Happy November! Catalogue nonprofits are kicking off the month right with lots of great events all around the area. Let us know if you are heading to one (and you never know, you might even see us there!). Don’t have time to get out to an event? Request a copy of our brand new catalogue (out on November 1st!) and get to know our new class of nonprofits!
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Home Care Workers Get Minimum Wage: As Active Aging Week begins, the Department of Labor announced that the over 2 million home care workers in the US will earn minimum wage and overtime benefits starting January 1st, 2015. Home health aides — 90 percent of whom are women and 42 percent of whom are black or Latino –currently earn an average of $9.70 per hour. A Huffington Post article notes that the home health sector is one of the fastest growing occupations in the country, predicted to grow 70 percent from 2010-2020 as Baby Boomers age.
Kids Give! A report by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and the United Nations Foundation found that 90 percent of kids give to charity, sparking a discussion on how to get youth involved in giving . One of the report’s authors noted that “children whose parents talk to them about giving are 20 percent more likely to give than those whose parents don’t” and encouraged families and charities to find ways to engage kids in the giving and volunteering process. Read the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article here or check out the study here.
Census Bureau Annual Report Released: The yearly report on poverty and income found that 21.8 percent of American children under the age of 18 lived in poverty in 2012 — and a Washington Post article notes that “the younger they are, the worse off they are.The percentage of children under the age of 5 living in poverty is 25.1 — and almost 1 in 10 live in extreme poverty.” Children of color are affected most with 37.9 percent of black children and 33.8 percent of Hispanic children living in poverty. Additionally, the statistics shows that 9.1 percent of Americans living in poverty are 65+.
The report also found that in today’s dollars, the median American household in 2012 makes less than in 1989. This is in stark contrast to the Forbes Top 400 list of the richest Americans, whose wealth has grown 15 percent since 2012 to a combined total of $2 trillion. Census data shows that households making over $191,000 are earning nearly what they had before the recession, yet the lower 80 percent are, on average, making significantly less than before the downturn, as noted in a NPQ article.
The school year is almost upon us, but Catalogue nonprofits are still in full summer swing! Check out what these great nonprofits have going on in your neck of the woods! Don’t forget–if you head to an event, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or by email at info@cfp-dc.org!
Literacy Council of Montgomery County
The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will hold an information session for volunteers interested in helping adults learn to read, write or speak English. Tutors work one-on-one or with small groups. No foreign language skills are necessary. Tutors meet with students in libraries or community centers at mutually convenient times. Registration is required. Call 301-610-0030 or e-mail info@literacycouncilmcmd.org.
When: Friday, August 23, 2013 (10:30 AM – 12:00 NOON)
Where: Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: Information session for potential volunteers.
Contact: Maggie Bruno, (301) 610-0030 ext 208
For more information: click here
Anacostia Watershed Society
The Anacostia Watershed Society has been experimenting with a stationary device built to strain the trash from the flowing waters of Nash Run, located adjacent the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast DC. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the trash challenges of the Anacostia and what is being done to address it. We need your help to keep the trash trap clean and functioning well! Contact Maddie at 301-699-6204 ext. 109 or mkoenig@anacostiaws.org to sign up!
When: Saturday, August 24, 2013 (09:00 AM – 12:00 NOON)
Where: Intersection of Anacostia Ave. NE and Douglas Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20019
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: See above.
Contact: Madeline Koenig, (301) 699-6204 ext 109
Anacostia Watershed Society
The Anacostia Watershed Society is working to restore a wetland along the Anacostia River called Kingman Marsh. Wetlands do great things for our river — they provide habitat for native wildlife, help filter toxins from river water, and act like a sponge to prevent flooding. We need your help to ensure to restore Kingman Marsh! No previous training or skills are required. All tools and supplies needed (including boots and waders) will be provided. Please note that the work will be muddy and volunteers will be asked to wear waders for the entire event. Bending, lifting, digging, and walking fair distances will be required. If this will be an issue, please consider joining us for another event. Contact Maddie Koenig at 301-699-6204 ext. 109 or mkoenig@anacostiaws.org to sign up!
When: Monday, August 26, 2013 (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Where: Driving Range of Langston Golf Course, Benning Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: See above.
Contact: Madeline Koenig, (301) 699-6204 ext 109
For more information: click here
Literacy Council of Montgomery County
The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will hold an information session for volunteers interested in helping adults learn to read, write or speak English. Tutors work one-on-one or with small groups. No foreign language skills are necessary. Tutors meet with students in libraries or community centers at mutually convenient times. Registration is required. Call 301-610-0030 or e-mail info@literacycouncilmcmd.org.
When: Monday, August 26, 2013 (7:30 PM – 9:00 PM)
Where: Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: Information session for potential volunteers.
Contact: Maggie Bruno, (301) 610-0030 ext 208
For more information: click here
Anacostia Watershed Society
The Anacostia Watershed Society is working to restore a wetland along the Anacostia River called Kingman Marsh. Wetlands do great things for our river — they provide habitat for native wildlife, help filter toxins from river water, and act like a sponge to prevent flooding. We need your help to ensure to restore Kingman Marsh! No previous training or skills are required. All tools and supplies needed (including boots and waders) will be provided. Please note that the work will be muddy and volunteers will be asked to wear waders for the entire event. Bending, lifting, digging, and walking fair distances will be required. If this will be an issue, please consider joining us for another event. Contact Maddie Koenig at 301-699-6204 ext. 109 or mkoenig@anacostiaws.org to sign up!
When: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Where: Driving Range of Langston Golf Course, Benning Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: See above.
Contact: Madeline Koenig, (301) 699-6204 ext 109
For more information: click here
Anacostia Watershed Society
The Anacostia Watershed Society is working to restore a wetland along the Anacostia River called Kingman Marsh. Wetlands do great things for our river — they provide habitat for native wildlife, help filter toxins from river water, and act like a sponge to prevent flooding. We need your help to ensure to restore Kingman Marsh! No previous training or skills are required. All tools and supplies needed (including boots and waders) will be provided. Please note that the work will be muddy and volunteers will be asked to wear waders for the entire event. Bending, lifting, digging, and walking fair distances will be required. If this will be an issue, please consider joining us for another event. Contact Maddie Koenig at 301-699-6204 ext. 109 or mkoenig@anacostiaws.org to sign up!
When: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 (09:00 AM – 12:00 NOON)
Where: Driving Range of Langston Golf Course, Benning Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20002
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: See above.
Contact: Madeline Koenig, (301) 699-6204 ext 109
For more information: click here
Literacy Council of Montgomery County
Come learn about the state of adult literacy in Montgomery County, how the Literacy Council addresses the needs of adults with low literacy skills, and how you can be involved.
When: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 (10:30 AM – 11:30 AM)
Where: Rockville Library, Suite 320, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850
Fee? no
Contact: Marty Stephens, (301) 610-0030 ext 202
For more information: click here
If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, these Catalogue nonprofits have got you covered! Whether you’re doing stream restoration and planting trees or doing outreach visits to low-income seniors, a good weekend is in the forecast!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Wilderness Leadership & Learning (WILL) Environmental Service Project
Wilderness Leadership & Learning
WILL partners with the Anacostia Watershed Society for this service learning experience. We will be doing stream restoration and/or tree planting at Heurich Park. WILL provides lunch and pays Metro fare
When: Saturday May 11, 2013 (08:30 AM – 5:00 PM)
Where: Heurich Park, Nicholson St & Ager Rd, Hyattsville, MD 20782
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: We can use 3-4 volunteers. 2 individuals will meet WILL youth at Bell HS (3101 16th Street, NW), and take Columbia Heights Metro to West Hyattsville Station and meet up with me (Steve Abraham) and group I am bringing from Minnesota Ave. Metro. I could use at least one person to be with us from Minn Ave. Metro. The groups will meet at W. Hyattsville and then walk a little less than a mile to the Park. It is rain or shine. If interested please e-mail me and I will provide additional details. THANK YOU for considering this opportunity.
Contact: Steve Abraham, (202) 319-2765
Outreach Visits to Low-income Seniors
We Are Family Senior Outreach Network
We Are Family will be coordinating outreach visits to isolated, low-income seniors in their homes.
When: Saturday May 11, 2013 (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Where: Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: Volunteers will receive a brief orientation and then go out in pairs or groups to visit with seniors in their homes.
Contact: Mark Andersen, (202) 487-8698
For more information: click here
Passion for Learning
Middle school youth showcase their digital media work for the community at this annual Youth Media Festival in Silver Spring. This event is in partnership with Gandhi Brigade Youth Media, Festival Sponsor.
When: Saturday May 11, 2013 (11:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
Where: Silver Spring Civic Center Building, Ellsworth Avenue and Spring Street, Silver Spring, Md 20910
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: Help set up room for media showcase along with our middle school students and staff. Help our students meet and greet and register parents, students and families. Help break down and clean up after event.
Contact: Cynthia Rubenstein, (301) 562-6014
4th Annual Health & Wellness Fair
Mentoring to Manhood
An afternoon of entertainment, health & wellness vendors, face painting, moon bounces and more!
When: Saturday May 11, 2013 (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Where: Bowie Library parking lot, 15210 Annapolis Rd Bowie, MD 20715
Fee? no
Volunteer Info: Greet the community, hand out give aways, set up and break down.
Contact: Nicole Howze, (443 ) 370-1748
Arachne Aerial Arts & In-Flight Theater
Dance Place
Two companies at the forefront of aerial performance, Baltimore’s In-Flight Theater and Washington’s award-winning Arachne Aerial Arts, collaborate on a bold new piece based on the myth of Demeter and Persephone. A 15-foot metal weather vane rises at the heart of an original story exploring mothers, daughters and the seasons.
When: Saturday May 11, 2013 (8:00 PM)
Where: Dance Place, 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017
Fee? yes $22 General Admission; $17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists; $10 College Students; $8 Children (17 and under)
Contact: Carolyn Kamrath, (202) 269-1608
For more information: click here
Sunday, May 12, 2013
DCYOP’s Youth Orchestra Concert
DC Youth Orchestra Program
DC Youth Orchestra Program’s most prestigious ensemble — the Youth Orchestra — performs Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 and Mozart’s Overture to Don Giovanni. Plus the Youth Orchestra’s string quartet plays the first movement from Mozart’s “The Hunt” string quartet and Carlos Gardel’s “Por Una Cabeza” (tango from the movie “Scent of a Woman”). If you can’t make it to the concert, watch it online live or in the Millennium Stage video archives at www.kennedy-center.org/millennium.
When: Sunday May 12, 2013 (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
Where: Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566
Fee? no
Contact: Rashida Coleman, (202) 698-0123
Catalogue nonprofits have some great things going on this weekend. Check them out and maybe find a great new nonprofit to support!
Chess Challenge in DC
Chess Challenge in DC Is proud to present the 2nd Annual Citywide Elementary and Middle School Chess Tournament. This exciting event features a four round tournament with a blitz playoff. Trophies for the top three finishers and prizes for all. Registration is FREE and includes a t-shirt, wristband, lunch, prizes and raffle tickets. To register go to www.chesschallengeindc.org.
When: Saturday April 20, 2013 (08:30 AM – 4:00 PM)
Where: Woodrow Wilson High School, 3950 Chesapeake Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016
Fee: no
Volunteer Info: Volunteers are needed to help with set-up and clean-up, registration, lunch and other jobs throughout the day. No chess experience necessary. Please contact shana.rosenblatt@chesshchallengeindc.org.
Contact: Shana Rosenblatt, (202) 579-5551
For more information: click here
Anacostia Watershed Society
Join AWS for our 24th annual Earth Day Cleanup and Celebration of the Anacostia River. More than 20 different cleanup sites throughout the area will be available to choose from by the end of February. All volunteers are invited to join us for the celebration that follows at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. There will be free food and drink, live music, exhibitors and speakers! Registration is required, contact Maddie below.
When: Saturday April 20, 2013 (09:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Where: TBD, TBD, TBD, TBD TBD
Fee: no
Volunteer Info: Trash and debris cleanup
Contact: Madeline Koenig, (301) 699-6204 ext 109
We Are Family Senior Outreach Network
We Are Family will be delivering groceries to over 250 low-income seniors in the North Capitol and Shaw neighborhoods.
When: Saturday April 20, 2013 (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Where: Metropolitan Community Church, 474 Ridge St. NW, Washington, DC 20001
Fee: no
Volunteer Info: Volunteers will help assemble and deliver grocery bags to low-income seniors. Although a car is not needed, it is helpful.
Contact: Mark Andersen, (202) 487-8698
Dance Place
In One with Others, Minneapolis-based artist Karen Sherman re-purposes dance, words, and scrap lumber to consider biography, personal mythology and social legacy. Using choreography both desperate and delicate, the piece grapples with desire, communication, humiliation and destiny. Funded in part by the NEA and the NPN.
When: Saturday April 20, 2013 (8:00 PM)
Where: Dance Place, 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC 20017
Fee: yes $22 General Admission; $17 Members, Seniors, Teachers and Artists; $10 College Students; $8 Children (17 and under)
Contact:Carolyn Kamrath, (202) 269-1608
By Catalogue President, Barbara Harman:
As some of you may know, I am a Bostonian who shares her time between two homes — one in Massachusetts and one in DC. Like many people here, I am still reeling from Monday’s events, and experiencing for the first time what it’s like to see devastation on the streets of my own city, a city I love. There is something quite unreal about it: familiar stores and restaurants, places I have walked with family and friends, the site of the finish line at the Marathon’s end — all of these familiar sites are now a crime scene. I will never forget the sound, the images of smoke billowing in the air, the runner who faltered near the end of the race blown back by the force of the first explosion, and the stories and pictures that chronicle the terrible loss of life and devastating injuries of those who survived but whose lives will never be the same.
There truly is a sense of coming together, of strength in community here, and one if its expressions is the creation of a fund to help the families devastated by loss. As one man so poignantly put it (he survived with lacerations to his face while his friends, standing on the other side of an adjacent mailbox, have all lost limbs) — the cost will be enormous, not just the medical and psychological costs, though these will be significant, but the cost in lost wages and even lost careers for goodness knows how long: maybe, for some, forever. Here at the Catalogue we rarely invite contributions to causes outside the DC region, but for those who are feeling, as many have said, that right now we are all Bostonians, please consider a contribution to onefundboston.org whose purpose is to help the individuals and families whose lives have been irrevocably altered by this senseless act of cruelty and violence.
In a recent article in the Atlantic (“Why the Rich Don’t Give to Charity“), Ken Stern cites studies showing that – from a percentage perspective – the wealthiest Americans give less than their poorer brethren: 1.3 percent of income versus 3.2 percent. Some theories suggest that, according to UC Berkeley psychologist Paul Piff, the rich are more likely to prioritize their own self-interests above those of other people.
But perhaps the most intriguing finding is the discovery that, among lower-income people, it is the daily exposure to the challenges people face in meeting their most basic needs that “may create ‘higher empathy'” and that this empathy is what generates – well – generosity. Seeing others in need, and experiencing need themselves, makes those who are less able to give more likely to give.
Conversely, “insulation from people in need may dampen the charitable impulse” – so that people who live in homogeneous neighborhoods (the author interestingly cites Bethesda, MD and McLean, VA) are less likely to give to the degree they might because they don’t regularly see and experience need. Instead – at least in the largest numbers – they are inclined to give to alma mater and to large and prestigious arts institutions.
What strikes me is that there are many ways to address “the exposure” problem and that the Catalogue is one of them. Reading stories about people in need is a doorway into the lives of others, an opening created by narratives and images that tell real and compelling stories – whether they are stories of homeless teens who find shelter and support at Alternative House, or LGBT youth who are at greater risk of abuse than their heterosexual peers and who find services and a safe haven at SMYAL, or they are men and women in low-wage jobs who lack health care and find treatment at the Arlington Free Clinic.
Reading about one’s neighbors in need is not, of course, the same thing as living next door to them day in and day out. But compassion emerges in many different ways, and reading has always been, and I think continues to be, a powerful way of knowing. Here at the Catalogue we hope our readers are coming to know their neighbors in our print Catalogue, online, at our events, at the events we post daily on their behalf, through videos available at each charity’s page, and, perhaps, in the visits that donors make to the charities that move them.
“Give where you live” is a powerful rallying cry: it presumes that we are all neighbors even when we don’t live shoulder to shoulder. Here at the Catalogue we work every day to make that presumption a reality.
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.”
HELPED are those who find the courage to do at least one small thing each day to help the existence of another–plant, animal, river, or human being. They shall be joined by a multitude of the timid.
HELPED are those who lose their fear of death; theirs is the power to envision the future in a blade of grass.
HELPED are those who love and actively support the diversity of life; they shall be secure in their differences.
HELPED are those who KNOW.
— “The Temple of My Familiar” by American writer Alice Walker, born today in 1944
Little known about DC’s young homeless, except that numbers are growing (Washington Post): “Though relatively little else is known about them, the number of homeless youths in the District has jumped, according to numbers released Tuesday by the National Center of Family Homelessness […] In 2010, 4,309 children were found to be without stable housing in a city where 27% of households pay more than 50% of their income for rent.” According to the State Report Card on Child Homelessness, “Virginia and Maryland ranked 18th and 22nd for risk for homelessness;” and the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates finds that a growing number of homeless individuals are also parents under the age of 24.
Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos (Philanthropy News Digest: PhilanTopic): “Our colleagues here in the Research Department have just released a new report that examines foundation giving to Hispanics in the U.S. and for Latin America over the last decade […] Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and for Latin America found that over the past decade, U.S. foundation giving intended to benefit Latinos remained steady at about 1% of total foundation giving, even as the Latino population in the US grew significantly.” The report, which gave particular focus to the 2007-2009 period, also found that the greater Los Angeles area received the largest share of both grant dollars (17%) and grants (13%) of any US metropolitan area in that time.
Theaters’ Fiscal Outlook Improves Slightly (Chronicle of Philanthropy): “The latest round of an annual survey of nonprofit theaters’ finances offers some optimism […] Theater Facts 2010, compiled by grant-making and advocacy outfit the Theater Communications Group, found total assets, including box office, gifts, and endowment earnings, exceeded expenses last year for the 113 organizations that have participated in the study for each of the last five years.” TCG head Teresa Eyring points out that rising attendance, at readings and workshops as well as full productions, also “bodes well for the health of theater overall.”