So, what are those other guys up to?

Some of our non-profit partners have joined us in the blogosphere, so I thought it would be worthwhile to check in and see what they've been blogging about lately. (Maybe a new roundup in the works?)

~One of our closest legal partners launched a blog on June 1st! Making Justice Real is operated by the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, an organization that provides civil legal aid to low-income residents that cannot afford a lawyer. Their all-star Executive Director, Jonathan Smith, appears to be manning the helm at this point--which is exciting, because that guy knows a lot. We hope to see more of the Legal Aid lawyers participating in the future. You can also follow them on Twitter.

~Part of the legislation that gave DC a new baseball stadium in Southeast also started a community benefit fund. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute is recommending that the money in the Nationals Stadium Community Benefit Fund be used to beef up affordable housing programs like the Housing Production Trust Fund and the Housing Purchase Assistance Program. Mayor Fenty is instead proposing that the money be used to close the deficit for the bloated Summer Youth Employment Program.

~I didn’t know this, but Martha’s Table benefits from Clagett Farm in the same way we do! Clagett, the result of a partnership between the Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, allows food pantries to buy shares at a reduced rate so we can all distribute fresh, locally grown produce. In fact, the partnership we have with Claggett was the first step in our over-arching Nutrition Initiative through which we secure all sorts of fresh produce (btw--Martha's Table is also on Twitter).

~If you’re interested in serving your community and you're considering AmeriCorps, DC Learns can help you get a leg up on the pile. They are currently accepting applications for a Literacy*AmeriCorps Member in the 2009-2010 service year.

~The Campus Kitchen Project Blog has a good response to the Washington Post story stating that poor people often must spend more than their affluent neighbors to survive. For more information, you can also see our response to the same article.