DC Appleseed News http://www.dcappleseed.org 02/04/2012 EST en-us Helping DC Residents Find Jobs http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/helping-dc-residents-find-jobs http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/helping-dc-residents-find-jobs 11/22/2011 As the District continues to struggle with high unemployment, DC Appleseed is focusing on broad efforts that will help residents find jobs. Two of our most important efforts concern: 1) the establishment of an independent D.C. community college; and 2) the establishment of a new, full-time entity to work with the business community to ensure District residents are trained to compete for new jobs as they become available. I have just been appointed by the D.C. Council to the advisory boards that will help these two efforts get underway.

On the community college front, Brookings senior fellow and DC Appleseed Advisory Council member Alice Rivlin and I have recently been appointed by the Mayor and the D.C. Council to a five-person Advisory Board that will help develop the transition plan for an independent community college. Other members of this board are Federal City Council CEO John Hill, former executive director of the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School Joshua Kern, and managing director of Israel Manor Inc. Carrie Thornhill. A strong, independent D.C. community college will help high school graduates develop the skills they need to find jobs in the region's high-skilled labor market. This Advisory Board will work with the University of the District of Columbia and its community college to make recommendations directly to the Mayor and the Council.

I have also been appointed to the task force that will make recommendations to the Council on how to establish a "workforce intermediary." This intermediary will serve a function not adequately addressed in the city -- it will anticipate when new jobs are coming, broker the necessary training, and identify candidates for those jobs. Other members of this task force represent the business, philanthropic, and workforce development communities, as well as D.C. government. DC Appleseed has long advocated for the District to create an intermediary so that jobs in the city are more likely to be filled by city residents trained to take them.

DC Appleseed believes that the work of these advisory panels will strengthen the District's efforts to help residents find jobs so that they can provide economic security for their families.

You can support this work and make a fast, secure donation with your credit card by clicking here. Or you can mail a check to us at 1111 14th St. NW, Suite 510, Washington DC 20005. Thanks for your support. And Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Walter Smith
The DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Inc.

 

 

]]> Good Work Recognized http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/good-work-recognized http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/good-work-recognized 11/04/2011 Please read below DC Appleseed’s Board Chair Patricia Brannan’s email about how DC Appleseed's work has been recognized by local organizations.


As DC Appleseed's board chair, I want to share with you the news that our Executive Director Walter Smith has recently been recognized for his leadership and advocacy by three outstanding local organizations: DC Vote, Whitman Walker Health and the Washington Council of Lawyers. These awards highlight DC Appleseed's contributions to solving some of the District's toughest public policy problems.

DC Vote
Last Wednesday, DC Vote presented Walter with its "DC Vote Champion of Democracy" award for his long-standing advocacy for DC voting rights and increased democracy for the District. Under Walter's leadership, DC Appleseed has been one of the primary architects of legal strategies to obtain voting rights for DC residents. We have been supported in this by many pro bono partners, including Latham & Watkins, Arent Fox, and Covington & Burling.

Whitman Walker Health
At this year's AIDS Walk in Washington DC held on October 29, Whitman Walker Health recognized Walter as part of its "25 for 25" program, which recognized 25 individuals who have played prominent roles in the fight against HIV/AIDS in DC over the last 25 years. DC Appleseed, in partnership with Hogan Lovells, has performed a comprehensive review of the District's HIV/AIDS response. We issued a report in 2005 and since then have released "report cards" on an annual basis to gauge the District's progress.

Washington Council of Lawyers
On November 2, Walter received the Presidents' Award from the Washington Council of Lawyers. The Washington Council of Lawyers promotes the practice of pro bono and public interest law, and the award to Walter recognizes the powerful role that he has played in promoting pro bono work in our community. Walter formerly served as the pro bono partner at Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) and has recruited over twenty of the District's law and accounting firms to work on DC Appleseed's many projects. This pro bono support leverages the work of DC Appleseed's small staff many times over.

We're proud that so many others in the city recognize Walter's leadership, which those of us associated with DC Appleseed appreciate every day. These honors also reflect the commitment of our board, staff, and pro bono partners to solving problems affecting the daily lives of those who live and work in the National Capital area. If you would like to support this work today, please click here.

We also have another way you can support our work. DC Appleseed, along with other nonprofits in this region, is participating in "Give to the Max" Day on November 9, 2011. This is a purely online fundraising event whose goal is to focus donations on a single day, where organizations receiving the largest donations will receive matching grants from Razoo, the driving force behind this initiative. Please donate on November 9 and share this link with your friends and family on any social media you might use (email, facebook, twitter, linkedin, google + etc.).

Sincerely,

Patricia A. Brannan, Board Chair

The DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Inc.
]]> Walter Smith WAMU Commentary on Cleaning up the Anacostia http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-wamu-commentary-on-cleaning-up-the-anacostia http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-wamu-commentary-on-cleaning-up-the-anacostia 05/17/2011 Click here to listen to the commentary.

]]> Walter Smith and Brooke DeRenzis discuss DC Appleseed Anacostia River report on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-and-brooke-derenzis-discuss-dc-appleseed-anacostia-river-report-on-newstalk-with-bruce-depuyt http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/walter-smith-and-brooke-derenzis-discuss-dc-appleseed-anacostia-river-report-on-newstalk-with-bruce-depuyt 05/05/2011 Click here to veiw the interview.

]]> WAMU Story on the release of DC Appleseed report, A New Day for the Anacostia http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/wamu-story-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia- http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/wamu-story-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia- 05/03/2011 Click here for full story.

]]> Washington Post Article on the release of DC Appleseed report, A New Day for the Anacostia http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-article-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-article-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia 05/03/2011 Click here to read the story.

]]> 2011 DC Appleseed Report, A New Day for the Anacostia: A Model for Urban River Revitalization http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/2011-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia-a-model-for-urban-river-revitalization http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/2011-dc-appleseed-report-a-new-day-for-the-anacostia-a-model-for-urban-river-revitalization 05/02/2011 DC Appleseed’s new report on Anacostia River revitalization calls on the federal government to partner with local jurisdictions, businesses, and residents to transform one of the country’s most polluted rivers into a national model for urban river revitalization. Click here to read the report.

]]> DC Appleseed Sixth HIV-AIDS Report Card, March 8, 2011 http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-sixth-hiv-aids-report-card-march-8-2011 http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/dc-appleseed-sixth-hiv-aids-report-card-march-8-2011 03/08/2011 To read the Report Card click here.

]]> Washington Post article on the release of DC Appleseed Sixth HIV-AIDS Report Card http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-article-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-sixth-hiv-aids-report-card http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/washington-post-article-on-the-release-of-dc-appleseed-sixth-hiv-aids-report-card 03/08/2011 To read the Washington Post Article click here.

]]> WAMU interview with Walter Smith about HIV-AIDS education in schools. http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/wamu-interview-with-walter-smith-about-hiv-aids-education-in-schools- http://www.dcappleseed.org/article/wamu-interview-with-walter-smith-about-hiv-aids-education-in-schools- 03/08/2011 To listen teh WAMU's interview with Walter Smith click here.

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