an evening session is scheduled for September 24, 2008, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. This session is open to the general public and anyone interested in the issue of poverty in the county.

I look forward to spending time with you in conversation on the critical issue of poverty in our county.

Rebecca Wagner is executive director of Interfaith Works, formerly Community Ministry of Montgomery County, a non-sectarian interfaith coalition of more than 140 member and affiliated congregations representing over 65,000 families of many faiths, working together to meet the needs of the poor in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Tags: Rebecca Wagner, Interfaith Works, Montgomery County, economic downturn