Bread for the City

>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.

>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.

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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!

>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.

>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.

>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.

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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.

> 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.

• 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!

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

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6292285&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

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.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njJmmzmbL-4&hl=en&fs=1&]

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

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[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