District Of Columbia Appleseed Center For Law And Justice Inc

TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE DAILY LIVES OF THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA.

SUPPORT FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMICTHE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS RAVAGING OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CITY. IT HAS UPENDED ALL OUR LIVES, AND HAS HIT THE DISADVANTAGED, THE UNDERSERVED, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR MUCH HARDER THAN OTHERS, AND HAS DONE SO WITH DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES. MANY PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE STEPPED FORWARD TO HELP BATTLE THIS ONGOING SCOURGE. AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE ARE THE FRONTLINE AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO PUT THEMSELVES AT RISK EVERY DAY TO SERVE THE REST OF US. IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ASKED DC APPLESEED TO EXAMINE WHETHER SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IS BEING GIVEN TO THESE WORKERS AND WHAT MORE MIGHT BE DONE TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS. DC APPLESEED WAS GLAD TO UNDERTAKE THIS WORK, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THESE WORKERS DESERVE ALL THE SUPPORT WE CAN GIVE THEM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM WE WILL NOT GET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.DC APPLESEED AND OUR PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE PRODUCED A REPORT AND A CLEARINGHOUSE WEBSITE THAT DETAILS UP-TO-DATE RESOURCES FOR MEETING THOSE NEEDS AND ALSO ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS TO MAKE DONATIONS TO HELP MEET THOSE NEEDS. BOTH WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PAGE SOON.

ANACOSTIA WATERSHED AND RIVER RESTORATIONALTHOUGH IT IS ONE OF THE REGION'S MOST VALUABLE RESOURCES, THE ANACOSTIA RIVER IS SEVERELY POLLUTED. DC APPLESEED IS WORKING TO CLEAN UP THE ANACOSTIA, AN EFFORT THAT WILL CREATE JOBS, SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND UNLEASH NEW RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. WE DO THIS BY ADVOCATING FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE ANACOSTIA'S MAJOR POLLUTION PROBLEMS: STORMWATER RUNOFF, SEWER OVERFLOWS, AND TOXIC CONTAMINATION.

WORKING POOR FAMILIES:ONE OUT OF THREE WORKING FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT EARNS LESS THAN 200 PERCENT OF POVERTY. TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, DC APPLESEED JOINED THE NATIONAL WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT AS A DC PARTNER. THROUGH THIS EFFORT, DC APPLESEED WORKS TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BY FOCUSING ON POLICIES IN THREE AREAS: ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN LOW-WAGE JOBS. THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CASEY, FORD, JOYCE, AND KRESGE FOUNDATIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT, VISIT WWW.WORKINGPOORFAMILIES.ORG.SEVEN OF OUR CURRENT INITIATIVES ARE PART OF THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES PROJECT:ADULT LITERACY: DC APPLESEED IS ADVOCATING THAT THE DISTRICT EXPAND ADULT LITERACY SERVICES AND BETTER INTEGRATE THEM WITH VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN ORDER TO INCREASE EARNING CAPACITY FOR D.C. RESIDENTS WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE.COMMUNITY COLLEGE: DC APPLESEED IS HELPING ADVANCE A STRONG, INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE DISTRICT, WHICH UNTIL RECENTLY WAS THE ONLY MAJOR AMERICAN CITY WITHOUT ONE.EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: DC APPLESEED IS HELPING THE DISTRICT RAISE THE QUALITY OF ITS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM BY ADVOCATING BETTER COMPENSATION AND ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WORK IN COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS.GREEN JOBS: DC APPLESEED IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT DISTRICT RESIDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TRAINING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CREATED BY INVESTMENTS IN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE REVITALIZATION OF THE ANACOSTIA RIVER.INCREASING QUALITY OF HOME HEALTH JOBS: BECAUSE TWO-THIRDS OF THE WORKING POOR FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT ARE HEADED BY SINGLE WOMEN, DC APPLESEED IS WORKING TO DESIGN CAREER LADDERS, RAISE WAGES AND IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS IN OCCUPATIONS DOMINATED BY WOMEN, IN PARTICULAR HOME HEALTH CARE.STRONGER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM: DC APPLESEED IS ADVOCATING FOR THE DISTRICT TO REFORM ITS FEDERALLY FUNDED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM INCLUDING ITS ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF BOTH JOB-SEEKERS AND BUSINESSES.WORKFORCE INTERMEDIARY: DC APPLESEED IS HELPING THE DISTRICT LAUNCH A "WORKFORCE INTERMEDIARY" TO MATCH HOSPITALITY AND CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS WITH QUALIFIED DISTRICT RESIDENTS AS NEW JOBS BECOME AVAILABLE.