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Category Archives: Local

Writing to Dream

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by Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Some students grow up dreaming to write; others use writing as a way to express their dreams, desires, and inner most thoughts.

The young authors of Young Playwrights’ Theater perhaps do both, and now have a new platform from which to share their words with the world. This winter, Young Playwrights’ Theater published its first book, Write to Dream — a collection of plays written by YPT students, as well as information on YPT’s arts education program and curriculum.

The plays written by YPT students represent an artistic achievement worthy of publication in and of themselves, but the additional information on curriculum and assessment adds an additional level of justification and value to YPT’s work. Plays range in topic from satires on capitalism (written by a fifth grader!) to magnetic superheroes, inter-racial romance and gang violence.

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In The News …

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Amid change, affordable housing revitalizes parts of Ward 5 (Greater Greater Washington): “As development along Rhode Island Avenue and New York Avenue take shape over the next few years, much of DC’s Ward 5 will see major changes. But can these changes draw new residents without displacing existing ones? A key element will be to preserve and expand the availability of affordable housing.” This past week, Housing For All Campaign hosted a town hall meeting focused on the options, both small and extensive, for accessible housing in Ward 5. “Ward 5 will continue to benefit from the investments in affordable housing that build vibrant spaces for current and future District residents.”

Online Giving Streak Continues With 13% Rise Last Week (Chronicle of Philanthropy): “Online giving to 8,700 charities rose 13.3 percent last week when compared with the same days last year, according to Network for Good […] What’s more, the number of donations grew nearly 7 percent.” The week of Thanksgiving, online giving actually rose an impressive 61 percent; and after Thanksgiving, giving rose by 42 percent — primarily as a result of Giving Tuesday. The Chronicle has created an interactive graphic that compares 2012 giving with 2011 giving on a day-by-day basis; check it out here.

Obesity in Young Is Seen as Falling in Several Cities (New York Times: Health): “After decades of rising childhood obesity rates, several American cities are reporting their first declines. The trend has emerged in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller places like Anchorage, Alaska, and Kearney, Nebraska.” While the the drops are small (5 percent or less in Philadelphia and Los Angeles), experts say they are significant because they offer the first indication that the obesity epidemic, one of the nation’s most intractable health problems, may actually be reversing course.” However, others point out that “the current declines, concentrated among higher income, mostly white populations, are still not benefiting many minority children.”

Essential Parts

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From “Under new principal, Savoy Elementary shows what art can teach” in this weekend’s Washington Post:

“ Ma and Damian Woetzel, a former principal with the New York City Ballet, spent more than an hour in a classroom with students, dancing, playing music and rehearsing pieces that they later performed on stage for the whole school.

It was one small part of Principal Patrick Pope’s broader effort to use the arts to transform Savoy, where poverty is pervasive and fewer than one-fifth of students are proficient in math and reading.

As Pope sees it, song, dance, theater and visual arts aren’t tacked-on extras — they’re essential parts of creating a school where students and teachers thrive. Students agree.”

Students in grades three through five now have “twice as much art and music time” as they did previously. But Rachel Goslins, executive director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, explains, “We are having a national conversation about how to fix our schools, and the arts were not in that conversation.”

Needless to say, the prevailing question is: how can we expand that conversation?

Learn more about Catalogue’s Performing, Literary, and Visual Arts nonprofits, many of which work directly with our schools, right here.

Around Town: December 8-9

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Loop a local nonprofit into your weekend plans …

We Are Family Senior Outreach Network (Metropolitan Comm. Church, 474 Ridge Street NW)

Volunteer in pairs or groups to visit isolated, low-income seniors in their homes. Meet up at 10:00 AM on Saturday for a brief orientation before the visits begin.

Joseph’s House (1730 Lanier Place NW)

Take a one-hour “walk-and-talk” breakfast tour of Joseph’s House, which offers compassionate end-of-life care for homeless individuals with AIDS and cancer, on Saturday at 10:30 AM.

Computer CORE (3846 King Street, Alexandria, VA)

In this 4-hour workshop on Saturday at noon, students will learn the capabilities of , plus try their hand at being a business user and building basic applications.

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In The News …

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Commentary: DC Council Should Support Grandparent Caregiver Program (WAMU): “The proposal before the DC Council is a small, but important, change to the Grandparent Caregiver Program, a program that provides financial support to low-income grandparents who are raising their grandchildren,” says Judith Sandalow, the executive director of the Children’s Law Center. At present, the subsidy starts starts only after the child has lived with their grandparents for six months; the proposal would permit the city to waive that requirement and “children who are being removed from their parents and are at risk of entering foster care could immediately go to live with their grandparents.”

Ward 8 parents, teachers challenge DC school closure plan (Washington Post: Schools Insider): “A standing-room only crowd of parents, teachers and activists gathered Tuesday evening at Savoy Elementary School in Southeast Washington to critique and challenge Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plan to close 20 under-enrolled schools.” Principal concerns included the quality of transitions for students from one school to another and the reinvestment goals for the money saved from closures. “The community meeting was the first of four scheduled over the next week;” the meeting for Wards 1-4 and 6 is coming up tomorrow.

The Risks of Limiting Charitable Deductions (Nonprofit Quarterly): “In his Urban Institute blog, The Government We Deserve, the Tax Policy Center’s Gene Steuerle looks to the past to auger the future of charitable deductions reiterates the argument that limiting charitable deductions will dampen giving, which threatens nonprofit coffers and ultimately hurts those who benefit from programs and services provided by the sector […] The Wall Street Journal reports that “there is no specific plan to eliminate deductions for charitable giving” in the ongoing haggling over the fiscal cliff. There are, however, proposals to cap overall deductions.” What do you think about a possible cap, and does the amount or the mere existence of it matter more? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Around Town: December 1-3

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Good morning! We’re looking forward to seeing you this coming Monday at Inspiration to Action. We’ve also got some great events coming up this weekend at our nonprofits …

Pueblo a Pueblo (at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, 310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park, MD)

Shop for the holidays and support a good cause at the Takoma Park Alternative Gift Fair this Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM; and be sure to visit Pueblo a Pueblo!

Computer CORE (3846 King Street, Alexandria, VA)

On Saturday at 1:30 PM, “Customer Focus: Changing How You Do Things!” will cover first impressions, timely responses, active listening and more. Call (703) 931-7346 to learn more.

Washington Bach Consort (at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC)

On Saturday at 5:00 PM, enjoy “Great Glad Tidings,” an all-Bach program of cantatas composed for Advent and the Christmas season; nab tickets right here.

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From the Field: Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

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By Marie LeBlanc, Community Partnerships Coordinator

Many great individuals have written about the power of a free mind — authors, scientists, philosophers, musicians. Perhaps none have written quite as eloquently as the young poets who work with . Free Minds, a Catalogue nonprofit for the past five years, “serves 16 and 17 year old youths who have been charged and incarcerated as adults at the DC Jail. Free Minds uses books and creative writing to empower young inmates to transform their lives.”

This week, I had the privilege of reading and commenting on poems written by Free Minds poets at Volunteer Write Night — a monthly event in which Free Minds staff, members, and volunteers meet to mingle, read inmates’ poetry and offer their own personal feedback. The poems, with comments, are then mailed back to their authors, and provide a bright spot of both artistic feedback and communication with the outside world for those who are currently removed from it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but was blown away by the maturity, honesty, and emotional depth expressed in Free Minds’ poetry. The poems touched on every range of emotions related to their experience in the system — from missing a girlfriend or family members, to the hurt, frustration, and loneliness that comes with time spent in jail. While I cannot relate to all of the poets’ experiences, I can relate to their responses — after all, who hasn’t experienced pain, hurt, or despair at one time in their life?

Overall, I found many poems to be incredibly uplifting and inspirational. The young poets’ words expressed how they became adults in such a short time and learned life lessons the hard way, but have become better people because of it. Bridging the divides of race, class, gender, or legal status and connecting with another person through art — this is a crucial aspect of Free Minds’ program, and Write Night is an incredible volunteer opportunity that fosters those connections.

For those interested in volunteering, Write Night is held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. You can also read poetry written by incarcerated members of Free Minds online at their .

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

In The News …

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Maryland behind 11 states, tied with five others on graduation rates (Gazette): “The US Department of Education released statistics Monday ranking states by high school graduation rates, reflecting new data reported consistently nationwide […] The new, uniform methods are the result of 2008 federal regulation. Beginning with data from 2011-2012, graduation rates will be used to hold states accountable for school performance.” With an 83% graduate rate, Maryland ties for the twelfth spot on the list (along with five other school systems); Virginia comes in just behind at 82%, while DC’s rate is 59% based on 2010/2011 school year data. The complete list is available here.

‘Giving Tuesday’: The Start Of A Holiday Tradition? (WAMU): “First, there was the post-Thanksgiving sales spectacle Black Friday and then the online version, Cyber Monday. Now, charitable groups want to start a new holiday tradition — it’s called Giving Tuesday. It may seem a little surprising that no one came up with the idea before of designating a specific day to help launch the holiday charitable giving season.” What do think of the new tradition? Did you give on Tuesday, or do you plan to give closer to the end of the year? Time of year aside, remember to check out Washington City Paper’s 2012 Donation Guide for ideas!

On ‘Giving Tuesday,’ big donors shed light on why, when and how they give (Washington Post): “Why, when, how and to whom do wealthy people give? It’s a core question for charitable organizations confronted with an uncertain economic climate […] A new video series produced by the nonprofit consulting firm Bridgespan Group offers some answers.” On Tuesday, Bridgespan launched the video series “Conversations with Remarkable Givers,” which features interviews with some of the country’s most prominent philanthropists. “The site, GiveSmart.org, features the roughly 400 video clips — a database that is expected to expand to roughly 1,200 over the next several months.”

Day of Giving

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Happy Thanksgiving week! If you’re looking to support or volunteer with a nearby nonprofit, we have the list for you. Check out what’s needed and what you can do at some of Catalogue’s human service organization (And we’ll be back to our regular GoodWorks programming on Monday)

ALIVE! — Alexandria, VA: Volunteers needed at 8AM on Thursday for the Turkey Trot at George Washington Middle School; learn more here.

Carpenter’s Shelter — Alexandria, VA: Check out the “How Can I Help This Holiday?” page; you can take part in pantry clean-up and at the Winter Shelter or volunteer as a group.

FACETS— Fairfax, VA: Executive Director Amanda Andere writes about “Holiday Hunger: A Recipe for Change” on Huffington Post; you can read about FACET’s supply drives here.

Food For Others — Fairfax, VA: Food For Others provides Thanksgiving groceries annually to those in need; here is a list of key items that you can donate.

Manna Food Center — Gaithersburg, MD: Email fooddrive@mannafood.org to receive a simple how-to guide and food drive list.

Our Daily Bread — Fairfax, VA: Check out the immediate volunteer needs right here, including food collection and delivery and a Fall Food Drive this coming Saturday.

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries — Chantilly, VA: Learn more about donating food to the pantry or organizing a drive for WFCM right here.

* And remember: when looking for volunteer opportunities, be sure to visit Greater DC Cares and Volunteer Fairfax!

Around Town: November 16-18

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Have a good weekend, Greater Washington! And check out what’s happening at our nonprofits …

Educational Theatre Company (McKinley Elementary, 1030 N. McKinley Road, Arlington, VA)

ETCs Main Stage Residency Program, with McKinley Elementary School, presents Robin Hood — an original musical production created and performed by children in grades 2-5 — on Friday & Saturday.

Anacostia Watershed Society (Malcolm X Avenue & 2nd Street SE)

Volunteers will work to restore the natural splendor of one of DC’s most neglected wooded areas on Saturday at 9:00 AM; gloves, bags, and lunch will be provided. RSVP right here.

Horizons Greater Washington (Politics and Prose, 5051 Connecticut Avenue NW)

Stop by and choose a book for you or your child, or select from one of the Wish List Books for the Horizons program, this Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. At the register, remember to mention Horizons and Politics and Prose will donate 20% of the the proceeds.

We Are Family Senior Outreach Network (Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge Street NW)

On Saturday at 10:00 AM, deliver Thanksgiving baskets to over 250 low-income seniors in the North Capitol and Shaw neighborhoods with the We Are Family team. Sign up here!

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