Charting a Course for Primary Care

Watch Stone Soup's interview of Andrea.

Most of you who have been keeping up with the unveiling of our Good Hope Awards have heard of the excellent work Stone Soup Films did for us earlier this year. Interviewing four regular Bread for the City patients, Stone Soup highlighted two aspects of our healthcare system not often talked about. The first is that when non-profits like us talk about the need for primary health care, there aren’t nearly enough people who know what that means. The second is that despite DC’s health insurance program for people below the poverty line, the capacity of the city to provide primary care remains very, very low.

The video above highlights both of these points fairly succinctly. Andrea came to Bread for the City initially to receive temporary care in the same way that most low-income residents use emergency rooms. It was only over repeated visits and check-ups that many of the factors leading to Andrea’s medical conditions came to light and could be addressed. Emergency rooms can treat symptoms, but they can rarely dive into many of the more complex issues that weave a medical history. That’s why medical homes (places that can offer a continuum of care, provide holistic services, and empower patients to improve their health) are a much better method for addressing health in low-income communities, and why access to primary care in such facilities is much more labor-intensive and hard to find. As Andrea’s video points out, Bread for the City is only able to see two new patients every day from among about 40 or more callers. The rest of our 2,700 patient visits every year are guests for whom we are already their medical home. Though that number of visits is impressive, it’s obviously far below what the actual need for primary care in the city is (else we wouldn’t be getting so many calls every morning). As we and our partners continue to try and get the word out about the need for access to primary care, we’ll be talking more about these interviews and what they mean.

Good Hope Awards- The Great Unveiling Part VI

Continuing with the Unveiling of the Good Hope Awards recipients (All recipients will be honored at this year's Good Hope Awards, Bread for the City's annual volunteer recognition breakfast, on October 7th at 8:30 am at the Capital Hilton), today I would like to introduce you to a very important group of people who keep our food pantries running smoothly...

St. John’s Community Services - Program Volunteers - For the past six years, the men and women of St. John’s Community Services, a day program for mentally and developmentally disabled adults, have been diligently working in our two food pantries four to five days a week. “It used to be that developmentally disabled people were segregated from the community,” says Ricardo Holde, one of the support staff at St. John’s, “we wanted to integrate them into the community in a way that benefits everyone.”

Thanks in part to the efforts of these hard-working volunteers our two centers distributed groceries to over 120,439 families last year. “They work hard,” Ted Pringle, Bread for the City’s Food & Clothing Director says. “They come to work, and they go to work—they’re so energetic and fun to be around.”

Working together for the good of the community is an important part of St. John’s mission. “Getting out into the community; challenging yourself and improving your abilities, these are things that help people move toward greater independence,” Ricardo states. “We want to make sure they are valued and respected as human beings, able to make choices and improve themselves.”

We’re glad to be able to work together. To a staff as small as Bread for the City’s, the daily support provided by this organization means a great deal. Over the years the staff has built strong relationships with St. John’s, coming to rely on their infectious good humor as much as the lines of grocery bags they help pack. “They jump right in and help,” says Food Coordinator Jenette Chance, “I just adore them. Seeing how happy they are makes my heart just bigger and warmer—they inspire me to do more.” “The work speaks for itself,” Food Coordinator Tony Weldon says, motioning to shelves of packed grocery bags ready for distribution, “without St. John’s, we would be overloaded with people spilling into the hallways waiting for food.”

Many people aren’t aware of this organization whose volunteerism allows us to keep increasing our efforts and expanding our reach. From all of us at Bread for the City, a huge thank you to St. John’s Community Services—we really appreciate all the work that you do! We are pleased to name St. John's Community Services as the Program Volunteers of the Year.

To learn more about the Good Hope Awards, or to request an invitation, please contact me at VBreitbarth [at] breadforthecity [dot]org!

Registering Homeless Voters a Continuing Success

This morning Bread for the City was featured on WAMU along with The National Coalition for the Homeless. The two of us are partnering up to register homeless and low-income residents before October 6th (the last day to register to vote here in DC), and so far we've had over 100 people register this week. Many thanks to WAMU for the story!

Feel free to take a listen to the WAMU coverage, or learn more about this ongoing project by reading Greg's write-up.

American Economy Cartoon Roundup

Good Hope Awards- The Great Unveiling Part V

Now that all of the "Beyond Bread" award recipients have been unveiled, we are back announcing the awards of those who have volunteered their time and energy to work directly with Bread for the City clients. (All recipients will be honored at this year's Good Hope Awards, Bread for the City's annual volunteer recognition breakfast, on October 7th at 8:30 am at the Capital Hilton.) In fact, today's Great Unveiling is of a volunteer who has been working with Bread for the City longer than most of our staff members!

Margaret Schrader - Program Volunteer - For years, Bread for the City has had our very own media monitor in Margaret Schrader. Margaret began volunteering with Bread for the City in 1990—first helping with medical charts, then assisting legal with administrative projects, and finally settling into her niche as the media monitor. We have benefitted from her careful reading of a variety of news media sources, always taking time to clip out or copy information pertinent to the work of Bread for the City. But she does not stop there. She highlights, underlines, and stars important passages, mentions of our work, etc. so that we’re sure to get the message and then she passes them along to the staff member who needs the information. Margaret says that she is pleased to do it. She describes Bread for the City as “kind of a mad house, but it’s a good mad house because people get taken care of...if Bread for the City was a restaurant, Zagat would give it a 5 star rating!” She described it as a “supportive place to be” and we at Bread for the City are grateful for her support!

She has donated countless hours of her time to keep us up-to-date and informed and for that, we are grateful. She has ensured that our media catalogue is complete and when there is a big story she is always there to make sure we have plenty of copies! Margaret’s work is often done in the early morning hours before we open but we want to be sure she knows we notice and appreciate her work. We are so pleased to honor her with the 2008 Program Volunteer of the Year Award.

To learn more about the Good Hope Awards, or to request an invitation, please contact me at VBreitbarth [at] breadforthecity [dot]org!

Voter Registration with National Coalition of the Homeless

Word in the air and on the street sez that this year’s election is one of the most important elections basically ever –- which we seem to hear during every election, of course. But this time around, voter registration numbers actually are at unprecedented levels – and Bread for the City has been playing our part!

During our intake visits, and through case management, our staff and volunteers ask clients if they have been registered – and if not, we offer assistance in filling out a registration card. We even submit the cards for them. Several hundred people have registered through our offices in the past few months.

And this week, we’re taking an extra step: some volunteers from the National Coalition for the Homeless have come to our offices to do voter registration outreach as part of the National Low Income and Homeless Voter Registration Week.

There are over 40 such drives in more than 30 cities, and we’re happy to host the volunteers outside our doors every day. (It’s pretty likely that you, reader, have already registered – but just in case you were wondering, the deadline for registration is October 6th. Everything you need to know and do about voting can be found here.)

If you work for an organization that could host a similar event, the National Low Income Housing Coalition has put together a really great voter registration drive kit called Voterization 2008 - check it out!

Our friends are having a party!

Street Sense is a great friend of ours, and (as you can see below) they're having a silent auction! For those of you unfamiliar, Street Sense is a newspaper that deals with poverty issues through the lens of those most affected while simultaneously allowing their homeless and formerly homeless vendors to gain cash and work experience. It's a really smart model, and I've spoken with a number of people for whom being a Street Sense vendor was the first step in a transition out of homelessness. I could go on and on, or you can go to the reception and chat with the staff personally!

Good Hope Awards- Great Unveiling IV

Today we announce the second "Beyond Bread" award recipient. (Recipients will be honored at this year's Good Hope Awards, Bread for the City's annual volunteer recognition breakfast, on October 7th at 8:30 am at the Capital Hilton.)

District of Columbia Primary Care Association - Beyond Bread Community Reformers

Since DCPCA’s beginnings in 1996 they have been dedicated to healthcare reform within the District of Columbia. Although have spearheaded many important initiatives to address the shortage of primary care providers in the District and disparities in healthcare for our most vulnerable neighbors, we particularly want to recognize the work of their Medical Homes DC project. Medical Homes DC began in 2003 to rebuild the primary care safety net for low-income DC residents. Through this bold initiative, DCPCA plans to increase primary care in the District by 200,000 square feet, including the expansion of Bread for the City’s medical clinic, scheduled to begin in December. This initiative will go a long way toward repairing the damaged healthcare system in the District.

DCPCA has long been on the front lines of healthcare reform within the District. We have benefited from their work, our patients have benefited from their work, and we are grateful. For this we are pleased to recognize DCPCA with this year’s Community Reformers Award.

To learn more about the Good Hope Awards, or to request an invitation, please contact me at VBreitbarth [at] breadforthecity [dot]org!

Client request: Vaccuum cleaner

Last week, one of our fine case managers fielded a request from a client for a vaccuum cleaner. Major renovations are going on outside of her building, and dust is pouring through the vents into her apartment.

If you have access to a good, reliable vaccuum cleaner that would enable our client to keep her living space clean, thereby preventing any health hazards that might come with breathing in the dust, please let us know! You can email me at msiemer [at] breadforthecity [dot] org.

Update: Due to the incredible generosity of our readers, and a helpful linking by DCist, we've been able to locate a vacuum cleaner. Thank you to the many people who offered to help, and if there are other nice folks who have one vacuum too many, please contact A Wider Circle to make sure it gets to a family that can use it. Thanks again!!

Good Hope Awards- Great Unveiling Part III

So there are two types of people/organizations that receive awards at the Good Hope Awards on October 7th. There are the folks who actually come to Bread for the City regularly and work with Bread for the City clients. And then there are the ones who don't really come to Bread for the City, but they are doing things in the community that help our clients on a macro level. We like to call these the "Beyond Bread" awards. This year, we're giving out two "Beyond Bread" awards...

The first is DC Councilmember David Catania. Why do we love him? Well let me tell you...

David Catania - Beyond Bread Community Champion - Councilmember Catania has served on the DC Council as a member at large since 1997. As the Chair of the Department of Health, David Catania has been a tireless champion for improving the healthcare of the uninsured and underinsured residents of DC. He has pushed through legislation to assist victims of substance abuse in seeking treatment, created incentives for medical professionals to work in underserved areas of DC, and to expand access to prescription drugs and healthcare for those who cannot afford the care they need. We are pleased to support the work of Councilmember Catania and are grateful for the work he does each day to advocate for the improved health of low-income DC residents. These are our clients and we are proud to fight this fight with him. We are honored to recognize him as a Community Champion.

Who is the second? I guess you'll have to find out next week! Have a great weekend!

A Nutrition Minute: Let's Talk Breakfast

by Sharon Gruber, Nutrition Consultant.

Kids need a safe place to learn with a small teacher-student ratio, lots of outdoor space, access to the latest in technology, and all the support necessary for them to realize their potential. But even under those optimal circumstances, many students might not achieve what they can because of something so simple, so basic: they haven't eaten breakfast.

Eating a healthy breakfast allows us to restock the energy stores that have been depleted overnight and to begin the day with the fuel we need to function well. If we don’t refuel in the morning after an overnight fast, we have to draw fuel from our energy stores until lunchtime. This is particularly hard for a child in school without a break to eat something nutritious when he or she starts feeling an energy crash. Plus, the stress hormones necessary to mobilize the energy reserves and keep the child going might leave the child feeling irritable, tired, and unable to learn or behave well.

Missing breakfast also means that the child is set up for a day of erratic binging and possibly overeating from lunchtime on. Sumo wrestlers know this. They have carefully studied how to gain weight, and they follow a daily regimen of intentionally missing breakfast, knowing it means they’ll overeat later.

Whether children eat breakfast undoubtedly affects their learning, behavior, and physical health. But so does what they eat. A breakfast with protein, whole grains, fruit and/or vegetables best prepares children for the day ahead.

Nutritious breakfast ideas with kid appeal
· Morning pizza. Take a slice of crusty whole grain bread, spread it with ricotta cheese, and add tomatoes.
· Cereal sundae. Make a portable breakfast by combining yogurt and a low-sugar cereal in a to-go container. Add1/4 cup of nuts and/or fresh fruit, like chopped almonds and blueberries.
· Fruit and cheese. Grab an apple, toss a few ounces of cheddar and 1/4 cup of walnuts into a resealable container/bag.
· Cottage cheese with a swirl of apple butter and slice of whole-grain toast
· Egg on the run. Slice an egg and roll it in a whole-grain tortilla with cheese. Try adding a tablespoon of salsa.
· Piece of whole-grain bread with peanut or almond butter, cheese, and apple
· Oatmeal with cinnamon, nuts, and apples. Buy steel-cut oats (healthier than instant or rolled oats) and soak them overnight (about 1 part oats to 4 parts water) so they cook very quickly in the morning.
· Scrambled eggs with garlic, chopped spinach (fresh or frozen), and a piece of whole-grain toast

General tips to make a healthy breakfast a reality
· Finish schoolwork, pack bags, and set out clothes the night before.
· Allow for eating on the run. Better to eat on the run than not to eat breakfast at all.
· If cereal is the only way to go, try a low-sugar cereal.
· Model. You need to eat the food, too.
· Don’t force. It will just be a battle of control and willpower, and the adult will lose.
· If your child insists that she’s not hungry, tell him/her that you’re hungry and would like to share his/her breakfast. But make enough to anticipate this. Usually, the child wants to eat it after sharing some. If the child still will not eat, ask that he/she join you at the table, since you want his/her company, that it is family time, and that you won’t force him/her to eat. After watching everyone else eat, the child typically wants to participate. But do not beg; you are the adult.
· If the child still does not want to eat, think about what he/she ate for dinner. If it was a big dinner or if he/she ate and went straight to bed, perhaps the body is truly not ready for breakfast. Since it is more important to have the big meal at the beginning of the day when the energy is needed, try lightening up on dinner or slightly moving up dinner time so that the kids burn calories playing before bedtime.
· Protein bars typically are glorified candy bars. Even if all natural, they are very high in sugar. And breakfast bars (as opposed to protein bars) typically have only 2 g of protein, which is inadequate to get a child through to lunchtime. Neither option is a sufficient breakfast, but yes, they are better than nothing.

Parts of this blog entry were adapted from a page on askdrsears.com that is no longer active.

Weekly Roundup: What Happened?

Here’s a roundup of some of the stories we’ve been following this week:

~ Pushback over the upcoming closing of the Franklin Shelter came to a head when the DC Council passed emergency legislation ensuring that shelter will be made available for 300 homeless men by the scheduled October 1st closing date. However, the bill doesn’t appear to ensure that those 300 men will be the ones who are actually being moved out of Franklin – so there may still be the same danger that people will fall through the cracks. We’ll keep tracking this. On a tangentially-related note, New York City has reached a long-delayed agreement over what, exactly, the City’s responsibility is to its most vulnerable residents. Sounds like the kind of step forward that DC might need to take soon.

~ CareFirst gave some pushback of its own to the proposed legislation that would re-appropriate some of its hefty surplus and channel it back to the community. As part of said community that needs support to meet the great demand for health care, we are very curious to see how this debate plays out.

~ More remembrance of Ruben Gist, a friend and partner at the Capital Area Food Bank.

~ And, ahem, this is a story that we meant to get to last week – and didn’t, which was unfortunate, because it’s really cool: the Superior Court has opened a satellite office in Bread for the City’s Southeast center, to provide walk-in legal advice on family matters. Stay tuned for more information on this next week!

Good Hope Awards Great Unveiling- Part II

Stone Soup Films - Community Organization - Although Liz Norton, founder of Stone Soup Films, had supported Bread for the City for years, she had no idea how comprehensive our services were. That all changed last winter when she attended a film conference at American University and (lucky for Bread for the City) happened to sit down next to former BFC Communications Associate, Adrienne Ammerman.

Liz started Stone Soup Films last January with the dual goals of assisting small non-profits in highlighting their work and providing a venue for aspiring filmmakers to gain experience and industry contacts. Liz admits that she was initially skeptical of working with Bread for the City because the goal of her company was to help organizations that are much smaller. But Adrienne convinced her to come for a tour and pleaded - quite accurately - that our communications budget is minimal.

As they toured our NW center, Adrienne told Liz about the many services we provide (food, clothing, legal, medical, and social services) and expressed her frustration at the lack of publicity materials for our upcoming capital campaign. Understanding the need for increased medical space and believing in BFC's mission, Liz decided we would actually be the perfect organization for Stone Soup Film's first video series. With that, Liz and her team of talented film students, assisted by pro bono consultants from the film industry, got to work.

After interviewing staff and clients they created an approximately 5 minute film about our medical clinic, highlighting both the work we do and our need for expanded space. They also created 4 shorter films (approximately 1.5-2 minutes long) highlighting Dr. Randi (Director of the BFC medical clinic) and the stories of 3 medical clinic patients. Looking back, Liz does not regret the decision at all. In fact, she said "The truth is, Bread is incredibly deserving...they don't do anything half-way. They do whatever they can to help people in every aspect of life which really distinguishes them."

These films perfectly capture the clinic and our patients and we are so grateful to Stone Soup Films for creating them for us. In recognition of their long hours of filming and editing we are pleased to honor them with the 2008 Community Organization award.

PS Don't take my word on how great the films are...see them for yourself under "Our Videos."

Race & Class Cartoon Roundup

People over Profits: CareFirst is first on the list

So this is by far the the coolest news we read all day:

"D.C. considers drawing down CareFirst’s surplus"

CareFirst of D.C. would be compelled to surrender a percentage of its burgeoning revenues for the community’s benefit or risk no rate increases for a year under legislation to be considered by the D.C. Council.

Every year, CareFirst collects $2 billion in health insurance premiums, and it currently has a $754 million surplus.

Big ups to Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh, chairwoman of the Public Services and Consumer Affairs Committee, for introducing this legislation.

Needless to say, we will be following this story closely!

Good Hope Awards- The Great Unveiling...Part I

As promised, I'm back to begin the unveiling of Bread for the City's 2008 Good Hope Awards Recipients...these will be revealed one per day in no particular order. Keep checking back to get to know some of the wonderful people and organizations who make our work possible!

First up...

Williams & Connolly LLP- Pro Bono Legal Partner- In 2005, Bread for the City began a legal journey with 43 tenants in two buildings in Columbia Heights in NW DC when we filed a suit against their landlord on their behalf. In response, their landlord filed a suit against each of them. As the complexity of the cases became apparent, we quickly realized that additional assistance would be needed. One and a half years ago, the attorneys of Williams & Connolly came to help. They quickly took over the cases of all 13 tenants in one of the buildings. Even after years of litigation, the attorneys and staff of Williams & Connolly have been tireless in their efforts on behalf of these tenants. Under the coordination of Williams & Connolly associate Thomas Roberts, they have filed motions, taken depositions, facilitated over 20 hours of mediation, settled 7 cases and are preparing for trial on behalf of the final 6 tenants. Not only has Mr. Roberts worked tirelessly and extremely competently to assist the tenants, but he "gets it," attending tenant meetings, getting to know and understand the plight of the tenants.

According to Bread for the City Legal Clinic Director, Vytas V. Vergeer, “It’s a big mess, but they have invested a lot and really come through.” Vytas should know-he touches base with Mr. Roberts multiple times each week to learn the status of each of these intricate cases. Both the landlord and opposing counsel have been difficult to work with, but Williams & Connolly has continued to provide wonderful representation for these clients even in the face of adversity. Bread for the City is grateful for Williams & Connolly’s dedication on behalf of our clients. For this we are pleased to award them the 2008 Pro Bono Legal Partner of the Year Award!

Check back tomorrow for the next Great Unveiling!

Browne Gives Us 'Some Reason to Believe'

Today our office has been rocking on the water and cutting it away. If you know what I mean, you’re probably going to the Jackson Browne show at the Warner Theater tonight. Don’t be surprised when we’re also there.

World Hunger Year is encouraging devoted fans to bring canned goods to the show, and all of those donations will come to Bread for the City to be distributed at our two food pantries!

Mr. Browne, best known for such seminal works as “Doctor My Eyes” and “Running On Empty,” is a member of Artists Against Hunger and Poverty, which connects much-needed resources like food with organizations that serve impoverished communities. WHY’s press release reminds me that Mr. Browne is a prestigious member of the rock community—in 2004 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (always a step behind) added Mr. Browne to their roster in 2007. He has also received a number of awards for social justice work, something that his Redneck Friend can’t boast of.

Artists Against Hunger and Poverty also boasts co-founding member Bruce Springsteen, best known for his insightful The Ghost of Old Tom Joad and lilting Nebraska. Many thanks to World Hunger Year, the Warner Theater, and most especially Jackson Browne for partnering with us.

Last Chance for the Franklin Shelter

The fate of hundreds of our city’s most vulnerable residents hangs in the balance, and tomorrow morning might be the last chance to help ensure that they are not shut out in the cold.

The City Council will meet tomorrow to discuss emergency legislation that would keep the Franklin Shelter open until the Mayor’s proposed 400 units of affordable housing are operational. So far, some of the men at Franklin Shelter have received housing assignments – as reported by the Washington Post last Friday. But at this point it is still not at all clear that some 300 men will end up with a roof as winter approaches. Most of the residents have not been placed on an assignment list, and rumors are swirling that some of those who did receive assignments were not even Franklin Center residents.

It bears repeating that these men – if not properly housed – would end up costing the city far more in terms of hospital stays, putting them in jail cells on cold nights, and so on. Here at Bread for the City, we support Mayor Fenty’s Housing First initiative to provide DC’s homeless with more stable, humane living situations; however, by rushing towards an arbitrary deadline without a clear, viable plan in place for those who are affected, the city is acting upon expedience rather than justice and common sense.

We spoke with Patty Mullahy Fugere, executive director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, who urged all concerned parties to please contact the Council and encourage them to support Chairman Vince Gray’s efforts to pass Bill 17-0527. We already know that Councilmembers Thomas, Mendelson, and Brown are in support of keeping Franklin open until the homeless residents can be moved into other housing—please thank them for not putting 300 more homeless residents on the street right before winter, and urge the other Councilmembers to do the same.

Also, make sure the emergency legislation passed tomorrow guarantees that we have emergency shelter beds downtown!

Vince Gray, Chair
(202) 724-8032
vgray@dccouncil.us

Phil Mendelson, At Large
(202) 724-8064
pmendelson@dccouncil.us

Carol Schwartz, At Large
(202) 724-8105
cschwartz@dccouncil.us

Kwame Brown, At Large
(202) 724-8174
kbrown@dccouncil.us

David Catania, At Large
(202) 724-7772
dcatania@dccouncil.us

Jim Graham, Ward 1
(202) 724-8181
jgraham@dccouncil.us

Jack Evans, Ward 2
(202) 724-8058
jackevans@dccouncil.us

Mary Cheh, Ward 3
(202) 724-8062
mcheh@dccouncil.us

Muriel Bowser, Ward 4
(202) 724-8052
mbowser@dccouncil.us

Harry Thomas, Ward 5
(202) 724-8028
hthomas@dccouncil.us

Tommy Wells, Ward 6
(202) 724-8072
twells@dccouncil.us

Yvette Alexander, Ward 7
(202) 724-8068
yalexander@dccouncil.us

Marion Barry, Ward 8
(202) 724-8045
mbarry@dccounci.us

A rally will be held at 9am at the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) -- if you plan to attend, remember to bring a photo ID in order to gain access to the building. For more information about the rally, please contact Empower DC at (202) 234-9119. In the meantime, if you are a reporter or if you’d like more up-to-date information from the source, please contact the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless at (202) 328-5500.

Southeast sweats the small stuff

Our Southeast Center on 1640 Good Home Road has recently seen a set of minor but positive developments on its block, and it’s worth considering for a moment how these all add up to make a big difference.

First of all, the bus route that runs right by the Center (92/V5/W8) previously stopped down the street in front of a traffic light – a very dangerous location, as cars often swerved into the bus lane to catch the light, putting people at risk as they moved to get off and on the bus. The stop has now been moved up to a safe spot that also happens to be directly accessible to our Center. (Some bus drivers don’t always seem to know this, but they’ll catch on eventually.)

Also in the Danger Department: some time ago a car accident on an adjacent street corner resulted in a stop sign being removed. But the accident apparently did not give cause for prompt re-installation, and that corner remained perilously un-stopped for months. But we are happy to report that the sign has finally been put back.

And lastly, the city has installed a trashcan in front of the Center, where garbage will no longer be seen strewn about. Bread for the City can claim credit for this one: it would seem that Southeast staffer Christina Cheatham knows all the right people in the right places.

Actually, Christina just called 211 and asked real nicely. A receptacle was installed just two weeks later – in city time, that’s a jiffy. It’s a useful thing to keep in mind: small stuff like trash cans and stop signs make a real difference for everyone's safety and accessibility. While the city might not always be on top of the ball, it’s up to the city’s residents to make the calls.

So be sure to hit up 211 if you know of a fix that should get made.

My favorite time of year...

This is my first blog post, but I've been reading along for quite some time now. I've decided to come out of hiding to tell you all about why the fall is my favorite time of year. Maybe it's because I was one of the weird kids that actually looked forward to going back to school. Maybe it's because I started working at Bread for the City in the fall, so I'm flooded with fond memories (I celebrated 3 years on staff 2 weeks ago). Maybe it's because the fall months mean that it's finally going to stop being so darned hot...or maybe it's because fall is the time of year when my two favorite things happen at Bread for the City. I think that's it!

Although all of the reasons above are true, I love this time of year because it means the Good Hope Awards and Holiday Helpings are right around the corner!

"What are the Good Hope Awards and Holiday Helpings?" you may be asking. Well, I'm here to tell you...

The Good Hope Awards is an awards breakfast we hold each year to recognize the many volunteers that help BFC staff to make our mission a reality...this year it will be on October 7th. Did you know that over 1500 volunteers come through our doors each year? Of those, 50-80 come on a regular basis and really become a part of the organization. We could not do what we do without these people. In fact, Bread for the City was founded by a group of dedicated volunteers, so it's no surprise that 34 years later volunteers remain an integral part of our daily operations. In the coming weeks you're going to hear all about the 8 extraordinary volunteers and organizations that will be recognized with Good Hope awards this year...you'll have to stay tuned to see who our awardees will be!

Holiday Helpings is our annual campaign to provide holiday meals to 10,000 low-income families in DC. This is made possible through a team effort of BFC staff, volunteers, and area businesses, schools, religious groups, and organizations who hold cash & food drives on our behalf. It's a fast-paced, high-energy, fun-filled time that serves as such a great reminder of why Bread for the City exists. We are here to make life better for those who need us...over the holidays and every day in between. That's all I'm going to tell you about Holiday Helpings for now (although, if you want more information or would like to get involved you can email me at vbreitbarth@breadforthecity.org), but I'll be back with more information soon.

In the meantime, tune in next week to learn about the winners of the 2008 Good Hope Awards. See you then!

Staving off hunger while working toward health

Today the AARP Bulletin concludes a disturbing five-part series on the food crisis: from farms to food banks to food stamps, a scary confluence of factors are bringing hundreds of millions of people around the world to the threshold of hunger. It's an issue that we've looked at closely on this blog before. The effects of this global crisis are finally being felt (and, more slowly, noticed by the media) here in America.

Indeed, Bread for the City provided critical food supplies to over 10% more clients last year than the year before. That rise made us concerned. But concern is now creeping into alarm: our pantries are reporting that -- just in the last two months -- their lines have now grown to be 50-75% longer than anything we've seen before.

And yet, Bread for the City is meeting the rising demand. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the hard work of our partners like the Capital Area Food Bank, and the savvy know-how of staff like Ted Pringle, we have managed to feed far more people without reducing the amount of food we provide.

Now, the AARP article – though insightful – went briefly wrong (and I regret that my first blog post here must also issue a correction): the story quotes one of our clients talking about her own struggle to make ends meet ("Right now I'm getting by—but just barely... More and more I'm managing to make one meal stretch into two.") and notes that she did not receive some of the items that she was used to, including meat, juice and certain canned vegetables. And it's true that we are cutting back on the red meat, and moving away from certain juices and canned goods. But these are positive shifts, rather than cutbacks.

As was reported recently on the front page of the Washington Post, Bread for the City is working hard to supply a more healthful, nutritious set of foods to our clients. Instead of red meat, we're now providing chicken and fish with our bags; and we're providing fruits and vegetables canned in their own juices, rather than syrups and additives. High sodium and trans fats are out, whole grains and fruits canned in their own juices are in. And most exciting of all: as of the beginning of this month, we are now including fresh produce with every bag.

To be sure, these menu changes were only the first steps. Now we are working to communicate with our clients about the importance of nutrition and the opportunities to make tastier and more nutritious meals of less familiar foods. Though the AARP Bulletin series as a whole is to be commended, this contextual error unintentionally obscured something remarkable: even in the face of crunches up and down the line, Bread for the City is managing to meet increased demand while also providing healthier food to those who are most in need.

How are we doing it? It's partially due to our deeply engaged and generous donors, partially due to our staff, who know how to make limited resources go a long way in the right direction. To be honest I'm still not sure myself how they make it happen – but I'm thrilled to be learning about it, and excited to share what I learn here on the blog.

*

Greg Bloom is new to Bread for the City, and will be working to spread word about everything that’s going on here. You can contact him (please do!) at gbloom [at] breadforthecity [dot] org

More News About the Franklin Shelter

On September 16th the council meets and might be open to emergency legislation that would keep the Franklin Shelter open until other housing can be found for the residents. The Examiner ran a very good story that covers part of the motive for Mayor Fenty's desire to do close the facility, as well as this:

The Franklin School, at the corner of 13th and K streets, is a National Historic Landmark valued by city assessors at more than $12 million. D.C.’s inability to pinpoint replacement downtown shelter space has stymied the building’s redevelopment.

Now the shelter’s closure is imminent — its bed count is down from 300 only two months ago. And critics are calling Fenty on his apparent flip-flop: In 2006, when he chaired the council’s human services committee, Fenty offered a budget amendment prohibiting Franklin’s closure until downtown replacements are opened.

Get Fresh Festival This Saturday

The DC Department of Health is hosting the annual Get Fresh Festival this Saturday, September 13th, at RFK Stadium Lot #6 from 10am-3pm. That in and of itself doesn't sound all that exciting, but wait until you hear some of the things they're going to have: Food (of course), Entertainment (excellent), Breastfeeding Support (um...), Immunizations (dull but necessary at any festival), Games and Prizes! Games and prizes?! Who cares about the food or shots, you can win some sweet DOH schwag by beating your peers in a sack race!

I've heard that in past years this has been a load of fun. Not to mention that there will be other cool things like a cook-off and a spa tent. Everything's free, so there's really not much of a reason to miss it.

Remembering Ruben Gist

When I heard the news this morning that Ruben Gist had died, I was struck speechless. Ruben was my friend and partner in the fight to end hunger in the District. Though I know nothing about Ruben’s recent health status, the man I always saw was a physically and emotionally vibrant dynamo of a man. I remember sitting beside him on Friday morning, just six days ago, at a Healthy Affordable Food for All Coalition meeting as he belted out ideas for furthering our cause in the passionate unabashed way that only he could.

And now I find myself searching for the right words to express how sadden I am to learn of his death. I ran across these words-- and I’m not sure who to credit them too-- but I think they best capture my solemn feelings:

What moves through me is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch, the realization that I may not understand why you left this earth so soon, or why you left before any of us were ready to say good-bye, but little by little, I and all of those who knew you will begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived; and that in your life, you gave service to our community and to those in need, in a way too beautiful to forget.

On behalf of everyone at Bread for the City, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Gist Family and Ruben’s extended family at the Capital Area Food Bank where he was a leader and champion for those at risk of hunger for the past 10 years.

George A. Jones
Executive Director
Bread for the City

Education Cartoon Roundup VI

A Full Review of the Homeless Art Project

"Land of Plenty" by Tammy deGruchy

Walking into MOCA DC's gallery for the opening of the Homeless Art Project, the first thing I noticed was the space. Tucked away in a back corner of Georgetown next to a cluster of other galleries, MOCA DC is an awkward hourglass shape. The front room can hold about ten people comfortably, and the slightly bigger back room has a maximum capacity, I would guess, of twenty. The only connection was one narrow hallway holding one artist's work. Despite the unfortunate limitations of the space, the work itself is worth the trip.

Ninety percent of the work featured in the gallery belongs to Tammy deGruchy, a West Virginia native who has travelled the country talking to homeless residents on the streets, in domestic violence shelters, and in homeless centers. All of her works are oil paintings on canvas, all done from photographs she takes of the people she interviews. Her paintings are people-centric with limited, often blurred, backrounds and careful clothing detail on the individuals she hopes to highlight.

I'm not a huge fan of painting from a photograph if for no other reason than the paintings always look, well, like photographs. If that's the aesthetic you're going for, you might as well just work with the photograph. Considering Ms. deGruchy's emphasis on blurred lines and soft colors, I think an enlarged soft-focus photograph could be just as effective as an oil painting. That said, Ms. deGruchy is an accomplished painter, and as a series of work her paintings are fairly captivating. My only criticism is that the lack of backround in the painting reinforces a general lack of consideration of the context of how people become homeless in the first place. I think if the artist would put up parts of her interviews along with the paintings it would create a far more enriching narrative and might bring the stories, not the aesthetic, to the forefront of her work.

Two other artists share the space with deGruchy, though "share" might be a bit too strong a term. With two works a piece, the other artists feel like afterthoughts in the show. As if to prove that point, one of the two artists was stuck in the small hallway where no one could stop to see his work without disrupting traffic. Pat Apt's two things displayed were, I think, aquatint. Since I couldn't inspect too closely, I could be wrong, but they're some type of etching. Where deGruchy's paintings are very literal, Apt's are highly symbolic. Though there was clearly some careful etching, I think the artist still has some way to go. Both pieces were reliant on slogans and archetypes (e.g. people with blindfolds and bags of money running past someone sleeping on a bench) that might resonate with some, but don't add much that is original.

The other artist featured was placed along the wall next to the hallway, also easy to miss. I highly recommend you not. Easily the best artist there, Scott Angus' featured work consisted of 8" x 10" line drawings that were very complex and figurative. His best was "Man in the Moon," a tiny drawing depicting something very similar to the common children's illustration while rain falls in the foreground. From the perspective of a homeless person trying to sleep through the rain, the drawing has an ambience of hopelessness that is hard to convey. The expression of an emotion instead of an illustration of homelessness was refreshing in contrast to the other artists, but his subject matter is also clearly better. The idea of focusing on children's stories while inscribing a different connotation is, I can attest, a far better way to express the struggle of living without a home while not relying on stereotypes and symbols that often keep viewers at a sterile distance from the subject matter.

Though the gallery is small, Scott Angus' work is well worth the trip, and support for projects like this will hopefully yeild larger, better ones in the future. For more information, you can go to the MOCA DC website, or check out our previous entries.

Rally & Discussion to Save Franklin Shelter

September 8th (this Monday) is going to be a big day. In the morning there will be a rally to save Franklin Shelter from being shut down. The closure, if it goes through, would put about 300 more homeless residents on the streets just as winter approaches.

For those unfamiliar, Mayor Fenty announced he would be shutting down Franklin Shelter on October 1st because the Housing First Initiative would create 400 permanent homes. Not only are none of the homes operational, there are no plans to bring any of the houses on-line until 2010 at the earliest. Um...that leaves a bit of a time jump, and in the meantime we have things here called seasons and some of these "seasons" are cold and occasionally this "cold" causes hypothermia. You know, like it did last year and typically does every year.

It's time to get together and demand that Franklin Shelter remain open until the Mayor can make good on this and a couple other promises. Here's the time and place:

Monday, September 8th 11 AM at Franklin Shelter
13th and K St NW (one block from McPherson Square)

Then that night a group of panelists will discuss the fight against homelessness, and some of the nuances that have led to the situation we're in now. Sponsored by Empower DC and SALSA, it should be interesting, but you have to register ahead:

Franklin Shelter & The Fight Against Homelessness
Monday, September 8th
6:45 - 8:45pm1112 16th Street, NW, suite 600

This entry was posted with an ambiguous grammatical structure in the first paragraph. Corrections have been made.

Don't Forget!

Tonight is the Homeless Art Project's opening. MOCA DC is located at 1054 31st Street NW, and they throw open their doors at 6pm.

The event is sponsored by a number of excellent organizations: The National Coalition for the Homeless, Street Sense, Georgetown Ministry Center, Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place, DC Central Kitchen, Open Table at the Church of the Pilgrims Georgetown University student homeless organization, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, Jobs Have Priority, CCNV Shelter National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Bright Beginnings, Miriam's Kitchen, and Restore Hope In America.

Hope to see you there!

Education Cartoon Roundup V

Homeless Art Project Gallery Opening

This came to me today, and I thought it looked pretty cool. A lot of the good organizations we work with are coming together to sponsor a showing of artwork done by homeless DC residents. Here's the full description they give of the event:

The Homeless Art Project is an exhibit of art created by homeless artists and by artists who are not homeless but who have a grave concern over their plight. The exhibit includes agencies, groups, organizations and individuals who share this concern and are actively engaged in efforts to ameliorate the suffering and bring an end to this condition that is a shame on us all. The exhibit is open to everyone.

I know some people from BFC (myself included) are planning to go to the opening, but we should try and get as many people as possible. Bring some friends and help support a your local artists!

Here's the flyer that was sent: