Teaming up With Ben Again: Art show Wednesday!

We're pleased to announce that we've teamed up with DC United's Ben Olsen once again for a special arts event! On Wednesday, January 5th, at 7pm at Morton Fine Art (1781 Florida Ave NW), this event will feature the works of several local artists (including Peter Loge, Ben Ferry, Mike Weber, Mike Dowley, Choichun Leung, Rosemary Feit Covey, Susan Burnstine, the Redskins' Chris Cooley, recently profiled in the New York Times -- and of course Ben himself). Proceeds will go to Bread for the City.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Free food and drink included with ticket purchase, as well as 15% off clothing purchases at the very trendy Commonwealth on Florida Avenue for that night only.

Space is limited, so get your ticket today.

2010: a Year in Review

As we wrap up this crazy holiday season, let’s take a moment to reflect on the year that was 2010. It was a busy one for Bread for the City, filled with challenges, loss, innovation and growth. Have a look:

For most of the year, we watched the ongoing construction on our new Northwest Center facility (which includes a major expansion for our Medical Clinic). The expansion was finally completed in November, and we’ve moved in this month. (The Grand Opening is next Friday - you should come!)

But even before the move, our Medical Program was busy innovating - developing health-oriented literacy classes for both kids (with childrens’ books) and adults (with computer classes). Our cooking and nutrition classes ventured into ethnic cuisines, and even launched weight loss support groups.

Meanwhile, our Legal Team won some major victories for tenants that resonated across the city - like pressuring the Powers that Be to create a docket for tenants to file complaints about housing conditions in Landlord/Tenant court, and successfully representing the rent-striking tenants of Marbury Plaza as they demanded improvements to one of the largest housing complexes in the city. Other Big Wins included the Jerrold Scoutt Prize (Lord High Legal Director Vytas V. Vergeer) and Jeopardy (power-blogger Stacy Braverman).

Our food pantry saw both great steps forward and a devastating loss this year. Our Southeast Center introduced a whole new model of distributing food called “Client Choice,” which we've subsequently worked to improve, and ultimately permanently adopt, to widespread approval from staff, clients, and volunteers. Our second annual Glean for the City season was such a success that we actually had to put surplus fresh veggies out for anyone to take as much as they wanted; we even hosted a Free Farmers Market (which we hope to reintroduce and expand next summer). Amid all this, however, we said goodbye to our Food Pantry director, Ted Pringle, who built Bread for the City’s pantry into what it is today, and whose legacy will stay right with us in the future. Rest in Peace, Ted.

Even as we dealt with loss in our own family, we also took note that this was an especially difficult year for many of our clients. As the Great Recession trudged on, this blog recorded the dramatic rise in the need for utility assistance, the diminishing stock of affordable housing, and the devastating impact of budget cuts to critical programs such as disability benefits. Our social services staff worked furiously to meet new needs; for instance, Southeast’s Sherita Evans developed specialized protocols for working with low-income veterans who are increasingly turning to us. We also took more active advocacy responses to rising poverty, helping to launch the Save Our Safety Net campaign, and championing the expansion of food stamps in the District. You could even turn to the blog to hear it directly from our clients themselves, like Patty Anne, who is becoming something of a Beyond Bread regular.

That’s just a sampling of the year behind us; and, of course, we considered many issues that we’ll have even more to say about in the future (like our seedling rooftop garden program!). Here’s a huge thank you for everyone who helped us over the course of the past year. Your support makes all of this work possible.

If you haven’t yet, please consider making a year-end donation -- and share that with your friends and loved ones. And to all of us, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Quality: Improved

Bread for the City’s food pantries have recently changed the way we give out food, switching from pre-packaging grocery bags to a Client Choice model. It can be difficult to change the ways we've been working for decades, but we're being careful to use quality improvement (Q.I.) tactics -- carefully measuring discrete changes to our system, one by one. The positive results are happening quickly.

Once we'd already achieved our desired cycle time (i.e. the length of an average client visit into the pantry) in the Client Choice model, we turned our attention to another Quality Improvement measure: increasing the amount of fresh veggies that our clients choose to take home.

Fresh vegetables are essential to good health; and since our nutrition initiative began 2 years ago, Bread for the City has drastically increased our produce distribution. But we don’t just want to give away more produce; we want our clients to want more produce. And we think that Client Choice provides a great opportunity to educate about the health benefits of fresh produce -- and also a great metric by which to gauge our progress.

Our food pantry offers a variety of vegetable options, both canned and fresh. So we simply kept track of the ratio of fresh vs. canned veggies that clients chose to take home. During our first sample, 41% of veggies taken home were fresh. That’s not bad (keep in mind many elderly and disable patients require the ease of cans, and large families often opt for cans because they take up less space in bags)...but we thought we could do better.

So the following week, we tested two tweaks, in search of quality improvement:

1) We moved the produce to eye level and added one extra produce display shelf.

2) We installed signs with easy to read produce names and nutrition facts (Ex: "Eating greens lowers cholesterol and helps your heart!").

These simple changes packed an impressive punch. In our second sample, we observed a 61% take home rate for fresh veggies -- that's a 20% spike from our first sample!

We're going to continue to experiment with the layout and procedure in our food pantries in the new year. And of course we're always eager to hear your ideas. All interested parties are encouraged to come take a tour, see how it works, volunteer a bit, and let us know *your* ideas.

Merry Christmas!

Earlier this month, we arranged for a free family photo session for Bread for the City clients who wanted a professional portrait for the holidays. The results were so fun and inspiring. I want to share some of them with you today. See below, or check out the whole set on Flickr here.

(A heartfelt thanks to Steve Goldenberg, who has provided his excellent photography to us for three years' worth of holiday seasons.)

"Christmas is my favorite holiday. And then Thanksgiving. Andthen Valentine's Day. It's fun because we have family over. My grandma comes over and I give her a kiss."

"I don't come to get food any more because I'm doing okay now, but I tell others to come. I was on Facebook and somebody posted saying that she didn't have clothes for her baby and I told her to just come here, this is the place."

"I am unemployed and my benefits ran out last week. I just came in yesterday, and they told me about these holiday photos. It has been hard providing for my 2 year old son, who keeps becoming ill. Bread for the City has been helping me make meals as well as providing, you know, mental support. And y'all connected me with an employment agency up the street."

"Words just can't begin to describe. I've had some low points, illnesses that kept me from working, you all stayed with me. You gave me support and stood by me through trials and tribulations. And I'm still here so I thank God and thank you guys and it feels good to give back."

"Things have gotten better in this neighborhood. And we still needed a place like this. People can't wait for it to expand. It's a positive motivation thing. You come here, things aren't crazy, people leave their crazy at the door. You get respect, so you give respect back. That's what we need."

See the complete photoset on Flickr here. And please help us make this community even stronger by making your year-end donation to Bread for the City today.

Special CNN Report on our Medical Clinic

For a special segment to be broadcast on Christmas Day at 4pm, CNN visited our expanded Northwest Center and produced a feature on our health clinic, and Medical Program Director Dr. Randi Abramson. Enjoy!

Note that we are almost one week into our Year End Challenge: we're trying to raise $150,000 (and add 200 new donors to the Bread for the City community) by the end of the year! This will help us move forward immediately with staffing and operating our new medical clinic in 2011. Join us today!

Hope for the Holidays

This holiday message comes from Patty Anne, a member of Bread for the City's Client Advisory Board. You can see Patty Anne fighting for her rights in this video from Empower DC.

It’s the holiday season and although again this year I don’t have a lot, I’m grateful to have a roof over my head and my daughter Kerryn, who has been by my side through all the tough times. She’s the reason I’m here today.

I was in an abusive relationship, and I got out of it because I knew I was pregnant. I know some people will stick with a person and take what they can get. My husband had money, he had nice cars, but underneath he was abusive - I didn’t want that for my daughter. So I chose to walk away.

Even after all the troubles with my crazy landlords, having to be homeless for a little while, getting sick from mold in the places we were living, having to move from house to house, I don’t regret my decision. But sometimes it’s hard, knowing that Kerryn doesn’t have what other kids have, knowing she deserves better. I wish I were a millionaire so I could give her it all, but I have what I have, and I am trying to make it work.

Last year when we moved, I had no money to buy her gifts, and Kerryn had no Christmas. There was no tree, there were no lights. She came down the stairs and I know she was looking for something. I just said “Kerryn, I am so sorry,” and she said, “It's ok Mommy, it'll be better next year.” Even though things were that way, she never complained. Some kids would get mad. Instead, when I cry, Kerryn will hug and kiss me and tell me it’s alright.

Now here we are at Christmastime again, and I get just $118 a month in Food Stamps, even though Kerryn has food allergies and needs more expensive foods. I’m disabled and on a fixed income, so I’m not sure I can even get her the basics, let alone a special holiday meal. And even as I struggle to put food on the table, the City Council is cutting the budget for programs like Interim Disability Assistance and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Some people in my situation would give up. Because I have Kerryn, I find hope when so many people are trying to take our hope away. She is on the Principal’s Honor Roll, and she was just voted Vice President of the student government. I am so proud of her, and I want so much to be a mother she can be proud of. I want to take care of her the way I know she deserves. She gives me joy and peace, and the strength to fight for my rights and make sure my voice is heard.

Community of the Year

I had quite a surprise this weekend: I woke up to find that my name has been offered for the Washington Post's "Person of the Year." See this note by Mike McCurry, former press secretary to President Bill Clinton.

"There weren't many political heroes in Washington this midterm election year, but some extraordinary people are on the verge of doing something our politicians should celebrate: ending childhood hunger in the District. There are about 35,000 kids in the District who live in poverty. Now a partnership of activists (both faith-based and secular) and concerned public officials have come forward with a real plan to make sure that by 2016, no child goes hungry. Many deserve recognition, but most would agree that the greatest champion of hungry kids is George Jones of Bread for the City."

Mr. McCurry was right: recognition is due to the entire community of people working together to end hunger in our city. As flattering as it is to see my name mentioned among such prominent company, I hasten to assert that it's our community -- service providers, policymakers, educators, organizers, and supporters like you -- that deserves special recognition for our work this year. I am merely fortunate to work among such dedicated and generous people. Thank you.

That said, I'd like to use this unexpected spotlight to issue a challenge to this great community. Last December, Bread for the City raised just about $100,000 through our website alone. The outpouring was incredible.

When I mentioned this to Bread for the City's Board President, Mark Aron, he was impressed -- and upon thinking for a moment, he added, "I bet you can do even better this year."

With our brand new center, and exciting new programs, we do feel bigger than ever, and it's going to take even more work to live up to our potential in the New Year. So Mark has challenged us to raise $150,000 through online giving alone in these last two weeks of 2010. It's a tall order, but he's already put an additional $15,000 donation on the line himself -- with a challenge for us to follow suit and step up.

Can you help us reach our goal of $150,000 raised by the end of the year?

To meet this challenge, we'll need more than just the generosity of our current donors. We'll need to add 200 new donors to Bread for the City's community. I know that we can do this if you make a gift today, and then ask your friends and family to do the same.

The goal is lofty and it won't be easy to reach, but, heck, we just built a massive new medical clinic during the worst recession in a generation. Thank you for standing with us as we enter this new chapter. With all of us working together, anything's possible.

DC Council chooses cuts instead of progressive revenue.

The DC City Council votes a second time tomorrow on the city’s revised budget. On the first vote, December 7th, the Council chose the approach of spending cuts instead of progressive revenue. Instead of investing in our city, the Council cut funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), disability services, child care subsidies, affordable housing, mental health services, and other essential programs. While we celebrate the partial restorations that were made -- to Access to Justice, Energy Assistance, HIV/AIDS services, Grandparent Caregiver Subsidy, Adult Job Training, and others -- we are dismayed that the Council didn’t make the bold, smart choice to create new tax brackets.

This video from Empower DC offers a good recap and features Bread for the City client blogger Patty Anne asking Mayor-Elect Vince Gray to not make cuts to the TANF program:



Despite the disappointment of the cuts and ultimate defeat of progressive revenue proposals, five Councilmembers again provided leadership in introducing progressive revenue: Michael Brown (At-Large), Jim Graham (Ward 1), Harry Thomas (Ward 5), Tommy Wells (Ward 6), and Marion Barry (Ward 8). Each supported income tax reform and designated the money that would have been raised to fund safety net programs. Please take a moment to email a thank-you to our Safety Net Superheroes.

Gray’s proposal included even harsher cuts to the TANF program. Just today, advocates learned that the latest proposal is to cut TANF cash assistance for all families by 12% and to implement full family sanctions, a policy change that completely cuts off any household that is not complying with the work requirement.

It’s too late to raise taxes, but it’s not too late to stop this harmful policy change. Please call the At-Large Councilmembers and your Ward Councilmember today or tomorrow morning, and ask them to implement improvements to the TANF program that will get people back to work before removing financial support. Consider saying something like this:

“I am calling to ask _________ to oppose full family sanctions and reducing TANF benefits in the Budget Support Act. I believe the City Council needs to slow down and approach this issue in a thoughtful manner. Rushing TANF reform puts families at risk and does not address the underlying problems preventing families from moving to work. We need time to plan and develop good TANF policies that promote work and protect children.”

Chair Vincent C. Gray, vgray@dccouncil.us, (202) 724-8032
At-large David Catania, dcatania@dccouncil.us, 724-7772
At-large Michael Brown, mbrown@dccouncil.us, 724-8105
At-large Phil Mendelson, pmendelson@dccouncil.us, 724-8064
At-large Kwame R. Brown, kbrown@dccouncil.us, 724-8174
Ward 1 Jim Graham, jgraham@dccouncil.us, 724-8181
Ward 2 Jack Evans, jackevans@dccouncil.us, 724-8058
Ward 3 Mary Cheh, mcheh@dccouncil.us, 724-8062
Ward 4 Muriel Bowser, mbowser@dccouncil.us, 724-8052
Ward 5 Harry "Tommy" Thomas Jr., hthomas@dccouncil.us, 724-8028
Ward 6 Tommy Wells, twells@dccouncil.us, 724-8072
Ward 7 Yvette Alexander, yalexander@dccouncil.us, 724-8068
Ward 8 Marion Barry, mbarry@dccouncil.us, 724-8045
Councilmember listserv membersonly@dccouncil.us

One week till Christmas!

Christmas is just a week away, and here at Bread for the City, we're filled with anticipation for the holiday -- and, suffice it to say, busier than ever!

It's not just that we're still moving into our brand new facility. It's also that Holiday Helpings is still going strong in this final week. Indeed, still more families will come to us in the week to come, seeking help to make a holiday meal possible.

If you haven't yet given to Holiday Helpings, please give today. And if you've already given, please consider making another donation in honor of a friend or loved one as a holiday gift. Just give us your instructions in the comment field of our Holiday Helpings donation page by the close of business today, and Bread for the City will mail a special gift care to the designee of your choice. (Such gifts can be made after today, and we will send an email on Christmas Day.)

I am so proud of our staff for their steadfast commitment and capabilities. And I am so inspired by our generous community of donors, who have given us the support we need to meet this increased need. Thank you for making this Holiday Helpings one to remember.

In the meantime, please check out this photo album of special holiday portraits of Bread for the City staff, volunteers, and clients. This has become a recent annual tradition, and we're very thankful to Steve Goldenberg for his pro bono photography services.

Building our library

Our new medical clinic's new children's waiting area is already filled with books awaiting readers of all ages.

Bread for the City supervolunteer Marie Hoffman (left) and Sandy Meredith (right)

When Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church (CCPC) in Northwest DC learned about the beautiful new space and its empty shelves, they held a book drive during October to make sure that every child visiting the clinic could find a book to read (and maybe take home). They collected more than 300 books for all reading levels: board books for the tiniest hands, picture books, easy readers, and chapter books for tweens and teens.

Then CCPC's Weekday Nursery School also found out about the new clinic, and they dedicated part of their Book Fair to the book drive and brought in nearly 150 more books. Now all the new parents and children coming to Bread for the City's medical center can come browse the shelves for something to read while they wait.

We've been distributing books to our pediatric patients for some time now (read more about our Reach Out and Read program, which provides a new book for each child per medical clinic visit). More books, of course, are always needed and welcomed. Please contact Erin Garnaas-Holmes at eholmes@breadforthecity.org with any donation offers or questions. Thank you!

Many thanks to Steve Robertson, Associate Pastor, Joan Rademaker, who combed all the library book sales in her area and filled up 4 boxes with books, the Mission Committee, which approved and promoted the book drive, Sandy Meredith, who carried boxes and bags of books and was the most joyful booster of the book drive, Cindy Walsh, Director of the Weekday Nursery School, and Kristen Best, who organized the book fair.

(And many thanks also go out to Cynthia Krus and George Corey, who made this new children's waiting area possible through a donation to the capital campaign in honor of the Krus-Corey Family.)

Lastly, a reminder that you can join us to see this space, at the Grand Opening of the new center on January 7th. RSVP at rsvp@breadforthecity.org.

Greater than the Sum of Our Parts

It’s amazing how much emotional support one can get from strangers. As Bread for the City’s resident nutrition consultant, I’ve recently begun a small, new program: a support group designed specifically for Bread for the City clients who are struggling to lose weight.

I invited a few clients with whom I’ve been consulting about nutrition and healthier living. I do my part to guide them on the best choices for their bodies, and I help them devise plans that fit with their lifestyles, but I thought that a support group of peers might make the biggest impact in terms of turning their good intentions into action. Indeed, though none of them previously knew each other, within a short time, this group has been delving deep into personal issues including job loss, emotional avoidance, family matters, and sense of self-worth. And the participants say it’s helping.

As a group, the patients are trying to get behind the “why” of their choices. Why is one person cooking healthy meals, only to binge on an entire box of cookies for dessert? Why does another participant feel unable to meet her goal of packing a small lunch to have on the go instead of stopping at a fast food place almost every day? Why is another patient not making herself a meal but instead grabbing snacks all day long? And why does another eat until the feeling that she couldn’t possibly squeeze another bite into her body? They all are different questions, but there is so much similarity among the struggles people face with food.

One of our goals is to move beyond the refrain of “I know what I need to do, but I just can’t seem to do it.” Empathy abounds among the participants, as do good questions and creative solutions to the underlying reasons people are not taking care of themselves the way they want to. And there is power simply in hearing oneself share a story of difficulty. Patients are using journals to help themselves stay focused between our weekly meetings as they work out some of the more challenging stuff.

The results are apparent. Patients say that they are trying not to call themselves “bad” after not eating in a way that they’re proud of. Self-blame and abuse certainly won’t help people take better care of themselves. At the same time, a couple of participants reported pausing mid-meal to wonder, “Have I had enough? Am I hungry for more food, or am I hungry for something else? Am I just numbing myself, trying not to think about anything in particular?”

One patient told me that after one bowl of her favorite soup this past week, she paused and thought, “If I really love food, why am I rushing through it to get more and more? Why not savor it, truly enjoy the flavor as I was intended to?”

These are multi-layered, complex questions, and exploring their answers can support the participants in a multitude of ways. One woman, whose weight was stalled for years, just told me last week, “I lost a chin! I’m really taking care of myself.” This is a new endeavor, and I’m excited about the potential. It can take a long time to gain significant amounts of weight , and it will certainly take a while to lose it. This new endeavor is a slow, learning process for the whole group, including me, and we’re confronting our own obstacles as a group. One person had to drop out because she was fortunate enough to find a full-time job; and another has been sick the past couple of weeks. But change is happening despite the challenges, and I’m starting to feel optimistic. Supportive strangers might be just what the doctor (or, um, nutrition consultant) ordered.

Rocking the Holiday Spirit with the RIAA, Comet, and Mike Posner

Late last week, Bread for the City's board and staff were thrilled to join the Recording Industry Association of America and the Entertainment Software Association for our 3rd annual holiday party at the 930 Club. (See this coverage by party co-sponsor, The Comet.) This special celebration helps supports our efforts to fight poverty here in Washington, DC -- and also gives our staff a rare chance to kick back and have a good time.

Hundreds of friends and guests came out for the bash, brought plenty of can food donations and spirited holiday cheer, and were treated to free refreshments, good dance music from DJ Nice and the great songs and music from the rising star Mike Posner. (I even got to meet the fine young man.)

You can see more photos of Bread for the City's staff and volunteers sharing a pre-party dinner in our brand new Northwest Center in our Flickr feed here.

Thanks to the RIAA, ESA, Mike Posner, the Comet, and all of the other sponsors, for a blast of a time that will also help us do even more good work in the community. Happy Holidays!

Greens, Grains and the Grocery Store with Client Advisory Board Member Dorothy

Dorothy Kemp, DC resident and member of the Bread for the City Client Advisory Board, recently took Allison, a Bread for the City intern, grocery shopping. Let’s join them as Dorothy shares her experiences with being happy and healthy with an affordable, plant-based diet.

Dorothy chose the P Street Whole Foods for our grocery shopping tour, because of the bulk food options. But as we enter the store, Dorothy makes a beeline for the vegetables. Tonight she will be cooking a quinoa and winter vegetables dish, but is quickly distracted by the leafy greens -- rapini and dandelion greens are her choices today. “Don't worry, these aren't from your yard.” These are added to her usual purchase of mixed salad greens, sold for under $5 a pound.

Dorothy, who has for years been eating a primarily vegan diet on a limited budget, laughs about the grief she gets from friends and family for her love of salad. “People are always asking: 'Why are you eating that?' Cause it works!”

“For me, not having meat is no big deal – I'm still healthy and hopefully the planet is a little cleaner. We have so much abundance and so many selections to make, and hopefully we can help each other make some of the healthier choices. And it's not just affordable, but you can save money! Beans over meat, whole grains in bulk, vegetables…. The meat -- I don't miss it!”

Dorothy's number one tip is to get to know the bulk foods section of stores like Whole Foods, with a wide variety of healthy whole grains, dried fruits, and nuts available more cheaply than in boxes or in pre-packaged meals. Whereas in the other aisles, a box of rice can cost $3.00 a pound, in the bulk aisles, it's only $1.69 a pound. In this video, learn two of Dorothy's tricks - knowing how much pasta is enough and knowing where to look for grains:

“Once a week or so I would try something different, try a new grain I didn't know, see if I like it,” Dorothy explains how she came to love quinoa – a seed that cooks like a grain but contains all essential amino acids and is a staple in her cooking throughout the year. (It sells for $3.39 per pound in bulk versus the equivalent of $6.00 per pound in other aisles). We agree all the options might be intimidating for someone who's never seen this section. “I would start with something that they're familiar with – raw nuts, plain rice. And then if there's something that they'd maybe heard of, or something they see on the list of grains, look it up and try to figure out how to use it.”

An incremental approach to eating healthier is something that Dorothy has applied in her own life and does not hesitate to share with friends. “I always encourage people to share what they've cooked. If you make enough to share, they'll usually say, ‘This is not bad!’” She's found that some of the main obstacles to healthier eating are attitudes about meat and sugar. With no shortage of creative alternatives, Dorothy finds that she can convince friends and family that other options exist. For folks who don't like beans, she recommends starting with hummus. Not interested in cutting out sugar? Try using less sugar and adding fruit and cinnamon to oatmeal.

“I like being 64 and being able to tell people I can still run for the bus, I can still bend over to tie my shoes, I'm looking forward to being able to live a few more years,” she explains. “Eat what you know is good for your body and makes you happy, and doesn't clog your arteries. And don't apologize for it!”

At the same time, the challenges of making healthy choices are not lost on Dorothy. For her, the idea of food justice means “everyone should be able to have the best quality food that you can have, should be able to have a decent meal on the table. In a country of such abundance to still have people who don't have access to good food – it's like how people don't have access to good healthcare. It is a right to eat well, to be able to nurture your body.”

Sharing good eating habits with neighbors sounds like a good place to start. Here are some other tips from Dorothy:

• Avoid the packaged foods. Why? “Too costly, too much salt, and you can make your own!” Steer toward the bulk foods aisle instead.
• Take one step at a time: We're brought up on a lot of meat and sugar and something like brown rice has a texture that someone might not appreciate the first time around. Mixing whole grains in with regular cereals for breakfast or combining brown rice and white plain rice, can be a way to transition towards healthier meals.
• Explore meat alternatives: Learning about how to sneak beans into meals for friends and neighbors was a highlight of our trip through the aisles - anything from cooking chili with vegan “meatloaf” to offering hummus as a snack.
• Bleach bath for your produce: Protecting yourself from the herbicides and pesticides on fruits and vegetables doesn't have to involve spending loads on organics. Mix a teaspoon or so of bleach in with a bowl of water and rinse your produce in it. This removes all the chemicals without leaving any taste of bleach.
• Olive oil and low sodium chicken broth: Cooking with a little of either of these makes for a cheap and easy way to add tons of flavor to your veggies.
• Get to know portion sizes: Knowing how much food is appropriate for your body can save you money as well.
  

Congratulations to April Goggans!

Last night, April Goggans, a member of Bread’s Consumer Advisory Board and President of the Marbury Plaza Concerned Tenants Association, received an Activist Award from the Washington Peace Center.

(Photo by Danny Harris of People's District )

Bread for the City attorneys provided April and the MPCTA with legal advice and representation during their campaign to win repairs and other investments from Marbury’s owners – learn more here and here. We’re pleased as punch that WPC recognized April's leadership.

Here’s an excerpt from her story, which was featured in People’s District today:

“While I love my neighborhood, my building has been a different story. After I moved into my place in October 2006, I started to notice things that weren’t right. Most of the apartments would flood because of old piping. There were a lot of security incidents in and around the building. There were times when we didn’t have heat or air conditioning. The building didn’t seem to be doing anything about this other than making minor repairs that never seemed to fix the major problems.

“In April 2007, the building got an offer to sell, and I was talking to my neighbor, who is a lawyer about it. I had no idea of tenants rights or anything like that at the time. She told me that the tenants would also have an opportunity to purchase the building. I thought that the opportunity to give so many people of color an opportunity to own property was incredible, so we organized a tenant’s association and put a board together to try and purchase the building. In the end, it didn’t happen for a number of reasons, mostly because we got screwed by the developers we selected, but the experience taught me about our rights as tenants and got me involved in the building.

“After that whole process, the Marbury Plaza was never sold, and is still owned by the Lightstone Group out of New York. After we took the action to try and buy our own building from the owners, they stopped caring about the facilities and let them fall apart. It got to the point where almost every apartment had been flooded, most people had been witness to a crime in the building, the disabled had trouble getting into one of the buildings because it was not ADA accessible, and we would go for periods without heat and air conditioning. The conditions were terrible.

“As the owners weren’t doing anything to seriously address these things, the tenant association and I started calling every city agency that handles codes and having them come to see the conditions we were living in. We managed to bring every department in here from recycling to health to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. We wanted to document all of these things and start to hold the owner and management company accountable. To add to that, 80 of us started to withhold rent over two years ago to make a point that this was not acceptable. We had the elderly, disabled, single Moms, working families, single professionals, and all kinds of other people involved in taking this stand against the owners. We really got a boost of support this past summer when after going two weeks without air conditioning, the D.C. Attorney General finally got involved on our behalf.

"Now, after a number of years of fighting it out, with much of that time in the courts and dealing with appeal after appeal, we are in the final stages of a settlement with the building. Those of us who withheld our rent will get an abatement and the building has promised to make the necessary repairs and adjustments to bring the building up to code. While nothing is ever perfect, and there are people who feel like the settlement is not enough, I view it as a success. The 1,000 to 1,500 residents here will finally be able to live with regular heat and air conditioning and free of animal infestation, security problems, and constant concerns by the disabled about getting into and out of their buildings. We couldn’t get everything, but I think that these changes will make all of our lives here better.

Congratulations, April! You're an inspiration.

You're invited to our Grand Opening!

As we approach the end of this year, it already feels like the start of something new. Our expanded Northwest Center is partially up and running, and the excitement of what's to come is in the air.

Yesterday, one of our most dedicated board members, Dorothy Hawkins, announced that we have surpassed our goal of $8.25 million raised for the construction and operation of this new facility. I want to thank Dorothy, and the Capital Campaign Committee, and the community of dedicated supporters who stuck with this dream of ours. Your generosity and commitment is brightly reflected in the gleam of our new building.

I hope you'll join us to celebrate this new chapter: all are invited to attend the Grand Opening on Friday January 7th, from 4-7pm at 1525 7th street NW. We'll be joined by Councilmembers and other city leaders to cut the ribbon and raise a cheer for the growth to come. Please RSVP at rsvp@breadforthecity.org!

Learn more about our expansion at www.breadforthecity.org/NorthwestExpansion.

We did it! Bread for the City surpassed our capital campaign goal.

—This post is by Dorothy Hawkins, member of Bread for the City's Board of Directors.

As a member of Bread for the City's Capital Campaign Committee, I am delighted to announce that Bread for the City has surpassed our goal of $8.25 million for our Northwest Center expansion, raising $8.35 million in total.

This great news comes just as construction on the new facility is completed, more than doubling the size of our Northwest Center. And as of this week, we are open for service!

It was no small feat to raise this much money, and right in the midst of the greatest recession in my lifetime. And I am especially proud of my role, not just as a member of the Capital Campaign Committee -- but also as a Bread for the City patient.

I came here a decade ago, some time after I'd lost my job. When you’re my age, losing a job is like starting all over again--and it’s hard. I was near despair when I turned Bread for the City. They helped me put food on my table; they also provided me with some of the best health care I'd ever received, and even the resources and inspiration I needed to get back into the job market and eventually find a new job. Since my new job lacks health insurance, I stayed on with Bread for the City as a patient. I gave back by volunteering, and donating when I could. Eventually, I was invited to join the Board of Directors.

My proudest accomplishment as a board member is spearheading the development of a dental clinic in the new facility. Dental care is badly underserved in D.C. I know, because right now I'm having some serious issues with my teeth. They hurt, which makes it difficult for me to do my job. So I made sure that this was a high priority for the new medical clinic. Initially, Bread for the City expected to be able to open this dental practice three to five years after our expansion -- but given how much support we received from the community, we now have the opportunity to hire a dentist even within this year. We are so grateful.

You can help us expand even faster than we'd hoped. There's one week left of our Capital Campaign -- one week in which donations of more than $500 will be recognized by the inclusion of your name on the Honor Wall in our new lobby.Of course, gifts of any size make a real difference, and give you a great feeling of being a part of something special -- I know, because I'm a donor myself. I don't earn much money, but I give what I can to Bread for the City. I'm sure they can get by without my help -- but that's not why I do it. I do it because it comes from my heart. I want to know that, for all the help I’ve received, I can then help someone else along the way.

So please join me by making a gift today. Together, we'll ensure that Bread for the City can expand its services to thousands more people in the community -- people like me.

Thank you for all of your support.

City Council votes today. Here's what we're saying.

Today is the vote on the city's budget. We blogged about it here at Beyond Bread, and the budget cuts and their impact have been covered by news outlets and the blogosphere. If you still need to email your Councilmembers about this, don't worry -- there's still time. Take action now.

Here are a few letters from people close to Bread for the City, to inspire you as you share your thoughts with our elected officials.

From Leonard Edwards, Bread for the City client:

Dear City Council,

My name is Leonard J. Edwards, and I have been a resident of Washington, D.C., for over thirty years. I have a disability, and at the present time I am working towards my Associates Degree, in Health Care Administration.

I used to work construction, but I cannot do that work any longer because of my disability. I take on-line classes, and I depend on the disability services and other parts of the safety net to help with just about everything. This is where I am in my life right now, and if it was not for places like Bread for the City I can truly say that I do not know where I would be right now.

How am I supposed to complete my education if my utilities are disrupted? How can I keep my strength and health to study if I do not have a place to live, or food in my refrigerator? How am I supposed to improve my situation if I cannot even get back and forth to school?

I am not asking for hand outs, just a hand. These few services help me to keep some dignity. These few services are the only thing, at the present time, that are keeping me from being homeless and helping me to complete my studies. When I complete my education, I will get that job in the health care industry, so I can get back on my feet and help others.

I have always worked, and I enjoy working, and I have always been a good employee, with many letters of recommendation. With my disability, I had to re-tool my skills for the 21st century. If the cuts are as bad as I hear, I am afraid that I will become a statistic.

Sincerely,
Leonard J. Edwards

From Burke Stansbury, Ward 1 Resident and Save Our Safety Net volunteer:

Hi Councilmember Graham,

I live in Mt. Pleasant and have been active in advocating against safety net budget cuts over the last year. I'm also likely among those who would pay more taxes if rates for high-income earning DC residents were raised. And I want to say that I fully support such new tax proposals.

I also want to thank you for introducing new brackets at $350,000 in the spring. I'm writing because I believe we need even lower brackets for meaningful, new revenue to fund safety net programs. I support two possible solutions: a 1% increase on income over $200,000 a year or Tommy Wells' plan for comprehensive tax reform.

Please do the right thing and take a stand this week in favor of increased income taxes.

Thank you,
Burke Stansbury

Take a moment to send your own email now.

We Need City Council to Take Action, Make the Better Choice

Mayor Fenty has proposed another round of cuts as part of this year’s city budget. Utility assistance, child care, TANF, job training, disability assistance, affordable housing, legal services, and more are on the chopping block. I’ve been through my share of hard times: an abusive relationship, losing my home, getting harassed by landlords, and health issues. I want to speak out and share my story to help prevent other people from having to go through what I did.

I've already blogged about being on the TANF program to provide for my daughter during the seven years that I was unable to work and waiting to get approved for Social Security Income. I know that they don’t give you the skills you need to get a job that pays the bills, and now they're taking away more of what people need to survive.

It’s hard to make ends meet on a fixed income, even though I’m careful with my budget. My daughter hasn't had a new coat for three years, and right now we’re wearing our coats in the house because I can't turn the heat on. I don't want to run the bills up and then have my utilities cut off. That's grounds to lose my housing voucher, and I can’t take that chance. My utility assistance appointment isn’t until April, so I know I’m not the only one who’s cold. Now they’re making more cuts to utility assistance!

It’s clear that they give you the help that they want to give you, not what you need to pick yourself up. It’s not like I’ve been asking for a million dollars, or for people to move mountains or part seas. I just want a stable home for me and my daughter. I want somebody to step up and help me do better for myself, so I can do better for her. I don't want her to live in a constant state of trial and tribulation. If I had the tools that I needed, I would be able to make it.

But they just keep taking, until they take away your hope. When you take away someone's hope, you take away their way of taking care of themselves, to push forward and survive. Councilmembers don’t see it, because it doesn’t affect them. We need action, and all we’re getting is talk. Talk doesn’t help you when you’re hurting.

I have a saying, though - it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. If I had sat silent through all of this, I wouldn’t be here now. My daughter wouldn’t be here now. You have to know your rights and fight for them. That’s why I’ll be speaking at the People’s Hearing on Tuesday, December 7 at 9:00 am in front of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW (Federal Triangle, Metro Center, 30 buses). I want others in this situation to have hope that they can make it, but I also want city leaders to learn from our experiences and make the better choice.

I say to Mayor-Elect Vince Gray - give to me what I need to help myself. Don’t keep stripping things away until you break me. Let him know what you think he should do now.

Our new building: It's here!

--by George A. Jones, Executive Director

It's finished! Construction on Bread for the City's Northwest Center expansion is complete, and the Certificate of Occupancy has been granted. Today we are moving into our brand new building!

The newly expanded Northwest Center is now more that twice its original size. (See a set of construction photos in our Flickr feed here.) By the new year, our legal clinic will have its own offices for the first time, our social services will have private meeting rooms, and our new roof will have a green vegetable garden -- the first of its kind in the DC area!

Most exciting of all is our medical clinic, which is the first completed largescale project of the DC Primary Care Association's Medical Homes DC Initiative. Our medical staff is already preparing to operate in the new clinic, which has twice as many exam rooms, a bigger and better laboratory, and special capacity for services like vision screenings and dental care. In coming years, we will be treating twice as many patients, with three times as many patient visits.

The other evening, as we were closing up and showing some folks the new space, a patient told me: "People are so excited for this! It's a real positive motivation kind of thing. This place gives all kinds of respect to everyone; and when you get respect, you give respect back too. We need more of it, and now we'll have it."

Now the work of transition begins. There's lots to be done before the Center is fully operational. Fortunately, we have a generous community of supporters whom we can count on to see us through.

And you, too, can be a part of this great new community center -- literally! As the year ends, we will hang an Honor Wall in the main hallway of the first floor, right next to our food pantry, and it will proudly display the names of hundreds of people who've made it all possible. All gifts of $500 or more that are received by December 15th will appear on this Honor Wall.

Of course, all of this is made possible by a vast number of contributions, big and small. So please make a gift -- of any amount -- to our Capital Campaign today. (You can even make a wonderful holiday gift of your donation to Bread for the City's Capital Campaign! Just tell us in the comments of your donation form, and we will send a special holiday card to your friend or loved one, on your behalf.)

As we approach the end of this year, and the start of an exciting new chapter, I want to thank you for your inspirational support.

High Honors for BFC's Human Rights Clinic

Yesterday may have been a cold and stormy winter day, but our Human Rights Clinic’s staff got all warm and fuzzy as they received the Advocate for Justice Award from The Olender Foundation’s 25th Annual Awards—held in a special ceremony at the Reagan Building in downtown DC.

Human Rights Clinic co-founder Dr. Katalin Roth and pro bono human rights attorney Laura Parcher were on hand to receive the award, which comes along with a $20,000 grant to Bread for the City. The Advocate for Justice Award is bestowed each year upon individuals and organizations that make a significant impact in the fight to improve basic human rights.

That’s certainly an apt description for our Human Rights Clinic.

Launched in May 2009, BFC’s Human Rights Clinic was designed to offer a safe, specialized space, two evenings per month, for refugees who have fled torture and persecution in their homelands to undergo the medical examination process that is often needed to obtain asylum—a special legal status that enables refugees to become permanent legal residents, bring their immediate families to the U.S., and eventually become citizens.

“When doctors do an evaluation, the person seeking asylum has a much better chance of getting asylum,” says Dr. Roth. “It’s personally fulfilling to be able to help someone so directly.”

Last year approximately 54 refugee patients had undergone the examination process through BFC’s Human Rights Clinic and obtained the key documentation necessary to help bolster their asylum case. Of those, 11 have already been granted permanent asylum status. The remaining cases are currently pending in an asylum legal process that can take upwards of 18 months.

Each of those cases comes with a story to tell – often heartbreaking and inspiring. One such story is that of “F”, a refugee from Cote d’Ivoire, who at nine-years-old was delivered by her mother—kicking and screaming—to a ceremonial hall where she was held down and circumcised with a dirty knife in a communal ceremony where 20 other girls were also mutilated. She said, “I felt at that moment that I had no mother.” After fleeing her country some years later, she sought asylum here with her own daughter, hoping to find a better life for both of them.

Stories like “F” are sadly all too common. A person endures horrific circumstances in a country grappling with unrest, and then flees for their life to the United States. Our medical clinic, coupled with the pro bono legal support they receive, provides their best hope for protection and a fresh start. (See this story at People’s District for the story of Htar, another refugee who now receives help from Bread for the City and even presented the award to Dr. Randi and Dr. Roth.)

On the importance of BFC’s Human Rights Clinic, Dr. Roth reflects: “We cannot help everyone, but we can make a difference.” One life at a time, we’re helping people remove the shackles of the past so that they may rise to a much brighter future.

To learn more about BFC’s Human Rights Clinic and the work of Dr. Roth, please refer to her recently published article “Giving Refuge: Reflections on Working with Asylum Seekers”.