Jonathan Smith, Executive Director

DC The District’s primary election is soon upon us. The vote is being held in the aftermath of the economic crisis. The reality in the District is that:

•  one in every five people and one in every three children live in poverty, 
•  the recession is lingering in low-income communities causing real suffering, 
•  unemployment rates among African American and Latino District residents rival rates during the great depression and, 
•  the social safety-net has suffered from budget cuts.

One could imagine that these issues would dominate the election. However, the candidates for Mayor and other offices have said little and offered few specifics about how they will address this crisis. Defeat Poverty DC is organizing an alternative to the typical candidate forum. This forum will provide residents an opportunity to voice their views — to make proposals that they wish the candidates had made.

Date & Time:    September 13, 2010 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location:           Busboys & Poets, 1025 5th Street NW (5th & K), Washington, DC
RSVP:                  Liz at Kendig@cbpp.org

Jennifer Mezey, Supervising Attorney

In partnership, Legal Aid Society of DC, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, and Whitman-Walker Clinic are pleased to announce our Public Benefits Trainings series again this Fall.  We encourage case managers, legal services lawyers, pro bono lawyers, or anyone who works with low-income clients to attend these sessions.  The trainings are free and an opportunity to learn about eligibility, benefits, application procedures, and practical tips on how to help your clients navigate the system. 

We are requesting that anyone interested in attending RSVP to Jeremy Strauss at jstrauss@legalaiddc.org   since we have some space limitations and need counts on materials.  We greatly appreciate the DC Bar Pro Bono Program for partnering with us and hosting this training series.

 1st Training:  Disability Benefits:  SSI/SSDI/IDA on Tuesday, September 14 from noon – 2 pm.

Please help us get the word out.  Please distribute this e-mail (and attached flyer) widely.  We look forward to a strong turnout! 

Thank you in advance for your help.

Erin Loubier, Whitman-Walker Clinic
Scott McNeilly, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Jennifer Mezey, Legal Aid Society of DC

For a detailed review of what is at stake, go to:  http://www.dcfpi.org/category/blog.   You can watch the Council meeting, which begins at 10 at:  http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/watchhearinglive.

Why? Because the Mayor's proposed budget for FY2011 makes cuts to vital programs like child care vouchers, adult job training, and domestic violence services. Our safety net is already in tatters, after more than $100 million in cuts in the last two years. We can't afford to cut any more.  

What? Rally in front of City Hall. Hear Councilmembers speak at the rally about their plans to save the safety net through progressive revenue proposals. Visit Council offices to show the community is behind safety net programs.  WEAR RED!!! 

When? 11:30-1:00 Wednesday, May 5th 

Where? 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Close to Federal Triangle (orange/blue) and Metro Center (red, orange/blue).

Please contact Kristi Matthew to RSVP and get additional information: Kristi@legalclinic.orgor 202-328-1262.

Note: We will not hold a Fair Budget general membership meeting that day.

Joni Podschun

Campaign Manager, SOS-DC
202-553-7248

@SaveDCSafetyNet

With the District’s budget in free fall, the next few months will be critical to preserving safety-net programs.   Please consider attending this important briefing:

 ******************************************
What’s In Store
For FY 2011?

 A forum on the D.C. budget outlook
for fiscal year 2011.

 ******************************************

 Monday, March 8, 2010

Registration and Coffee: 9:00 a.m.
Program: 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Charles Sumner School, Great Hall
1201 17th Street NW

Speakers include:

•  Ed Lazere, Executive Director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute
• Eric Goulet, Budget Director, Council of the District of Columbia
• Fitzroy Lee, Chief Economist, Office of the Chief Financial Officer
• Dawn Slonneger, Chief of Staff, Office of the Honorable Vincent C. Gray
• T.J. Sutcliffe, Director of Advocacy & Public Policy, The Arc of the District of Columbia

 R.S.V.P. requested to Tina Marshall, marshall@cbpp.org

Sponsors:

The Arc of DC
DC Fiscal Policy Institute
Fair Budget Coalition
Think Twice Before You Slice

January 28, 2010

9:30 am – 4:15 pm

American University Washington College of Law
Room 603
4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

9:30 am                 Registration

10:00 am              Introductory Remarks

10:30 am              Welfare

Moderator:  Susan Bennett, Professor of Law and Director of the Community & Economic Development Law Clinic, Washington College of Law

Speakers:

Mark Greenberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, US Dept of Health and Human Services

Tim Casey, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Momentum

Brian Gilmore, Howard University

12:00 pm              Lunch

1:00 pm                Access to Justice

Moderator: Cynthia Jones, Associate Professor of Law, Washington College of Law

Speakers:

Nancy Forester, Former Maryland Public Defender

Doug Colbert, University of Maryland

Jonathan Smith, Legal Aid Society of District of Columbia

2:30 pm                Break

2:45 pm                Family Responsibility Discrimination

Moderator:  Susan Carle, Professor of Law

Speakers:

 Lisa Schall, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Helen Applewhaite, Family and Medical Leave Act Branch Chief, US Dept of Labor

Robin Cockey, Cockey, Brennan & Maloney, P.C.

4:15 pm                Reception

 Please register by clicking on www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration. 

General registration is free but required.  For further information, please contact:  Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education, American University Washington College of Law.

Phone: 202.274.4075; Fax: 202.274.4079; or secle@wcl.american.edu

  The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, the National Coalition for the Homeless, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and other groups have organized a candlelight vigil to commemorate the day.  

 This is an important year to show concern for people who are homeless.   The recession has driven more people into poverty and placed many more at risk of losing housing.   At the same time, the District and other local governments have budget shortfalls that have resulted in deep cuts to services.  

 Please come out for the vigil:

December 21, 2009
6:00 pm
Outside the Front of Union Station near the bell

Director of Development

Each November, the Association of Fundraising Professionals encourages its chapters to hold an event that celebrates philanthropy in its region. For the Washington, D.C. Metro Area Chapter (AFP/DC), the international association’s third largest chapter, today is National Capital Philanthropy Day (NCPD).

This year, I have the honor to be Co-Chair for NCPD along with Lisa Harter of George Washington University. Together with a leadership committee that has truly given their all, NCPD is a sold out affair. With over 500 people attending the luncheon at the historic Mayflower Hotel, AFP/DC is looking forward to a great event that proves that philanthropy is alive, well and making a huge impact in the Nation’s Capital.

NCPD also allows us to recognize individuals and organizations that are making a tremendous difference in our community. The awardees will be:

• Earl W. Stafford, chairman and CEO of the Stafford Foundation
– Outstanding Philanthropist

• Gail Nordheimer, CFRE, president of Gail Nordheimer Associates
– Outstanding Fundraising Professional

• F. Kevin Reynolds, Regional President of Cardinal Bank, N.A.
– Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer

• PNC Financial Services
– Outstanding Corporate Partner

• The Harman Family Foundation and the Catalogue for Philanthropy
– Outstanding Foundation Partner

• Environmental Support Center
– Outstanding Diversity Leader

Part of the celebration is a program called Honor Your Own. This allows nonprofits to recognize individuals or organizations in a meaningful way.  I am pleased to mention that Legal Aid will be participating in this program this year by honoring Phil and Roberta Horton for their years of support. Phil and Roberta truly signify the highest spirit of philanthropy for our organization.

Development Associate

More than 8 million children in the United States are uninsured.

And, the health care proposals currently circulating around Congress are all leaving these children – and the millions more who are underinsured – behind. 

On November 4, you can take action to help ensure that health care reform provides children with the effective national health safety net that they need and deserve.  Join the Champion’s For Children’s Health Stroller Brigade for a “stroll” to the Capitol to let Congress and the President know that this an issue they should not, and cannot, ignore.

The Children’s Defense Fund, which is organizing this rally, has identified the following three goals for health care reform:

• End the bureaucratic barriers that keep 2 out of 3 of the 8 million uninsured children who are already eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid from actually getting the care they need.
  
• Guarantee every child access to the full range of child health benefits they need which are now provided to children in Medicaid but not to children in the CHIP or the proposed Exchange. All children’s lives are of equal value.
• Eliminate the unjust lottery of geography and provide an affordable national health safety net for all children whose family income is below 300% of the federal poverty line ($66,000 for a family of four).

At Legal Aid, health rights advocacy and casework are among our key priorities.  We see far too many families and children who do not have access to appropriate health care – and this despite the fact that anyone who is eligible for Legal Aid’s services should be receiving health care (whether through Medicaid, Medicare, or the D.C. Alliance).  

 By taking individual health care access cases, advocating with D.C. government agencies to reform policies and procedures, educating clients about their health care rights, and monitoring proposed regulations and legislation, Legal Aid attorneys work to ensure that health care for all District residents is both a right and a reality.  We are of course eager to see health care reform efforts on a national level that will benefit our clients and are pleased to support the Children’s Defense Fund in this effort to expand health care for the nation’s children.

 We urge you all to come out and stroll!

 Stroller Brigade Details:

 Champions of Children’s Health Stroller Brigade
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
10:00 a.m.
West Lawn of the Capitol
Washington, DC

For more information, visit www.childrensfedense.org/strollerbrigade, call (202) 66203642 or send an email to champions@childrensdefense.org.

Don’t forget to tune in today at 1 PM! The show will also be available at http://thekojonnamdishow.org/ after the broadcast.