Housing Counseling Services

Today, we have another gem of a post from Bread for the City's Lord High Legal Director, Vytas V. Verger. Housing Counseling Services is a 2009 Good Hope Award Recipient. — ed

About 10 years ago, if you had asked me to say what I thought about Housing Counseling Services, I wouldn't have been able to actually say much good. Now, all I have to offer is this Good Hope Award, which comes up pretty short of showing the appreciation we at Bread for the City feel for the help they've given us over the years.

Housing Counseling Services, or HCS, is a tenant advocacy, tenant organizing group that has both brought us important cases and helps us constantly in representing our clients. They have spent countless nights organizing, filing and translating for tenant meetings. These meetings can be amongst the most difficult and hectic things we do. Every tenant wants to talk - usually all at once. There is always at least one extra aggressive, special or difficult tenant who wants to talk more than all the rest. The translation itself is difficult because it involves legal terminology and tenants and lawyers and everybody talking waaaaay too much.

HCS personnel have helped get building-wide inspections, acted as our liaison for dozens of clients, testified at trial, and generally made it possible for us to represent entire buildings full of people. Whenever I am asked where to go for advice on forming a tenant association or on how to find housing, I say, "Housing Counseling Services." I say it without hesitation and with immense gratitude that this outstanding organization exists and works so closely with us.

—Vytas

Volunteer Spotlight: Bruce Mayor

Today's post on 2009 Good Hope Award Recipient, Bruce Mayor, was written by Bread for the City's Lord High Legal Director, Vytas V. Verger — ed

Bruce Mayor has been volunteering at Bread for the City's legal clinic, two days a week (and sometimes more) for...well, no one's quite sure when he started. It seems like he's just always been here, but it's been at least eight years. Bruce takes disability cases - that's pretty much all he does. I'm pretty sure he never lost a hearing until last year (although I have a feeling he may have done that on purpose to make the rest of us feel better).

Every so often Bruce consults with the Legal Clinic Director about one case or another. Again, this is probably done to make the Legal Clinic Director feel needed. Regardless, every month or so he tells us that he's won another SSI case, overcome Social Security Administration bureaucracy, resolved matters that have dragged on for years and changed the life of one of our clients for the better - assuring that someone now has an income for the rest of his or her life.

Bruce is the ultimate legal volunteer. Consistent, long-term, independent, effective, knowledgeable. He doesn't complain about our hectic surroundings or our limited resources. He just comes to work on Mondays and Tuesdays, picks up some disability cases, writes one of his unorthodox briefs and helps our clients - and us - day after day and year after year. As an added bonus, if you can get close enough to hear him (approximately four inches from his mouth) he will regale you with amusing stories and solid Bread for the City quirkiness.

In short, Bruce has provided us with invaluable assistance for a very long time. He has helped make our disability practice thrive, continued to spread our excellent reputation at SAA, and has generally been an outstanding addition to our staff. I cannot thank him enough for the work he's done for us.

—Vytas

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Roz Cohen!

Board Member Roz Cohen at July's Save the
Safety Net Rally at the Wilson Building

Roz Cohen has done everything you can think of for Bread for the City. She has served on our Board of Directors since 2002, where she currently holds the office of Vice-President. Roz has rallied at the Wilson Building in support of safety net services, packed grocery bags to be distributed in our food pantries, and attended countless fundraising events encouraging friends and strangers to support our programs—programs she has personally supported for almost two decades. Most notably, Roz has helped coordinate our annual fundraising event, Art with a Heart, for almost ten years—six as Chair of the planning committee.

Roz Cohen is a tank of an event planner. Frankly, that’s the best way I can think to describe her abilities, which then causes me to chuckle since she’s so petite. Roz knows how to rally the troops into action, she excels at recruiting new supporters, and she has such an amazing eye for detail—a gift that has saved my butt on more than one occasion.

Now, there are many people who have worked more closely with Roz over the years. When they learned she was receiving a Good Hope Award, here is what they had to say:

"Roz helps to organize Art with a Heart in a manner that manages to be both reassuring and galvanizing. I could never have pulled off the event without her hours and hours of patient help and advice. The best part, though, is that Roz…cares passionately about the organization, the clients, and the staff...She inspires me with her commitment and her energy."
Adrienne Ammerman, Former Development Associate

“My favorite thing about Roz is her ability to meet the ever diverse needs of all Bread for the City stakeholders, whether she's protesting to protect the housing rights of our clients or ensuring that al dente veggies don't go flying off the table during Art with a Heart and ruin the fancy outfits our guests.”
Andrea Messina, Former Associate Director of Development

“I'm trying to think of just one word to describe Roz, and I can't. "Diligent" comes to mind, as does "focused". "Committed" is another good one, and not as in "should be committed” either! But I think the best word is 'generous'. Abundantly generous with her time…her many talents and skills, her resources and her tremendous energy."
Leslie White, Former Grant Writer & Development Director

"Roz is one of those rare people who organizations like Bread for the City depend on. She exemplifies what Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Scott Schenkelberg, Former Development Director

“I love Roz because she could plan Art with a Heart blindfolded and with one arm tied behind her back…Because she loves Bread for the City so very much. Because she's a great friend, sounding board, mentor, and organizer.”
Valentine Breitbarth, Former Development Associate

For all these reasons—and many more—Bread for the City tips its hat to Rosalind C. Cohen, Esq. as our 2009 Program Volunteer of the year. We love you!

Human Rights Clinic in the Washington Post

Last weekend, the Washington Post published a story about our Human Rights Clinic, a new program that we’ve covered before on this blog. The Human Rights Clinic provides specialized medical examinations for refugees who must document evidence of torture in order to gain asylum in America.

(Dr Katalin Roth, pictured here, sits on Bread for the City's board and is a founding volunteer doctor with the Human Rights Clinic)

The Post article is especially worth reading for a few glimpses into the actual stories of the people who turn to this special program for help. In fact, it catches our Medical Clinic director, Dr Randi Abramson, in a particularly sad moment:

Abramson drops onto a stool, composing her thoughts before entering on a laptop the horrifying story of her most recent patient at the District nonprofit organization's new monthly clinic for political asylum-seekers: a 24-year-old Kenyan woman who recently fled Mexico and is petitioning to stay in the United States. Raised by abusive grandparents who beat her and, at 10, subjected her to genital mutilation. Cast out by her family for choosing school over marriage, she was tricked into a prostitution ring couched as a scholarship opportunity. She ended up in a Mexican brothel, where she was held captive, beaten and knifed by a customer….

"The scars, everything I found in the physical exam completely support the history she related," Abramson said. "It's just very rewarding to know that I will document what I heard and saw this evening and that will have a huge impact on her life."

It’s worth noting that Dr. Randi agreed to open this clinic without any additional funding. It’s a purely volunteer effort that—like so many things—she did simply because she saw there was a great need for it.

One important issue that the article doesn’t touch upon is that refugees are often not legally allowed to have a job while applying for asylum. So these traumatized individuals – who must rebuild a new life from scratch – can essentially become trapped in or near poverty for an extended period of time.

That makes our clinic all the more important for too many of these cases: we’re able to connect these clients into our network of comprehensive services – including food, medical care, legal counsel, social workers, etc – that can sustain them while they work to get back on their feet.

The good news is that we’re currently planning to increase our capacity to provide these services. And you can help! Join our capital campaign in support of our upcoming Northwest Center expansion, which will double the size of our medical clinic. You can donate here.

Meanwhile, if you are (or you know) a physician with interest in volunteering at the clinic, please contact Aviva Bellman at abellman@breadforthecity.org.

P.S. A special thank you goes out to Amy Asheroff, who helped coordinate this new program as it got off the ground this year. (“Child care!”) Amy is leaving us soon, and will be missed.

New Volunteer Page

We’ve just updated our Volunteer Page on our website with new volunteer opportunities for enthusiastic individuals and groups! Bread for the City has been in transition between Volunteer Coordinators for a few weeks, and some of our volunteer needs have gone unmet—now is your chance to help out!

Bread’s Southeast Center needs a few more Intake Volunteers to fill its weekly schedule. Intake Volunteers are the gateway to our organization: they interview new clients, asses their situations, needs, and eligibility for our five programs, and ensure that they are connected with the resources they deserve. We need energetic, dedicated, responsible and fun volunteers! Head to the website now to apply!

We are also looking for a volunteer or intern to help facilitate our Pre-Employment Program at our Southeast Center, a five week course that trains its students in financial literacy, time management, work ethics, conflict management, resume and cover letter writing, and successful interviewing. We need a dedicated volunteer to help organize this course and we are looking for another volunteer or group with experience in the business/professional world to help with a regular resume-writing class.

Our Representative-Payee Program is seeking an intern to help manage the files of its over 800 clients. In collaboration with the DC Department of Mental Health, the RPP helps residents with chronic mental illness to receive, manage, and maintain their eligibility for disability benefits. If you are organized, have one morning or afternoon a week, and want to give back to your community, please apply!

We also need a volunteer to help organize our corporate files: Bread for the City has been in constant expansion for decades, and we need a highly organized volunteer to keep track of all of our corporate documents relating to our expansion (with regard to both real estate and organizational size and scope).

Lastly, as always, we need groups of volunteers in both of our food pantries! Volunteer groups keep us able to constantly supply food to our clients by packing grocery bags with a variety of healthy foods and preparing it to be handed out. If you can organize a group of 5-10 volunteers for a morning or afternoon, let us know!

If you are interested in any of these positions, know that you would be a great asset to Bread for the City, and can dedicate yourself to a regular schedule for at least four months, head to our volunteer page on our website and apply now! Keep in mind that we are only open during regular business hours from Monday through Thursday.

Bread for the City has long depended on the selfless donation of time, energy, brains brawn of our dedicated volunteers, and we thank you for considering working with us.

Give it up for DC Fiscal Policy Institute

Wonks make the world go round, and the world needs more wonks like Ed Lazere and his all-star staff at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute: Katie Kerstetter, Jenny Reed, and Elissa Silverman.

Bread for the City works with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute as part of both the Coalition for Community Investment and Fair Budget Coalition. We also look to DCFPI as we organize the Save our Safety Net Campaign, for which we’ve talked a lot about here.

DCFPI conducts research and public education on budget and tax issues in the District of Columbia, with a particular emphasis on issues that affect low- and moderate-income residents. It’s DCFPI’s research that we refer to when talking to funders and policy leaders about why different government programs, policies, and public benefits are critical to the stability of our clients and our community.

In the coming years, as DC must find its way out of fiscal crisis and into economic recovery, DCFPI’s role will become ever more vital. While Bread for the City has a vivid on-the-ground perspective on the need for greater investment in our community, Ed and his staff are able to describe that need in ways that the budget-crunchers will actually understand.

It is our pleasure to name the DC Fiscal Policy Institute as Bread for the City’s 2009 Community Champion of the Year. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership in the years to come, as we strive to make this city a better place for its most vulnerable residents.

Volunteer Spotlight: Parker Farms

Parker Farms started as a family owned "Pick Your Own" operation with two acres of vegetables and berries in 1974. Rod Parker still runs the family business as the General Manager, with his son working as the Field Manager. With headquarters in Oak Grove, Virginia, Parker Farms now handles over 3,200 acres of farmland in Maine, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Rod was a huge help in the planning process for Glean for the City, and gave us valuable information that allowed the program to really take off. He took time out of his hectic schedule to sit down and talk with Bread for the City about food waste and the gleaning process. (That's Rod talking to BFC Nutritionist Sharon Gruber.) He took a lot of guesswork out of running the program, and helped to prepare us to hit the ground running.

This year, with the help of Parker Farms, volunteers working with Glean for the City have collected nearly 30,000 total pounds of fresh produce. We will be back at Parker Farms in October to glean broccoli, and any interested volunteers should visit www.BreadfortheCity.org/gleanforthecity.

Thank you Rod Parker and Parker Farms for all that you do. We are proud to have you as our 2009 Fresh Food Partner.

Volunteer Spotlight: WilmerHale LLP

Bread for the City will be recognizing a few of our many outstanding volunteers at the Fourth Annual Good Hope Awards on October 1st. Over the next few days we will be highlighting our awardees.

First out of the gate, WilmerHale LLP.

WilmerHale made a significant financial and volunteer two-year commitment to Bread for the City in 2008. During that time, their dollars helped us purchase our new delivery truck as well as ALL of the following:

• 730 homes received a three-day supply of groceries.
• 410 patients visits were conducted in our medical.
• 454 hours of legal assistance were provided in matters of housing, disability, and family law.
• 465 social services visits were conducted to link clients with emergency shelter, public benefits, etc.

And that's just what they did with their cold, hard cash. WilmerHale then took a giant step forward and gave generously of their time.

• Attorney Gina Haschke helped us update our legal documentation to comply with new IRS 990 standards, and also created a document retention policy.
• Attorney Amy Klemt drafted a revision of our whistleblower policy.
• Attorney Kelly Cochran drafted a revision of our conflict of interest policy.
• Attorney Stephen Edwards is helping us with a bunch of contract stuff as we begin construction on our 11,000 square foot expansion of our Northwest Center.
• Career Development Manager Cheryl Shigo coordinated a group of 25 co-workers for a gleaning visit to Crooked Run Orchard collecting 1,250 lbs. of fresh produce for our pantries

Staff and attorneys also hosted a food drive AND a clothing drive to benefit our clients, and it looks like they'll be doing more of them again this year.

To all our friends at WilmerHale, thank you for all that you do. You have definitely earned the title of Bread for the City's 2009 Corporate Partner of the Year.

Thank you!

Revealing the Invisible People: Homelessness and Social Media

[Today we welcome Liz Whitehurst, our new intern! —ed]

Coreen from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

The very best summer of my life was spent working at a drop-in center for homeless women. Amid the chaos (serving coffee, baking brownies, answering the door, etc) I would sit down with one of the regulars and listen to her stories. They were sometimes fascinating, often discouraging or even horrifying, but each story gave me insight into the lived experience of poverty.

What I love about Mark Horvath's Invisible People project is that it captures stories like these and brings them to millions. What's more, it allows the homeless people he meets on his travels across the country to speak for themselves.

Each person's story is unique, and the videos capture some of their complexity and common humanity. Some people look embarrassed in front of the camera, while others seem just happy to be talking to someone. Anger, fear, gratitude, and longing are all captured in their faces and words.

Take Juan in St. Petersburg for example. When asked to describe what homelessness is like, he simply says "Well, it really sucks. It's hard." Take Coreen in Nashville, who fled an abusive partner. When asked to describe what homelessness is like, she says "It's scary, but it's better than what I was in." And then there's Walter in Chicago who describes his daily experience as part of something bigger: "Even if you are homeless and you have nothing, if you have a purpose, you have all that you need."

Annemarie's story stood out to me because it adds to the ongoing conversation on this blog about the digital divide that exists in communities that lack internet access. Annemarie uses Twitter to connect with friends and social service agencies. Although her access to the internet isn't consistent, she can use twitter via her cell phone: "It's great for venting. Sometimes I just need to get something out to someone and a million people can hear it. It's good to know I'm not the only one who experiences these problems."

And through Twitter, Annemarie met Horvath – and her voice has been amplified even farther. I’m listening still.


So I'm on the lookout for more online places where homeless men and women are speaking out. Leave a comment or tweet if you have a suggestion.

—Liz Whitehurst

Healthy Corner Stores in DC

[Today we have a guest post from Kristin Roberts of DC Hunger Solutions. We've talked a lot on this blog about the lack of access to fresh produce in some DC neighborhoods, especially those east of the river. The D.C. Healthy Corner Store Program, funded by the D.C. Department of Health, is taking an innovative route to addressing that problem: working with small vendors to bring fresh fruit and veggies onto their shelves. They're making great progress, so see if there's a store in your neighborhood that you can support. —ed]


Greetings from the Healthy Corner Store Program!

We're happy to share the news that 12 corner stores in Ward 7 and Ward 8 are currently selling farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, supplied by Healthy Solutions/D.C. Produce Co-Op and MAGNET Farms. (Healthy Solutions’ products all are organic.) Meanwhile, Ward 8 Farmers’ Market and Capital Area Food Bank are continuing to supply produce to K & H Market and Liff’s Market.

This week’s selection includes tomatoes, green peppers, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, potatoes, onions and more! Several of the smaller stores have just a few items, while some larger ones have a wide selection. We hope that these stores are successful at selling produce and begin ordering it regularly, so that they can become consistent sources of affordable fresh produce in the community.

Please visit one of these stores for your next produce purchase and then help spread the word! We encourage customers to suggest their favorite fruits and vegetables to the store owners.

Contact D.C. Hunger Solutions (kroberts@dchunger.org or 202-986-2200 x3041) for more information or for promotional materials to share with your neighbors, friends, clients, and community.

D.C. Healthy Corner Stores

Martin Luther King Grocery - 2420 M. L. King, Jr. Ave. SE

Secrets of Nature - 3923 S. Capitol St. SW

Dollar Plus - 3921 S. Capitol St. SW

Elmira Grocery - 4401 S. Capitol St. SW

K & H Grocery - 3333 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE

Liff’s Market - 600 Alabama Ave. SE

Suburban Market - 4600 Sheriff Road NE

A-1 Grocery - 615 Division Ave. NE

Penn Dollar Plus & Food Store - 2529 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

Jones Grocery Store - 4350 Texas Ave. SE

Dollar Plus - 4514 Benning Rd. SE

People’s Market - 3041 Naylor Rd. SE

Access to Health: It’s Not Just a Third-World Issue

[We're happy to welcome Amy Johnson, a new fellow working with Bread for the City on food access and security issues. —ed]

When it comes to poverty, the real problem isn’t a matter of lack of resources, but a lack of access to resources. The technology, supplies, food, knowledge, etc are all available for people to live healthy and secure lives - but vast swaths of our fellow men and women can’t access these resources.

This is especially true in the Third World, and disproportionately afflicted upon women and children. In the September 15 briefing by Women’s Policy, Christopher Elias of the Program for Appropriate Technology and Health (PATH) and Richard Green of US Agency for International Development (USAID) explored health technology options for improving maternal, newborn, and child health.

The results of limited access to obstetric health technologies are tragic. Every minute of every day, one woman dies in child birth. In Pakistan, one in five children dies in childbirth. 30 to 40 percent of children under the age of 5 die of malnutrition. Many of these deaths could be prevented with trained medical personnel, emergency birthing kits, clean water, and vaccines. Everything that we take for granted here in the U.S.

But do all Americans even have access to these resources?

Our nation ranks 41st in the world in maternal mortality rate rankings. That’s not great. What’s more, the rate is rising. In 2005, the rate was 15.1 deaths per 100,000 births, 84% higher than in 1990.

Now, Washington DC’s maternal mortality rate is way below the national average - 5.3 per 100,000 from 1998 to 2002 [PDF]. This is indicative of DC’s progressive health care plan system – 90%of our residents have health insurance, largely thanks to the DC Health Care Alliance. However, there are not enough health care providers to actually provide care to those who have this insurance plan. Additionally, Washington, D.C. has one of the highest rates of infant mortality. The national number of infant deaths in the United States is 6.8 [PDF], but in Washington, D.C., it’s 12.2. Additionally, there is a higher infant mortality rate among African American women than women who are White or of other races. Wards 2, 5, 7, and 8 have higher infant mortality rates [PDF] than the rest of the city, demonstrating that this lack of access to and utilization of medical resources spans both racial and geographic boundaries.

These statistics demonstrate the results of a citywide lack of access that leaves low-income women—especially African-American women, who constitute the majority of Bread for the City’s clientele—on long waits and at a greater risk of maternal or infant death during pregnancy. So despite our exemplary health care network, there was an overall 10 % increase in the proportion of deliveries involving medical risk factors between 1998 and 2002. We cannot accept these figures.

This September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month, and a reminder that there is more to be done—within our own city and in our global society—to ensure that everyone has access to life’s necessities. At Bread For the City, we hope to reverse these numbers and help the women and children affected by inequalities in our health care network. Our medical clinic primary care practice, our food pantry's Nutrition Initiative, and our Fit for Fun classes are examples of our efforts to provide women and their children with the support they need.

Thanks to Julie-Irene Nkodo, who also contributed reporting to this post. —ed

Guest post: financial planning for non-profit employees

[Today we have a guest post from Adam Perry at the Capital Area Asset Builders. Check out their upcoming free financial planning clinic on September 23rd!]

There's this commonly held assumption that I'd like to see discarded: that one must choose between a career that offers financial security or "socially responsible" work that entails financial hardship.

I hear this assumption often when discussing my current work and my dreams for the future with friends (and even family). The bottom line, though, is that it’s not what you make, but what you do with it. Just like most things worth doing, planning for the future takes time and discipline.

With the Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB), I work with people to increase their financial independence. Many of our clients are low-income DC residents, but we’ve recently begun targeting other types of people, including young nonprofit professionals, who are looking to increase their financial security.

On September 23rd, Rebecca Schrieber, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional who works specifically with young professionals, is leading a free financial planning clinic at CAAB called "Keep The Work You Love: Financial Planning for Young Professionals." Participants will also be able to sign up for a free, no-strings-attached, one-on-one consultation with a CFP® professional to work through individual issues.

Come take advantage of this opportunity to challenge the false choice between good work and financial security, so that we can keep working to make our city a better place for everyone.

--Adam Perry

Lawyer Volunteers Are Awesome

Check out this month’s Washington Lawyer. The “Letter from the President” by Kim Keenan, the new District of Columbia Bar President, sheds light on an important partnership between Bread for the City and the DC Bar Pro Bono Program’s monthly Advice & Referral Clinic, which we have hosted for well over a decade.

The Advice & Referral Clinic brings volunteer attorneys together to counsel clients in myriad legal matters: bankruptcy, tax issues, employment law matters, housing and family law, wills, etc. Access to legal advice can be very hard to come by for lower-income clients—even in a city with as many lawyers as we have. This free, no appointment necessary, come as you are legal service is critical to helping those in potentially volatile situations find resources to maintain stability for themselves and their families.

The sheer volume of people helped by the clinic is amazing—more than 1,100 during fiscal year 2008 - 2009. But what is also quite striking is the dedication of the attorneys. Not only are attorneys from law firms, federal agencies, voluntary bars and alumni associations regularly donating their Saturday mornings, they are also taking the time to learn areas of law for which they are not experts—and they’re doing it all for free.

The next Advice & Referral Clinic will be held at Bread for the City’s Northwest and Southeast Centers this Saturday from 10:00am to 12:00pm. If you need help, stop on by. If you want to volunteer, visit www.dcbar.org/for_lawyers/pro_bono.

New Guy, Old Pictures

Hi! My name is Erin Garnaas-Holmes, and I’m the new Volunteer Coordinator here at Bread for the City. I just started a yearlong stint with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

I’ve been spending my time getting to know the (really great!) people around here, figuring out the way things work in my position, as well as learning a bit of Bread for the City’s history. Greg showed me some old photos that were just discovered -- from way back when Bread for the City was just a food pantry partnering with the neighboring Zacchaeus Free Clinic, located in a basement apartment on N Street.

Back then (1980s through 1994), Bread for the City was experiencing dramatic growth, and the number of people it served each month grew from less than 1,000 to more than 3,000. To meet the growing need, BFC opened satellite sites throughout Northwest and Southeast DC, distributing food and clothing from places like a loaned church basement, many of which were provided by Luther Place Church. In 1991, BFC and Zacchaeus Free Clinic started looking for a space to move in together, and purchased the abandoned lumber warehouse that is now our Northwest center at 1525 7th Street in the Shaw neighborhood.

Check out the full Flickr set of pictures from the late 80's and 90's here (and be sure to read the captions for more info!) or the slideshow below.



If I've learned anything since starting, it is that Bread for the City is a very efficient, growing and vibrant organization that has been doing good work for DC's vulnerable residents for a long time. I can already see the shape of big plans to do even more in the future. I'm excited to be here, and to help work towards that future!

If you'd like to learn more about opportunities to volunteer, please contact me.

Huge Day at West End

Last week, Bread for the City received a record amount of produce from the West End Farmer’s market. We stuffed every last produce bin, then stuffed the picking bags we normally use for gleanings, and then farmers gave me 10 additional boxes of produce. Had it not been for my trusty volunteer Meghan, I may have thrown my back out loading over 1,700 lbs of produce into the van.

As usual, the variety was excellent. We brought home squash, cucumbers, beets, greens, corn, eggplants, cantaloupes, tomatoes, fresh bread, and 5 different kinds of peppers.

Altogether it barely fit in our walk-in fridge.

Altogether, the West End market has made a remarkable contribution to our Glean for the City program. In 8 short weeks, we have gathered just under 10,000 lbs. of fresh, free produce. And the process is remarkably efficient. I collect 400 lbs. per hour of work on Sundays, and that includes driving time -- that adds up to enough for 1,000 clients per week, which then allows us to forego purchasing canned alternatives.

It's such an easy, even obvious benefit - and yet, we were surprised to find out that so few other groups have stepped up to claim it! Sharon Gruber, our in-house nutritionist, has discovered that many markets do not have a gleaning partner.

Susan Birchler, the West End market manager (who recently blogged here about our Glean for the City program) told me that she actually reached out to many groups herself, but never came up with a reliable ongoing arrangement. The problem seems to be one of resources. For a charity organization struggling to keep things together month to month, finding a volunteer and a truck for every single weekend can be hard.

Here at Bread for the City -- which operates on a scale hardly matched by other organizations in the area -- we're able to muster those resources. But even that is only made possible by a program like HealthCorps, which has made my year-long service possible. It's a good example of how volunteer resources can be put towards innovative ends. We thank HealthCorps and the DCPCA for making this possible, and encourage all local food assistance charities to dedicate resources toward developing a relationship with your local farmer's market.

The Great Costs of Adult Illiteracy

[Today we have a guest post from Ben Merrion, Literacy Outreach Specialist at the Adult Resource Center in the DC Public Library. They've got some important projects underway, so read on! -ed]

One out of 7 Americans has difficulty reading. This is according to the National Center for Education’s 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, which is the most recent adult literacy report. In the DC area, that number is much greater - about 1 in 5 (19%). This literacy crisis is not something that's discussed much in the media due to many reasons - partially because those who are illiterate aren't consuming media, let alone producing it. It's an aspect of our society that can all too easily escape our attention.

David Harvey, the CEO of a national adult literacy advocacy organization, Proliteracy Worldwide, was interviewed recently on C-Span, and said: "That report shows overall we have a shocking, silent crisis in the country that we are not doing a very good job of remedying." He noted that "Funding has not been increased in over a decade despite this problem growing." Throughout the interview he mentioned how problems with the issue of adult literacy can be linked to other social issues. He mentioned how the sub-prime mortgage crisis happened in part because large numbers of loans were made to people who couldn't possibly comprehend the contracts they were signing.

Harvey also mentioned that a discussion about literacy is being left out of the debate around health care. Without sufficient reading comprehension, patients can make preventable mistakes -- like misunderstanding physician instructions and medication labels -- that have severe health consequences. He said that adult illiteracy costs our health care system 28 billion dollars a year -- and that if we fixed the literacy problem, we could have enough money to cover those uninsured. Also, the University of Connecticut’s 2007 report Low Health Literacy: Implications for National Health Policy suggested the cost of illiteracy is even higher -- $106 billion and estimated $236 billion each year -- because individuals with insufficient literacy could miss important medical appointments or might be unable to determine how often they need to take a specified medical test.

As Harvey says in the video: "This is an issue that is impacting on our economy and our global competitiveness."

Working at the Adult Literacy Resource Center (which is part of the DC Library), I offer information and referral services to those seeking help with basic skills, GED preparation and learning English. We also offer the GED Practice Test free to those who want to take the test without preparing and they have to take and pass it to be able to take the actual GED exam. I have seen many people who have come in for classes or to get a GED because they need a job. Unfortunately, if people do not already have the skills needed to pass the test, it usually takes months of studying. For those who need to find immediate sources of income, this isn't a message that is easily accepted.

But we need to provide more opportunities and incentives to engage people. To help stimulate the conversation, the Adult Literacy Resource Center (ALRC) and DC’s literacy coalition, DC LEARNs, are partnering on some upcoming exciting projects. We will create videos about successful adult learning experiences, and we will launch an adult literacy blog on DC LEARNs’ website in late September.

Also in late September, the Adult Literacy Resource Center will host an open event: “Is Reading Really Fundamental? How Adult Literacy Is Related to Different Social Issues” on Tuesday, September 29 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW in the Great Hall.

You can come to find out more about adult literacy and our projects to foster it. Interact with adult learners, providers and advocates; volunteer for an adult literacy program; and connect to the adult literacy blog. The featured speaker will be Talmadge Guy, author of Providing Culturally Relevant Adult Education: A Challenge for the Twenty-First Century. Please RSVP by September 20th: You can email me or call (202) 727-2431. You can also sign up on Socializr. A flyer about the event is here.

Lastly, friend us on Facebook to stay updated!

This post was published in a similar form on Rebecca Katz' blog, which is focusing this month on matters of adult literacy.

Community Voice Mail: A Valuable and Innovative Lifeline

Most people take access to voicemail or answering machines for granted. It's a critical component of managing our correspondence and our lives.

But what if you don’t have a phone and you’re unemployed? How do you schedule an interview if an employer can’t reach you by phone? Or what if you’ve been waiting for your doctor’s office to call you with an appointment time or with the results of your recent lab tests?

What if you’ve managed to leave an abusive relationship and you and your children are now in a safe living situation? Under no circumstances would you want to risk having a phone account that reveals your true name and address.

Community Voice Mail is a service that empowers people in crisis and transition by providing a consistent telephone number and voicemail service.

At Bread for the City, we’ve been using CVM for 3 years to assist clients with stabilizing and rebuilding their lives. The program works by distributing phone numbers through existing social service organizations such as BFC, SOME and N Street Village to name a few. Each agency adheres to strict guidelines of confidentiality regarding the identity of CVM consumers. By partnering with local service providers, CVM enhances what we already do and delivers a tangible, much-needed service.

CVM can also give users broadcast messages about community resources, job openings, and emergencies. It builds our capacity to help people regain self-sufficiency.

It’s a small thing, but it can really be a huge help for a lot of people who just can’t afford other lines of communication. Recently, one of our CVM customers said: even though he has an email address that employers can use to contact him, not having a phone number or a place to leave messages is a real barrier to looking for work. He says CVM helps him "110%" and he really hopes the service continues for years to come and that more people can take advantage of it.

These comments are backed by a success rate that is too impressive to ignore. In 2003:

• 46% of CVM users nationwide found jobs,
• 52% of CVM users found housing, and
• 86% of CVM users achieved “safe communication” (fleeing domestic abuse).

Despite these achievements, CVM is like many initiatives that have lost funding under the current economic climate, and its future is uncertain. But DC’s unemployment and the nation’s domestic abuse rates are climbing fast and we need programs like CVM now more than ever.

For more information about this program, contact Jennifer Brandon, Executive Director, Community Voice Mail National Office, jbrandon@cvm.org or (206) 441-7872 ext. 175.

Save our Safety Net: Attend Our Campaign Meeting

Community event announcement! Save Our Safety Net campaign meeting at Busboys and Poets (5th and K NW) on September 17th, 6pm. RSVP here.

This summer, when the recession brought DC into a fiscal crisis, the Mayor proposed to balance the budget by divesting public funding from critical safety net programs. We took a stand, and in just under a week's time nearly 2,000 DC residents stood with us to urge City Council to save our safety net.

Our voice WAS heard: City Council restored some of the worst cuts to safety net programs. But the final budget was still severely imbalanced against the poor.

And this crisis is not over. Revised estimates of the city’s projected revenue will be released this month, and this could trigger a new round of cuts. Furthermore, we know that next year’s budget deliberations will be even harder.

Now is the time to start building pressure for smarter and more responsible leadership. You can help us make a difference.

Along with the Coalition for Community Investment, we are hosting a special "Save Our Safety Net" community event on September 17th, 6pm at Busboys and Poets (5th and K street NW).

We’ll meet to learn about the budget crisis and discuss alternative courses of action for our city’s leaders. We’ll also identify opportunities for concerned residents to take action and stay involved. RSVP here.

Twenty years! Congrats to Jill Dotson

We celebrated a major milestone at Bread for the City last month: our longest-serving full-time employee, Jill Dotson, celebrated her 20th "Breadiversary." 20 years! We took this opportunity to share some of her stories.

Tell us how you came to work here.

I was in rehab at N Street village. That was when Zacchaeus [the free medical clinic that merged with Bread for the City] was right over there too, on 14th and Vermont. Back then you could get everything you needed in that one little section of town - food, clothing, social services, rehab, medical - anyone could just come to that area for help.

When you are out there, it’s almost like being slapped out of existence. Like you weren’t a part of society. You would see people on the street on their way to work and just think 'it'll never be me there.'

But I got clean, and I worked for Blood Mobiles for a bit, and then someone told me about a reception job opening up at Zacchaeus. I was still at N Street, and the clinic was right there across the street. Only two people applied for the job, and I was the only one of the two who didn't lie on my resume and had good references, so I got the job.

I was like, 'WOW.' Not only did I get out of rehab but then I got a career job. A job which not only helped me win back custody of my kids, but a job that also helped me support my family. To come from where I came, the lowest thing on the totem pole, to all of a sudden feeling like I was a part of life again -- Bread for the City gave me a restart. You can’t beat that with a stick, you really can’t.

What were you doing when you started?

First they had me doing phones and reception. But I also did labs! We had everyone doing everything back then. We were even starting the legal clinic and talking about merging with the food pantry. Back in those days, we were down in a hole. It was this basement, like we were in a box crawling all over each other.

How have things changed since the ‘good’ old days?

We’ve grown. And we are helping a lot more people.

If you could have changed something or done something different in your 20 years, would you?

For real, everything went so perfectly. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. For the kids too. It’s really nice that Bread for the City has always been a place where kids come and hang out with their parents. Whenever my kids misbehaved and got themselves kicked out of school or something, I would say, ‘fine, you are coming to work with mom then’. And we would put them to work. The staff were like aunts and uncles to my kids.

What, if anything, would you want to tell the outside world about BFC?

I’ve worked for plenty of places, and some places out there will give you more money, but I’d rather work at a place where I felt good about what I’m doing – where there is a real need and we are all working to meet that need. This is really the only place I’ve ever worked where I feel totally good about what I do.

What have you learned about people while working here?

If humanity is a living growing thing, we're in our teenage years now. We're smart, but we're thugs. How are we gonna mature? That's what we've gotta figure out. Is it gonna take something horrible to make us grow up, or are we going to hold ourselves responsible? That's where we're at-- and where we gotta get is to a place where people know how to be better to each other.