Broad Futures

Not all disabilities are visible. For the one in seven people with learning disabilities, an estimated 45 percent of working age adults in that population are unemployed, according to this week's DDG Featured Org, Broad Futures. Broad Futures strives to help young adults with learning disabilities achieve their potential and find independence and successful employment. The goal is not only to help prepare individuals for the workforce, but to provide a mutually beneficial training that will prepare both prospective employers and employees to be aware of one another's needs, and thus to keep the lines of communication open. Be sure to save the date for the Fall Gala on November 5th.

Friends of Guest House

We all want a do-over in life, but these women get a real chance thanks to Friends of Guest House. With a mission to help Northern Virginia women successfully reenter the community from incarceration, this week's DDG featured org is committed to providing them the tools they need to start a new life. Since 1974, they have addressed housing, jobs, and healthcare while finding the root causes for crime. As a result, graduates of this organization break their cycle of crime and are less likely to re-offend. Friends of Guest House is always looking for volunteers to act as role models and to help assist their clients. 

When Betty McConkey, founder of Friends of Guest House, was released from prison, she realized the insufficiency of services to people like her and did something about it. There are numerous ways for you to help this week's DDG featured org - volunteering, events, jobs and housing, and fulfilling items on their wish list. The more help they receive, the easier it will be for these women to transition from incarceration back into our communities. Friends of Guest House recently started expanding in June and needs your help to serve more women. "Meet" the clients of Friends of Guest House, volunteers and supporters, and more, here. 

ONE DC

With a mission to pursue racial and economic equity in the District of Columbia, ONE DC is inspired by the work of civil rights activist Ella Jo Baker. This week's DDG featured org is devoted to helping communities of color, the working poor, and otherunderserved groups gain a voice and opportunity to improve their communities and their lives. ONE -- Organizing Neighborhood Equity -- DC is founded on the principles of grassroots democracy, direct engagement and empowering people to sustainability. butt

Back on My Feet

We use a lot of ambulatory and foot-related idioms: Walk a mile in her shoes, pulled up by his bootstraps, on my own two feet... you get the picture. Usually, it's all metaphor, but this week's DDG featured org, Back on My Feet, is getting literal about it (like actually literal, not like "OMG, I literally died when she showed up wearing the same dress as me").
Back on My Feet uses running as a means of helping people who are fighting homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. The philosophy behind the program is that the physical act of running can provide the self-confidence and energy needed to take the next steps (that wasn't even on purpose!) toward job training, education and self-sustainability. With Back on My Feet, clients can find a way to do more than just put one foot in front of the other (okay, that one was planned). 

Stone Soup Films

A MOVIE IS WORTH A MILLION WORDS

Liz Norton, executive director of Stone Soup Films, refers to her organization as “an OKCupid for nonprofits.”

Founded by Norton in 2008, Stone Soup Films is a nonprofit production company that creates promotional films for other nonprofit organizations as part of communications strategy.

“So few (organizations) had them, and the ones that did were terrible,” said Norton, of her original motivation. With a background in public policy and production, she found herself reviewing promotional films for nonprofits, and finding them lacking.

“They didn’t know how to move the needle,” she said.

Stone Soup’s first production was for Bread for the City. The first year, they produced one film. In 2014, they produced 21. There are more than 500 volunteers, and five weeks each year are dedicated solely to editing.

“I couldn’t have predicted that (Stone Soup Films) would be the octopus it is now,” Norton said.

“Liz is just a doer,” said Niki Mock, a regular volunteer (Norton calls her an honorary staff member) with Stone Soup Films, “she makes things happen.”

A former broadcast news reporter and Peace Corps veteran, Mock was looking to combine her journalism background with her liberal ideals. The first film she worked on, she said, was for SAFE, a multi-pronged resource for survivors of domestic violence.

“I couldn't imagine how it would told through the eyes of survivors,” she said, “that a woman would be willing to let us put her story on camera.”

Through the production process, she became close with the three women being profiled. One of them, a mother of six, had escaped an abusive relationship. Mock recalls seeing the children’s joy upon entering their new apartment.

“Every time I intensely get into a story, it hits home how there is no difference between all of us,” she said. “As soon as you get beneath the surface, it could be your family." 

 

THE POWER OF TRANSFORMATION

The name Stone Soup Films comes from the old folktale. It tells of wanderers who come to a village, hungry but with no food. So they fill a pot with water and a large stone, and put it over a fire, piquing the villagers’ curiosity.

“Stone soup is delicious,” the wanderers say as each person passes, “it just needs a bit of garnish.”

So each villager adds something – a handful of herbs, a bit of carrot, whatever they have on hand – and in the end, everyone shares in the soup.

“The idea is that collectively you can do something that you could never do on your own,” Norton said. “Filmmaking is very collaborative. I thought it was a terrific metaphor. Everyone brings their different skills and gives their time.”

Collaboration between Stone Soup Films and an organization involves a wraparound plan – not only a film, but strategic communication and distribution advice as well.

 “We try to teach them how to fish,” Norton said.

And sometimes, they get a big catch. The Stone Soup film for one organization caught the eye of a donor who decided to give $100,000 a year, for three years, to that organization.

Stone Soup Films produces several types of film: Event-based “Doc in a Day” short-term productions, as well as longer term Partnerships. Interns help produce video blogs and “DC Heroes,” a series that profiles individuals effecting change in the DC area.

Norton said she prefers the longer investments of time. One of her favorites was Urban Alliance, an organization that pairs underserved high school seniors with paid internships, along with additional life skills and job readiness training.

"We met this young man when he was 17, his life was going in one direction, and that direction was not good."

Through the Urban Alliance program, the young man got a job at Morgan Stanley. By the end of his senior year, he’d worked his way up to an account, and was awarded a college scholarship.

"He is so exceptionally good,” Norton said. “The power of the transformation is amazing." 

 

THE BEST OF WASHINGTON

The majority of work done by Stone Soup Films is pro bono. Only 20 percent of the films are produced for a fee, thanks in large part to dedicated, civic-minded volunteers.

“The model is so cool,” said volunteer Patrick Frank. The owner of a small media company, Patch Bay Media, Frank offers Stone Soup Films his services as a shooter.

"Every time I show up to a shoot, I'm like, 'wow, this is really cool, I've never heard of this.’ It's an opportunity for me to use my skills and give back to these organizations that are doing really great work. Hopefully from the footage that I capture, people will have the same impression I have." 

At present, there are seven films in production, including Stone Soup’s first feature, which they’ve been working on for almost two years.

"Every day at (Stone Soup) you get to learn something new,” said Mock. “I love learning how people tick and what's behind everyone. There's a wide range and diversity of people." 

Norton and her associates recognize that the most well-intentioned organizations can’t accomplish much without money and awareness, and are trying to use the medium of film for good, to help spread the word about the important work that is being done in the greater DC area.

“This area is really interesting, and that's a big part of why we've been so successful,” she said. “There’s a unique combination of incredibly competent, educated people in an environment where there is so much suffering. But then in the mix there's a swath of people who are not satisfied with that. Stone Soup pulls on the best of Washington.”

About the Author: Holly Leber is the editorial director at the Daily Do Good. Through her work, she is fortunate to learn all about the best of Washington. 

DC Central Kitchen

DC Central Kitchen:
Not Your Mama's Soup Kitchen

Carla Hall’s culinary talents and sparkling smile have made her a household name. But for all her blessings, Carla never forgets that there are households struggling to put meals on the table. That’s why she supports DC Central Kitchen.

First encountering DCCK in 1995 as a culinary school student, Carla has maintained a special relationship with the organization, serving on the board of directors, participating in the Capital Food Fight fundraiser, and promoting DC Central Kitchen as one of the hosts of ABC’s The Chew.

It is not, said partnerships and planning coordinator Katherine Eklund, a typical soup kitchen. DC Central Kitchen serve about 80 social services agencies every day, providing 5,000 meals to help the agencies focus on moving their clients forward.

“Our goal isn’t just to keep feeding people meals,” Katherine said. “Our goal is to ensure people don’t need those meals.”

A graduate of the DC Central Kitchen job training program tells his story. Courtesy of WJLA TV

Of DCCK’s many valuable programs, one that sticks out in Carla’s mind is the Culinary Job Training program, which trains unemployed and underemployed, homeless and previously incarcerated adults for careers in the food service industry.

“It’s something we take for granted,” Carla said, “having a work ethic. There is nothing more life changing than seeing somebody (at training graduation) being able to show his family, “I’ve changed. I’m going through a metamorphosis.”

Many of the Job Training graduates stay on as volunteers. Carla recalls one woman who had a perpetual smile.

“She didn’t have the greatest teeth, but she smiled. She was a beacon of light. Whenever you went there, her answer was ‘yes, how can I help’ you can have absolutely nothing, but when you have a smile to give people, it changes people. It changes the people who are coming through the doors. You can change people with a smile and a positive attitude.”

 

Top Ten Reasons We Love
DC Central Kitchen

1.     DC Central Kitchen helps fight food waste. They recover quality food that would have otherwise been discarded, simply because of appearance, from wholesalers, and convert it into healthy meals.

2.     They distribute nutritious meals and snacks to corner stores in DC’s food deserts, helping ensure people in all neighborhoods have access to healthy, affordable food.

3.     In 2013, DCCK served more than 2100 young people through agencies promoting youth mentorship, health education and job readiness.

Photo courtesy of DC Central Kitchen

4.      DC Central Kitchen is invested in its Culinary Job Training graduates, providing ongoing services, job assistance, and even grocery bundles.

5.     DC Central Kitchen invests in children. They work with 10 schools in Wards 7 and 8 to provide nutritious meals every day.

6.     DCCK supports the environment and local economy. Thirty percent of items for school meals are grown locally or nearby.

Photo courtesy of DC Central Kitchen

7.     The Culinary Job Training program isn’t just about skills, it’s about people. The program includes a self-empowerment course to help students deal with their challenges and learn strategies for overcoming them.

8.     By delivering meals to 80 partner agencies, DC Central Kitchen saved those agencies more than $3.7 million in food costs last year, allowing both money and time to be spent focusing on the missions.

9.     From karaoke parties to easy food donations, DC Central Kitchen offers plenty of ways for you to make a contribution.

10. DC Central Kitchen puts its money where their mouth is: The catering service – Fresh Start Catering – employs graduates of the job training program. 

 

DC Central Kitchen
Quips 'n Quotes

"Using food as our tool, we strive focus on the root causes of hunger and poverty work to empower men and women to live lives of self-sufficiency... Ultimately, the Kitchen is about creating systems of empowerment that create a more just food system for all. - Michael Curtin, Chief Executive Officer, DC Central Kitchen

“Health is as much of a focus as it can be.” – Tracey Sero, Assistant Director of Kitchen Operations

“If it weren’t for DC Central Kitchen, I don’t know where I’d be.” – Marvin, served 30 years in prison, now employed at DC Central Kitchen

“Hunger is a symptom of other issues. It’s caused by other problems and it causes other problems.” – Katherine Eklund, Partnerships and Planning Coordinator

“I enjoy working with the volunteers. I have a lot of gratitude.” – Tarina, production chef, 2010 graduate of the Culinary Job Training program

“DC Central Kitchen taught me hyper-focus, and a dedication to detail and learning new things.” – Abby Woods, 2013 DCCK Culinary Job Training graduate, now employed in the kitchen of the Eisenhower Executive Office building.

“Remember to go and visit any of your soup kitchens during, as they say in the Catholic church, ordinary times, and not just during the holidays, because the need is 365 days a year.” – Carla Hall

Photo courtesy of Carla Hall

Want to know Carla Hall's celebrity crush? And what her Thanksgiving dessert of choice would be? Check out our Outtakes with Carla Hall!

Dog Tag Bakery

FOR VETERANS, TRANSITION BACK TO CIVILIAN LIFE IS NO PIECE OF CAKE. DOG TAG BAKERY WANTS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE SWEETER.

Of the more than 2.6 million veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States has seen more than a million come back with severe physical and mental injuries. It is estimated that 20 percent of returning veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The injuries that veterans face magnify the difficulty of re-integrating themselves into post-war civilian society.

Dog Tag Inc., founded and housed in the District, is taking a new, holistic approach to transition assistance for veterans.

Dog Tag Inc.’s innovative program was founded in 2014 by philanthropists Father Rick Curry, SJ, and Connie Milstein. Both strongly believed that if a veteran wanted to work, unemployment should not be a factor in stopping them from achieving that goal. They started by designing a six-month training program aimed at “building a bridge to business employment and productive civilian life.”

“Connie and Father Curry were both inspired by what service meant to them. They are the ones who really took this plane off the ground and had the vision and the passion to get it up into the air,” said CEO Megan Ogilvie.

Dog Tag’s uniqueness stems from the fact that it operates as both a business (the bakery) and a nonprofit (the program). The enterprise aims to serve veterans and their spouses via the program as well as the larger Georgetown community by selling baked goods. Profits from the bakery are then put back into the program to keep it running.

The program involves a heavy course load at nearby Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies, where fellows learn business skills through accounting, management, communication, corporate finance, marketing and entrepreneurship classes. Also included is a lecture series, which features entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, and CEO’s who “open their networks to DTI fellows and work to facilitate meaningful connections.”

Once the fellows complete all of their course modules, they have earned a certificate of business administration from an accredited institution.

Fellows use Dog Tag’s recently opened bakery in Georgetown as a place to apply the business skills they learn in real world environment. The bakery, which opened in December of 2014, gives members of the program a place to not only complete catering and mail orders, but also to interact with customers and get a chance at baking the goods themselves. Working in the bakery gives fellows work experience in every piece of the larger puzzle of running a small business. The bakery also serves as a gathering place for current and past fellows. Many participants in the program return to the storefront again and again for lunches, events, or simply to spend time with fellow veterans.

“One of the most meaningful experiences for me is seeing our fellows seize opportunities for themselves. We’re here to set up the program and put the opportunities out there, and it has been so inspiring hearing about networking events our fellows went to and seeing the ways that they are taking control of their future and their goals,” said Megan.

Currently, Dog Tag Inc. only operates its program in the DC area, and is on its second class of fellows: a group of 11 men and women. There are plans to expand nationally, but not anytime soon.

“We want to make sure that our program works here first, and that we are doing everything right on a smaller scale before we expand to other areas,” Megan said. 

Q&A WITH DOG TAG, INC. CEO, MEGAN OGILVIE

1. What inspired you to become involved in Dog Tag Inc ? Was there a specific catalyst or was it more of a general organization addressing a social need that you sought to be a part of?

 I came from a Marine Corps family. My father and sister both served and attended the Naval Academy, and I’ve always had the passion about service that comes with being part of a military family, but knew that serving wasn’t the specific route for me. My dad always told me “You’ll find your way to serve." I heard about Father Curry and the program he was starting from a friend, and having always had a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit, I decided I wanted to be a part of it. His and Connie Milstein’s commitment to not only veterans but their spouses as well really inspired me. I also liked that the program combined an educational piece with job experience.

2. Can you tell me about a specific time or instance in which you felt your mission was really being exemplified?

 As a start-up, we essentially grew with our first class of fellows. It’s really meaningful to see them come back to the bakery after having graduated from the program.  We’ve had vets say that they’ve come back because they feel like it’s their place. Knowing that we were able to provide them with a vehicle through which they can succeed has been very meaningful, as well as hearing them say how some of the things they learned in the classes (like the importance of being able to tell your own story) have been vital to them post-program has been awesome. Seeing them put their skills into use makes me feel very fortunate that we were able to be the launching pad.

Thousands of dog tags comprise a chandelier at Dog Tag Bakery

3. What challenges does your role with Dog Tag present and how do you handle those challenges? 

 One of the challenges is thinking about both the mission of our program and the needs of the business at the same time. We are always thinking of recruiting, how to market the bakery, how to drive traffic, but also having to make sure that the program is effective. There are also challenges with being a start-up and having to figure many things out for the first time, and not knowing all of the answers. We’re very lucky to have a staff that gives their 110 percent as well as such inspiring founders with a great vision and passion.

4. What has your work with Dog Tag taught you that you carry into the rest of your life? 

The importance of showing up and pushing the mission forward. Everyone here has a reason for being involved and a passion for the mission and it’s important to have the drive to come back and face challenges day after day. Watching our fellows succeed has reinforced the importance of what we are doing and why our mission is important.

Dog Tag Bakery is at 3206 Grace Street NW in Georgetown. 

Close up on the chandelier

About the Author: Marisa Weidner is a graduate of The College of William and Mary. She has volunteered as a teacher in Belize, and in homeless shelters in the United States. Marisa chronicles her explorations of DC on her blog, The Curated City. 

Goodwill of Greater Washington

GOODWILL ON A MISSION

When you clean out your closet or are in need of some cheap picture frames, what’s the first place you think of?

Chances are high you said Goodwill.

“Goodwill has very strong brand recognition,” said Brendan Hurley, chief marketing office of Goodwill of Greater Washington, “but where Goodwill is lacking is in mission awareness.”

The mission, according to Goodwill’s website, is “to transform lives and communities through the power of education and employment,” particularly for those with disabilities and disadvantages.

“Transforming is a word that really resonates,” said Hurley. “When someone is successfully employed, they can meet a variety of human needs.”

Needs including a roof over ones head, the ability to buy food, to keep the lights on, or keep the heat running in winter, the ability to get kids school supplies or sneakers or medicine when they’re sick.

“It provides necessities that many of us take for granted,” he said. “That is transformative.”

The organization uses the acronym RISE – respect, integrity, service and excellence – to reflect its core values.

Goodwill offers job training and placement programs in the fields of hospitality and security services, as well as career navigation. The latter is a generalized career enrichment program that includes resume and interview assistance, and job search and self-marketing tools.

Goodwill’s career services education programs feature individual assessments to find participants’ best career fit, and address the full job-training process, from initial search to job retention post-hire.

The retail stores that are associated with the Goodwill name help to fund that mission. Ninety-one cents on the dollar that comes into the stores goes to support Goodwill’s education and job training services.

“There is a disconnect between how we generate money to fund our mission and the mission itself,” Hurley said. “We work on correcting that everyday.” 
 

ALL THE YOUNG PROS

Aiding in the quest to spread Goodwill's mission is the Young Professionals Council. Members of the YPC act as brand ambassadors for Goodwill, familiarizing the community with the organization’s mission.

“People are surprised that Goodwill is more than where you buy cheap clothes, or where they can donate things,” said Samantha Penabad, chair of the Young Professionals Council. “We are able to change people's perception of what Goodwill does.”

Penabad, 26, works as a strategy consultant for Accenture Development Partnerships, helping organizations develop and accomplish their goals. She became involved with Goodwill and the YPC through her employer.

YPC's Board members at a retreat: Tahira Christmon, Melissa Sullivan, Samantha Penabad, Gloria Chou, Evelyn Smith, and Greg Allis./Photo courtesy of Melissa Sullivan

As chair, Penabad manages the day-to-day operations of YPC, including strategy and membership recruitment. A good YPC member, she said, is “intensely excited about community service.”

Members of the Young Professionals Council come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, but share the common goal of wanting to help Goodwill spread its mission.

“For me it has to do with providing opportunities, whether it be educational or vocational, for those in our community who have been affected by disabilities and disadvantages,” said Melisa Sullivan, YPC’s vice president of events. “I see Goodwill as a sort of safe haven. It's about empowering these individuals to live in a self-sustaining way.”

Sullivan, 29, has worked on Capitol Hill and in campaign finance fundraising. She has been a part of the Young Professionals Council since 2012.

The YPC is tasked with creating events that fit the lifestyle of DC’s young professionals, finding fun and unusual ways to engage them.

Guests browse the racks at the Goodwill Edited Summer Trunk Show, co-hosted by the Young Professionals Council.

“On any night in DC, you can go to 15 or 20 happy hours for a charitable organization,” Sullivan said. “We want to think outside the box. We want to engage people where they are.”

On July 11, the YPC will host a charity spinning event at Zengo Cycle in Logan Circle. While in the past, YPC has joined in on larger Goodwill events, this year the leadership is working toward more autonomy. Possible future events include a paint-and-sip, a cooking class, and thematic pop-up shops.

In addition to planning and attending events, members of the Young Professionals Council must meet a volunteer requirement, taking part in Goodwill’s programs. That can take the form of assisting with resume development, unloading donations, or anything in between.

“It’s important to be out there and see the impact that Goodwill has and see the people who are benefitting from these programs,” Sullivan said.

Hurley recalls a fashion show Goodwill held in Sept. 2014. The recent graduating class from the hospitality program was invited to walk down the runway. More than 200 people, who all now have jobs with Marriott, stepped up.

“They had huge smiles,” Hurley said. “Some of them were dancing. It was very moving, knowing the impact the program had on them.”

Young Ladies of Tomorrow

Young Ladies on a Mission to Succeed

Girls are the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system, according to the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy. 

But, said Helen Wade, founder and CEO of Young Ladies of Tomorrow, Inc., their needs often go unmet. Founded in 1993, Young Ladies of Tomorrow exists to provide young women (ages 14-17) with the skills, support, counseling and empowerment that they need to transition into adulthood successfully.

Wade believes that the term “juvenile justice system” can be misleading. Although some of the girls are detainees, many of them have come to the courts in other ways.

“Some of the girls come from families that are in severe need. Some have been separated from their families,” Wade said. “And some have exhibited some behavioral or truancy issues at school. Each young woman is different.”

YLOT provides the young women with tutors, mentors, career development seminars, and field trips—to teach them new skills and to expose them to new opportunities.

Click here to see how YLOT is helping young ladies chart their futures.

SHE'S NO FAIRWEATHER VOLUNTEER

Stephanie Oboite and Sasha Bruce of The College of Dentistry at Howard University deliver a presentation on how to maintain good oral health./Photo courtesy of Young Ladies of Tomorrow

Shalamar Fairweather started to volunteer with Young Ladies of Tomorrow in 2014. 

“When I first began,” she said, “I would teach seminars and help students write narratives. Now we have fellows here and I am their supervisor.”

A native of Jamaica, Fairweather moved to the District a little more than a year ago. Now, she is an advocate for volunteer engagement.

“I think everyone needs to give back to their community," she said. "It’s really fulfilling. And you can gain a lot of skills from volunteering. My public speaking skills have increased since I started here. Plus, I have doubled up on my management skills.”

 YLOT offers numerous opportunities to volunteer—either working directly with the young ladies—or working behind the scenes. Here are a few opportunities:

1.     Love one-on-one interactions? Become a tutor!
2.     Enjoy engaging with small groups? Facilitate a workshop or become a mentor.
3.     Have extra space? Host a field trip or support an internship for a YLOT participant.

Young Ladies of Tomorrow work with DC Central Kitchen/Photo from DC Central Kitchen

A DC native, fifteen year old Zatharia, also known as “Z,” has participated in the YLOT program for more than two years. She attends night school, where she is finishing high school.

Zatharia, also known as “Z”/Photo courtesy of Young Ladies of Tomorrow

What skills have you gained through the program?

We’ve searched for jobs, interviewed each other, resume writing. We have filled out job applications.

 What has YLOT taught you?

I learned to help others. I learned to make good decisions. I learned to think before I do something. I used to smoke and do drugs. I used to not come in the house and listen to my mother. Young Ladies of Tomorrow taught me how to be a young lady.

 What does the term “young lady” mean to you?

It is being respectful. Going to school every day. Not hanging with a bad crowd. Doing good things.

YLOT participants volunteered as ushers and hostesses at the DC Federation of Democratic Women’s Legislative Empowerment Summit, where they interacted with city officials./Photo courtesy of Young Ladies of Tomorrow.

About the Author: Chanté Griffin, an Older Lady of Tomorrow, is a writer and edu-tainer. You can catch her online at www.yougochante.com and @yougochante.

Red Wiggler Community Farm

TRANSFORMATIONS AT RED WIGGLER COMMUNITY FARM

In the early ‘90s, Woody Woodroof started an organic vegetable garden at the Arizona group home where he worked. In doing so, he was introduced to red wiggler worms, which are excellent for breaking down compost and transforming infertile soil into something conducive to growing food.

Woodroof was struck by the parallels between transforming soil and transforming people. He knew there was a need for more meaningful, connected, inclusive jobs for the disabled adults with whom he worked.

In 1996, Woodroof launched Red Wiggler Community Farm, a 12-acre certified organic farm in Germantown, in 1996. Sixteen adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities comprise the core crew.

“The metaphor (of the worms),” he said, “is about transforming people through job development, job skills, inclusion in the community - not about people's disabilities, but about what they do, what they produce.”

 Today, the mission of Red Wiggler is “to be a sustainable farm where people with and without developmental disabilities come together to work, learn and grow healthy food.”

“Everyone comes to the table with skills,” Woodroof said. “Find out what they’re good at, focus on those things. Here, some people are really good at one thing. We also try to push their edge a little bit by challenging them to do a couple of other things.”

 

GROWING TOGETHER AT RED WIGGLER

Staff members have yearly meetings with their employees’ vocational helpers and family members to evaluate their progress and to set goals for the following year.

“Each of the growers have some goals for the year,” said Katie Junghans, Red Wiggler’s volunteer and grower coordinator. “Some times it has to do with learning a new tool or getting better at using a certain tool, like a hoe, or learning how to wheel a wheelbarrow.”

The desire to challenge the workers can present its own challenges. One, Woodroof noted, is content to weed all day every day.

 “As an organization we’ve had to wrestle with that a little bit,” he said. “We want to focus on people's abilities and what they’re good at and like doing, but is it fair to her to not encourage her to learn new skills?”

VOLUNTEERISM & LEARNING AT RED WIGGLER

Red Wiggler relies heavily on volunteer participation not only for production, but for mutual learning opportunities.

 “By having folks working side by side and often pairing people up, they’re both learning from each other,” said Molly McCracken, education and outreach coordinator. “A lot of youth have never experienced working with someone with developmental disabilities and have a lot of different kinds of preconceived notions about what that might be like or what the person might be capable of.”

On a September morning, staff members worked alongside a half dozen volunteers from a nearby engineering firm.

“Through the volunteerism, it’s a very included environment,” said Woodroof. “You often don’t know who’s got a disability and who doesn’t. Our role is to set (the growers) up as teachers and mentors.”

The experience can be especially transformative for the younger volunteers.

Last year, one enthusiastic intern got the National Honor Society at her high school to adopt the farm as their charity. Every holiday last fall, she brought a group of kids out to do some volunteer work.

That young woman is currently studying agriculture at Cornell University.

“She’s really kind of had her whole plan for her life changed from being here,” Junghans said, “It’s just amazing the few that really just take to it so much and kind of adopt us and keep coming.”

About the Author: Terri Carr is a Washington, DC yogi and writer. She blogs at Yoga Soulutions.

FRESHFARM Markets

KEEPING IT FARM FRESH WITH FRESHFARM

On a chilly January morning in Silver Spring, Julie Stinar is making a deal: Beef for bread.

“We do a lot of trading around here,” Stinar, owner of Evensong Farms, said of her fellow vendors at FRESHFARM Markets.

FRESHFARM began as a single farmers market in 1997. Nineteen years later, it’s a thriving nonprofit with 11 markets, including two year-round, and multiple nutrition assistance, education and business development programs. But FRESHFARM’s primary goal is to support the people who make it all possible: The farmers.

Evensong Farm herbs/Photo by Holly Leber for Paste

“We are all about the supply side in the food movement,” said executive director Mike Koch. “We’ve long been dedicated to providing economic opportunities to farmers and producers.”

A FRESHFARM program that helps provide those opportunities is the Jean Wallace Douglas Farmer Fund, a scholarship program for growers and producers.

Stinar has benefited from the Farmer Fund to attend the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Conference.

“Every time I learn different things,” she said. “Last time I was focused on business plans related to agriculture, as well as herb production.”

In addition to grass-fed beef, chicken and pork, Evensong offers homegrown herb lemonades three seasons of the year.

FRESHFARM is dedicated to making the public aware of the importance of local food from environmental, food security, health perspective and economic perspectives.

“Everybody should have the right to do a job that they love to do,” said marketing manager Nikki Warner. “Farmers don’t farm because it’s a profitable business; they love to cultivate the soil and nourish their families. That’s their American dream. If there’s no way for them to be economically viable, we have to rely on the industrialization of food.”

“There’s something greatly unfair about those who grow our food and ensure we have a table that’s filled having a hard time guaranteeing they’re making a living,” added Koch.

The FRESHFARM team helps promote this awareness and appreciation of locally grown food from a young age through FoodPrints, a partnership with DC Public Schools that integrates gardening, cooking and nutrition lessons into the students’ curricula.

“The food environment that our kids are growing up in is pretty horrendous,” said Jennifer Mampara, FRESHFARM’s director of education. “If you look at the messages, they’re pretty horrendous. The foods that are being advertised to them are not the foods they need to eat.”

Another issue is access – public school children in DC often come from the city’s so-called “food deserts,” where fresh produce is not readily available.

“So many kids live in neighborhoods where they don’t have access to full-service grocery,” continued Mampara. “It’s so much cheaper to buy a soda and a bag of potato chips. We want to offer a counter to those messages and offer something meaningful and hands-on.”

FRESHFARM also works to help combat the food deserts through gleaning partnerships with other area organizations, including DC Central Kitchen and Miriam’s Kitchen, and nutrition assistance SNAP and matching dollars programs.

“Not only does it benefit the shopper, but the farmer gets sales from a client who would not otherwise shop at the farmers market,” Warner said.

At present, FoodPrints exists in six schools – five in Ward 6 on Capitol Hill, and one in Ward 2 near Foggy Bottom. Next year, two schools in Wards 7 and 8 will be added. FoodPrints began with a $5000 donation from a market customer who requested only that an education program for school children be established.

The FRESHFARM staff members say they observe children who have a chance to help grow vegetables and create healthy meals appreciating fresh food in a way they might not otherwise, even if they begin with a sense of apprehension. Mampara recalls one child who confided that she was “allergic” to the kale salad the class was making.

At the end of class, Jennifer said, “I looked over and she was gobbling it down, and she said ‘it turns out I’m not allergic to kale anymore!’”

(Unless otherwise indicated, all photos have been provided by FRESHFARM Markets.)

About the Author: When Holly Leber isn't running editorial for the Daily Do Good, she enjoys spending all her money at farmer's markets. More publishers should pay her to write stories about said markets, so she can continue to support the farmers. 

DC Web Women

WOMEN WHO WEB

Who runs the web? Girls!

So why does society, women included, continue to think that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are reserved for men only?  

Most children become aware of gender roles early on and, subconsciously, those perceived norms can influence the goals and limits they create for themselves.

Toys often reinforce some of the gender stereotypes that exist. In 1992, Mattel released a Teen Talk Barbie whose lexicon included the phrase, “Math class is tough!” It was largely criticized and eventually pulled from shelves.

Fast forward 23 years, and women are still underrepresented in STEM fields. In fact, only 30 percent of women work in the tech industry, according to a CNET article published earlier this year.  

Fortunately, DC Web Women exists to promote women and girls in technology according to its website.

DCWW started off with a handful of women who would meet in a coffee shop to discuss all things tech. Twenty years later, it is more than 3,000 members strong. Many of DCWW’s members specialize in social media, search engine optimization, web analytics, e-marketing, graphic design and web development.

“Our founders wanted to create an inclusive space for women to come together to talk about tech,” said DCWW President Sibyl Edwards. “While things have improved for women in tech since 1995, the reality is there are a lot of women who are still not entering the field and those who do enter the field drop out at some point. So, there’s still very much a need for groups like DC Web Women.”

To help spread the mission and attract new members, DCWW’s leaders have developed several initiatives, including Girls Rock on the Web. Here, girls ages 8-12 learn more about technology in the hope that they girls will gain interest in STEM fields. 
 

TECH THE HALLS

Within the past year, DCWW has made an effort to revamp its Outreach Committee by placing a stronger emphasis on young girls and minorities. As a result of partnering with several local STEM organizations, DCWW has managed to reach more than 400 children this year alone.

“[Our goals include] increasing the number of women in their particular field, empowering women and girls to pursue high-paying jobs in technology, and [changing the ratio of women and girls in tech],” said DCWW volunteer Ashley Holtz. “The outreach team is an integral part of DCWW and its mission. If girls are not aware of STEM careers and are not encouraged to pursue them, we will never improve the number of women in tech fields.”

Tech the Halls 2013/Photo credit: DC Web Women

DCWW works to ensure that women who are currently in tech feel supported, while girls who may be interested in tech have the proper resources they need. However, the ladies at DCWW also know how to let loose and have fun once in a while. Tech the Halls, an annual holiday party that celebrates the DC tech community, is DCWW’s biggest event of the year.

“It’s more of a networking event since there are around eight different tech groups that usually join us. You don’t have to be a member of DC Web Women or any of the groups represented to attend – anybody can go,” Edwards said. “We’ve found that a lot of people find out about DC Web Women through Tech the Halls because it’s become so popular.” 

For Edwards – and the rest of her colleagues for that matter – being a part of the DCWW team is more than just a job. Prior to becoming DCWW’s president, Edwards worked as a volunteer at different levels of the nonprofit.

DC Web Women (and a few men) exchange ideas/Photo credit: Bri Monet/DC Web Women

At a time when Edwards felt isolated as a tech woman, DCWW granted her the opportunity to meet other women in the industry that she could relate and connect to. She’s now on a mission to inspire a new generation of women and girls to not only rethink their role in technology but make their mark on it as well.

“The reason I’ve stayed with DC Web Women for as long as I have is because of the simple fact that it continues to contribute to my life,” she said. “When I first entered the tech industry, I didn’t have any mentors, so DC Web Women has been a way for me to give back to other women in tech.”

About the Author: Princess Gabbara is a Michigan-based journalist and freelance writer (Ebony, Essence, etc.). You can read more of her work on her blog. She also tweets @PrincessGabbara.

Leading Educators

LEADING LEADERS:
HOW LEADING EDUCATORS IS IMPACTING A NATION

It’s Saturday. Imagine walking into a crowded classroom abuzz with excitement, as a group of racially and regionally diverse teachers shout out ideas and push each other towards excellence. This scene is commonplace for Leading Educators, a non-profit organization committed to changing the educational landscape of the US.

While many education organizations work to eliminate educational inequality by providing direct services to students and their families, Leading Educators addresses this inequality by addressing a critical, but often overlooked piece—teacher training. 

“Who are the best individuals in the school building, and how do we use them to lead their peers to close the achievement gap?” said Quentin Liggins, acting executive director for Washington, DC Leading Educators.

“Traditional teacher prep involves leading students, but doesn’t give the skills required to lead adults. Leading Educators is the only national program that is focused on the management and leadership development of teacher-leaders.”

Angel-Dama Hendricks, dean of student support at DC Prep, joined Leading Educators in 2013.

“As a dean, I’m not just a disciplinarian. My mission is to help students understand the connection between academic growth and their personal character development,” she said. “We’re connecting their various character traits to their future

With offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, Kansas City and Memphis, Leading Educators selects high performing teachers to become fellows. In DC, fellows receive training and mentorship for one year to help them lead and train other teachers.

Heather DeBruler, a preschool teacher with DC SCHOLARS Public Charter School, is a current Leading Educators fellow. She works hard to create a classroom culture that reaches the students’ individual needs, particularly in an environment that can be fraught with adversity.

“The community of children that I teach—there is so much adversity—one being the way in which schools are funded. When you look at public schools being funded off of property taxes… that’s a justice issue.”

Here’s the Leading Educators formal for success:

summer intensive
+
professional development sessions
 +
one-on-one leadership coaching
 +
cohort learning
+
 implementing a school improvement project with other educators
=
school-wide improvement

While their success formula is multi-layered, their goal, according to Liggins, is simple: “Great schools for all students.”

About the Author: Chanté Griffin is a writer, teaching-artist and life-long learner. She blogs at yougochante.com.

Bikes for the World

BIKES FOR THE WORLD: GOING PLACES

Have you ever seriously considered how you would get to school, work, or the grocery store without a car or public transportation? Would you walk? You could ride your bike… but what if you couldn’t afford one?

For many people living in developing countries, this problem is one that they must face daily. Luckily, Keith Oberg and Bikes for the World are working to create a solution.

Keith realized the importance of reliable transportation when he worked in Central America in the ‘80s, where he was involved in a number of bike efforts, including Bikes Not Bombs. “I saw people walking miles to get where they needed to be, and realized that bikes were an affordable option that really made a difference in people’s productivity,” he said.

A banana merchant in Honduras loads up his bike./Photo courtesy of Bikes for the World

Keith noticed that many people in the U.S. had bikes that were sitting unused in their garages and homes—bikes that could be put to use by those who needed them.

When he returned to the DC area, Keith started collecting bikes and started Bikes for the World in 2005. BfW’s first independent shipment occurred in April 2005, to Sri Lanka, Central America, and Ghana. More than 5,000 bikes were sent overseas. Since then, the organization has broadened in both size and scope.

BfW’s mission is to “make quality used bicycles and parts affordable and available to lower income people and select institutions in developing countries, to enhance their lives and livelihoods through better transport.”

 

REVIVING COMMUNITIES

At first, the organization was sponsored under the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. It became a nonprofit in 2011. Bikes for the World now operates as the nation’s largest bike reuse program.

“Every time you dispatch a container, you learn and hear stories about what has helped certain partners,” Oberg said. “For example, in Panama bikes are sent to the Goodwill there, which provides vocational and educational training for people with special needs—they help fix up the bikes and then sell them at Goodwill. In the Philippines, bikes are given to kids to incentivize them to stay in school and help them get there. In this instance, the schools bought in to the program, and the kids get the bikes when they graduate.”

In the Philippines, a BfW volunteer fits a child with a helmet./Photo courtesy of Bikes for the World

BfW’s operating model is simple, yet effective: The organization crowd sources bikes and bike part donations from individuals, bike shops, and churches across the DMV, breaks them down, and packs them into shipping containers that travel across the globe. The bikes are received by community partners in various countries, who ensure that the bikes make their way to those who need them most at a low cost.

Loading a crate to ship to Costa Rica./Photo courtesy of Bikes for the World

Allowing international community partners to sell the bikes at an affordable price lets them reinvest the proceeds they receive in their own community. Since 2005, BfW has shipped more than 14,000 bicycles to FINCA Costa Rica, a micro business support organization, which helps low-income individuals achieve financial autonomy. FINCA then distributes the bikes to other associations in the country, and the proceeds are reinvested in the credit enterprise

“Costa Rica is a great example of how a community organized itself to receive the container and divide the bikes amongst themselves,” Keith said.

TRAINING WHEELS
 

Bikes for the World has an impact beyond affordable transportation in the communities it partners with. Re-assembling and reconditioning the bicycles also creates jobs in the receiving country, and can function as a training program. Additionally, bikes can be converted to capital (Costa Rica) or used as a method of getting an education by providing a way to get to school.  Finally, BfW helps the environment by removing bikes from the landfill cycle and also promoting a sustainable and environmentally ethical method of transit.

In addition to its main focus on international partners, BfW also works with local organizations. One of those organizations is Gearin’ Up Bicycles, a bike shop in DC founded in 2002 that trains youth to fix up and refurbish old bikes.

Students at The Friends School in Baltimore work on a bike./Photo courtesy of Bikes for the World

With only four full-time employees, BfW relies heavily on the efforts and manpower of its volunteers, who come out to prep bikes or load containers. Volunteers can also sponsor their own bike collections to help the organization.

“I’m encouraged by the amount of people out there who want to give back and make a contribution, showing up time after time to do work that isn’t always a ton of fun, and sometimes is dirty,” said Jim Mitchell, who has been volunteering with Bikes for the World for nearly a decade. “People really enjoy the camaraderie and they want to give back where they can, and show an appreciation for the level of comfort we have in the States.”

As of the end of 2015, Bikes for the World has donated more than 111,000 bikes and has no plans to stop anytime soon. Plans for the future include building on their relationships with community partners, getting even more donations, and expanding nationally across the United States.

Jim loads BfW's 100,000's bike into a crate./Photo courtesy of Bikes for the World

About the Author: Marisa Weidner is a graduate of The College of William and Mary. She has volunteered as a teacher in Belize, and in homeless shelters in the United States. Marisa chronicles her explorations of DC on her blog, The Curated City. 

Junior Achievement of Greater Washington

 

OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FINANCIAL FUTURE

Junior Achievement strives inspire the next generation to be financially capable, tenacious, and equipped with the skills to manage risk effectively, solve problems creatively, and welcome opportunity in a complex modern economy.

During the 2014-2015 school year, Junior Achievement (JA) of Greater Washington served more than 55,000 students with more than 500,000 hours of classroom instruction led by JA volunteers.

“Essentially, we seek to give DC, MD, and VA students hope for the future and the vision to see what's possible,” said Sarah Dohl, JA of Greater Washington’s vice president of communications. “We believe we can do that through a continuum of experiential programs taught by a volunteer from the community.”

It begins with two simple steps: 1) A school requests one of JA’s financial literacy programs. 2) JA provides the school with a volunteer from the business sector and local community to teach that program.

The Results:

JA’s programs give students hands-on learning experiences. “Our Board recently approved a $25 million, 5-year campaign to expand the JA Finance Park program and our work in the region's high schools,” Dohl shares. In the Finance Park program, students create real-world budgets.

IS THE AMERICAN DREAM ALIVE? 

“Is the American Dream alive?” Junior Achievement of Greater Washington asked its students in the 2015 Junior Achievement Essay Competition. The competition is just one way that JA challenges its students to connect what they’re learning in school with what’s happening in the world around them.

 The first place winners in the DMV receive $10,000 scholarships, and a grand-prize winner receives $20,000.

 JA volunteer Eva Cichy has worked with Junior Achievement for four years, first in classroom programs, then as a judge for the 2015 essay competition. Eva started to volunteer when she worked for a financial regulatory company, and has continued now that she is retired.

 “I get a sense of fulfillment every time I walk out of the classroom,” Eva said. “The best part of volunteering is talking to the kids and hearing their perspectives. Kids are our future. I believe that we need to give them all that we can.

MEET ANYA

George C. Marshall High School senior Anya Karaman discusses her experiences as a JA volunteer and student.

DDG: What did you gain as a volunteer?
Anya: You get to see firsthand how these children are benefiting from information that really is overlooked a lot. Also, you as a volunteer get to learn and benefit from the information being taught. The information may seem trivial, but it’s actually the basic foundations of finance and economics that are also overlooked by grown adults.

DDG: How has JA impacted your goals?
Anya: It has given me the opportunity to do something—not just write an essay, not just plan an event. It put us, as high school students, in a place where we could actually teach other students and see how our impact was being received. It has made me reconsider what kind of fields I want to go into as an adult. It has shown me that there’s a whole world ahead of me; I haven’t even scratched the surface of how I can give.

DDG: Why should volunteers work with JA?
Anya: Thinking about doing something in a classroom, and actually going out to do something are two incredibly different things. To see yourself as a teacher, as a real leader— is inspiring. By being a volunteer, I am a leader.

All images provided by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington. 

About the Author: Chanté Griffin is a former employee of Junior Achievement of Southern California. Tweet with her at @yougochante

Sasha Bruce Youthwork

 

INVISIBLE YOUTH

Homeless youth are often invisible.

According to Rhonda Deskins, workforce development program manager at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, this is because they usually resort to couchsurfing, and aren’t necessarily sleeping on the streets.

“I like to tell people that homelessness doesn’t have a look,” she said. “You’ll find these kids wearing the latest trends, but they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from or where they’re going to be sleeping.”

Sasha Bruce Youthwork is a local nonprofit that dedicates its time and efforts to providing counseling, housing, job training, education, and medical services to at-risk youth and their families in the Washington, DC area.

SBY has helped more than 13,000 young people to reunite with their families and combat homelessness since its founding in 1974. Deskins said that most homeless youth are runaways, victims of trafficking, from broken homes, or have aged out of the foster care system.

Founder and executive director Deborah Shore said that her mother’s position as a social worker turned her on to social justice at a young age. After years of working at an early runaway shelter, she realized that she had to reach out to young people and make sure they were connecting with all available resources.

“I knew it was important to provide a bridge for these kids, but it needed to be a bridge that led somewhere”, she said. Noticing that a lot of focus was placed on services for the chronically homeless, Shore saw the need to work towards a systemic solution. “We need to get there earlier and figure out how to support youth and families to avoid chronic homelessness.”

There are a variety of programs that SBY offers, including the Beet Street Gardens Partnership, which promotes nutrition; Olaiya’s Cradle, which supports young mothers; and art therapy.

The newest program at Sasha Bruce is a daytime drop-in center. The facility acts as a safe space with access to laundry machines, showers, food, a computer lab, counseling and medical services, and even workshops and classes that assist in developing the skills necessary for a smooth transition into adulthood. This is particularly helpful for those 18 and up.

“Their biggest struggle is that they are too old for the foster care system, but too young to navigate effectively on their own,” Deskins said.

The center will also become the central intake office for all the Sasha Bruce Youthwork programs. Staff members will conduct assessments on individuals to identify their current situations and determine the best course of action to help stabilize their lives. Shore hopes that the center will become a “one-stop shop” for struggling youth, and a resource through which SBY staff can learn more about their needs and, in turn, be able to create programs that better address those needs.

Sasha Bruce impacts the lives not just of the people who use its programs, but of its employees as well.

“I live for the ‘ah-ha’ moment. That moment when (the kids are) like ‘oh! I really get it’ after you’ve been teaching them for months,” Deskins said. “You see them apply it, and see them get better.”

She fondly recalled a young man she worked with who had a hard time motivating himself. He attributed his shortcomings to a self-diagnosed learning disability. However, after months of one-on-one counseling and guidance, he was able to pass three sections of the GED. “He realized that this disability that he may have doesn’t define him,” Deskins said. “To see his progression is amazing.”

A number of beneficiaries of the SBY programs have returned to become mentors and volunteers. They set an example of what one can accomplish with hard work, guidance and perseverance.

Sasha Bruce exists to empower at-risk youth and supply them with resources to make their lives better.

“We provide an essential lifeline,” Shore said. “Young people are very resourceful and very smart, but the world is a place where we all need a lot of guidance, protection and extra help before you’re really able to launch fully on your own. I feel compelled to keep our doors open because of our essential critical resources that should be basic. Everyone should have a roof over their head, food, and people in their corner who have their best interest at heart.”  

If you or a young person you know is struggling with homelessness, call the Sasha Bruce Youthwork 24 hour hotline at 202.547.7777

About the Author: Alessandra “Alex” Lacson is a senior at American University. An island girl at heart, Alex prefers warm weather, but is always down to build a snowman.  She’s passionate about LGBTQ rights, feminism and racial equality, and is a huge fan of the Chipotle burrito bowl. Alex is currently working on a capstone project about the attitudes surrounding homelessness in Washington, DC.

Together We Bake

SWEET SECOND CHANCES

Do you believe in second chances? Together We Bake does.

At 19, Hannah went in the wrong direction and needed a second chance. She served eight years, 10 months and 14 days in prison. She was 27 when she was finally free.

But it’s hard for women like Hannah to return to society again. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics study, only 12.5 percent of employers said they’d accept an application from someone with a criminal record.

“When you come out of prison and go to the halfway house, they still treat you as a prisoner,” she said.

Hannah didn’t enroll in Together We Bake the first time she heard their name.

“I’m not a baker,” she explained.

However, in the halfway house, she met her caseworker, who convinced her to give it a try.

Located in Old Town Alexandria, Va, Together We Bake brings hope to, and builds confidence in, women who were once in their low times. They help women like Hannah. Through providing workforce training and personal development programs, Together We Bake helps their students reenter the workforce.

The baking micro business helps the women learn and participate in food production, food safety education, product packaging, delivery and customer service. 

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Together We Bake wouldn’t exist without Stephanie Wright and Tricia Sabatini.

“There aren’t many programs for women out there,” Stephanie said. “So we decided to have one.

Tricia and Stephanie came together in 2010 as running partners, but soon found they shared an interest in helping people. They began with participating in charity runs for organizations like Avon and Girls on the Run. While they were training for the Marine Corp Marathon in 2011, the idea of Together We Bake was born.

These cookies are as good as they look!

Tricia had owned a homemade bakery business for more than 10 years. Stephanie had a background in social work. Both were looking to get back into the workforce after having families of their own, but they wanted to make a difference, too. These elements bumped together and eventually led to the establishment of Together We Bake in 2011.

To date, 72 women have graduated the program. Sixty percent are currently employed.

Many women are inspired and transformed through the programs. Hannah is one of them.

Years in prison can leave scars on people’s hearts. Some may fall into dismay and give up on themselves. A 2005 study from the National Institute of Justice, said that  within five years of release, about three-quarters of released prisoners were rearrested.

Hannah said she was socially awkward when she was released from prison. By that time, her peers already had jobs or careers, while she seemed to be frozen at a certain age.

She took the advice of her caseworker, and turned over a new leaf. She joined Together We Bake.  “[I] guess my perception of people had changed over [the] years. And when I met them, I was like, ‘this is awesome’. And they care so much.”

LESSONS IN HOPE

Sitting around tables, sharing poems about second chances, the women discuss recent moments in their lives where they have been tested. Every day there are new lessons about life, entering the workforce, and, most importantly, giving yourself the second chance others won’t. These lessons are incorporated into baking instruction. Today they are learning how to bake cupcakes. While they wait for the baker to arrive, they sing “Happy Birthday” to one of their instructors. This is a big family indeed.

“What is the most memorable case…?” Stephanie looked to Tricia.
“I think it’s Thelma,” Tricia said.
Both of them nodded.

“[Thelma] is a single mom. Was really quiet and kept pretty much to herself,” Stephanie said.

Thelma hadn’t worked for seven years when she came to Together We Bake. Now she is working as a catering manager and coming back to Together We Bake from time to time to help out.

Hannah graduated in the spring of 2015 and, like Thelma, continues to be a presence. She helps facilitate the program, while also working as a sales and customer service manager outside the organization too.

Hannah wants to encourage women going through the struggles she did.

“I [would] tell them in one word. It’s hope. It’s just that simple,” she said. “You feel hopeless, you feel like everything is over. You feel really small and like a failure. It’s not even like that. If you give yourself a chance, you see hope. You will be able to find hope. And there are people who can give you hope.”

About the Authors: Sarah Nylen and Ariel Chang are interns with the Daily Do Good. Ariel attends National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, and is a part of The Washington Center's internship program. Sarah is a marketing and management student at American University.