This week a House GOP task force on poverty, opportunity, and upward mobility released their blueprint for a poverty agenda, A Better Way, to mixed reviews. The topic of poverty, and issues that those in poverty struggle with every day, doesn’t get nearly enough attention as it should. The fact that Speaker Ryan and leadership are willing to generate ideas and spur discussion and debate should be applauded.
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For the last thirteen years, I’ve taken for granted the fact that I live in the Washington, DC area – our nation’s capital, rich with history and full of sites that attract tourists from around the world and all walks of life. And I get annoyed when those same tourists block the escalators or take a long time to get through security on the Hill when I’m trying to get a meeting. All of that changed last week.
READ MORE from How Taking on a Leadership Walk Can Change Perspectives
We’ve told you about how the statistics on recidivism are staggering. On average more than six in ten people re-entering society from prison re-offend within three years. This alone is tragic, but even more so is the number of veterans who end up on this life ruining merry-go-‘round. And while some data is showing that incarceration
READ MORE from Give Re-entering Vets a Second Chance this Memorial Day
My Facebook feed has recently been filled with pictures from the class of 2016. My cousin Sofia graduated from the University of Florida, a friend received her master’s degree from Howard, and President Obama gave the commencement address at my alma mater, Rutgers University. The pictures and well wishes were full of hope and encouragement for these recent graduates. Yet, a recent report from the Economic Policy Institute tells a different story.
Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure the nation was given the opportunity to publicly demonstrate their appreciation for the sacrifices and successes made by our service members - past and present. Each year the president makes a proclamation, reminding Americans of the important role the U.S. Armed Forces have played in the history and development of our country.
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This week marks Goodwill Industries Week, which has taken place every full first week of May since 1951. As part of the celebration, Goodwill organizations around the United States and Canada are hosting career fairs, donation drives, and offer tours and conduct other celebratory events. The sale of donated goods at Goodwill’s more than 3,100 stores
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Each year, more than 600,000 individuals return to society after serving time in federal and state prisons, and another 11.4 million individuals cycle through local jails. Nearly a quarter of Americans has had some sort of encounter with the criminal justice system – mostly for relatively minor, non-violent offenses, and sometimes from decades in the past.
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This Friday marks 46 years since the first Earth Day in 1970. You may not know it, but if you have donated to your local Goodwill or shopped at a local Goodwill store or online you have helped make our planet a little cleaner and a little greener. How much greener? In 2010 Goodwill (and you!) helped divert more than 2.4 billion pounds from landfills through donations to, and purchases from, Goodwill.
READ MORE from Imagine if Your Donations Filled an Entire Plane
Goodwill Industries International (GII) honored five members of Congress and the director of mission strategies for Goodwill Industries of Central and Coastal Virginia (Richmond) with the nonprofit’s annual advocacy awards. The awards, which recognize commitment to advancing Goodwill’s mission of helping people build careers and gain employment, were presented on Tuesday, April 12 during a reception in Washington, DC, as part of Goodwill’s annual advocacy event.
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This week, Goodwill® advocates from around the country will visit Capitol Hill and meet with hundreds of lawmakers to advocate for federal investments in workforce program, protecting charitable giving incentives, and reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. You can help bolster the success of their visits and help strengthen Goodwill’s public policy influence.
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April is Financial Literacy Month and with Congress adjourned and tax season upon us, we thought this was a good time to remind you of two financial tools that might be of use.
READ MORE from “News You Can Use” for Financial Literacy Month
You may have read a post earlier this week by guest blogger Ed Bolden from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on the startling fact that over half a million Americans are losing food assistance this year. His post notes, “Ultimately, Congress should eliminate or revise this harsh rule. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is often the last line of assistance for these individuals. It means the difference between eating and going hungry.” Now we’re asking you to urge Congress to take action!
READ MORE from Contact Congress and Help SNAP Recipients Find Work
