WAMU 88.5's Community Minute...
is a community service, designed to help the station better engage with our listeners and the local organizations that help improve the quality of their lives.
The daily broadcast, featuring WAMU 88.5 General Manager Caryn Mathes and News Director Jim Asendio, provides information about community organizations working to improve lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. During each month, Caryn and Jim will feature two topics on-air, and provide local resources for learning more. Online, we'll give more information about both the topics and the groups we mention on-air. Check back often to find out about the organizations working hard to help our community!
There are more than 123,000 children waiting in foster care for adoption in the U.S. Nearly 40% of American adults, or 81.5 million people, have considered adopting a child. According to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey, if just one in 600 of these adults adopted, every child waiting for adoption would have a permanent home.
Facing a pregnancy alone can be extremely difficult and emotional, but there are many area organizations that provide support, counseling, and medical services to women in need.
More than 40 million adults in the United States cannot read well enough to fill out a job application, follow a bus schedule, understand a medicine label, or read to their children. According to a 2007 study done by The State Education Agency, in Washington, D.C., 36% of adults read at the lowest levels of literacy — a rate twice the national average.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, no family in the nation can afford a modest two bedroom apartment on minimum wage. Local organizations are working to provide a cost-effective response to this problem through transitional housing programs and volunteer work.
The earthquake in Haiti – a 7.0 on the Richter scale – is a major humanitarian emergency and could be responsible for as many as 100,000 deaths when all the damage is assessed. Tens of thousands have been left homeless by the disaster.
In Washington, D.C., only about 50 percent of students graduate high school – significantly less than the national average. Local organizations are working to help students stay focused on their education while combating issues like substance abuse, crime, and teenage pregnancy.
In the last few decades, the Washington, D.C., area has become a mecca for new immigrants into the United States. The immigration process can be daunting, but local non-profits are helping new immigrants to navigate this path.
Washington, D.C., has one of the highest AIDS rates in the country. At least three percent of District residents have HIV or AIDS, a total that puts the District on par with Uganda and some parts of Kenya. Out of the total number of local residents infected, nearly 1,500 are young people between the ages of 12 and 24. For more than two decades, local organizations have been doing their part to combat the spread of AIDS.
According to statistics from the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy Shelter Statistics Survey, 72 percent of all cats entering animal shelters and pounds are euthanized, while just 23 percent are adopted. Local organizations work tirelessly to rescue these animals and find them safe homes.
Seniors in the community too often face challenges alone. Their families may no longer live nearby, or can be overwhelmed with their own challenges. Resources and services are available, but taking advantage of such help is often complicated. Community organizations provide a bridge between seniors in need and the resources available to them.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women will be a victim of domestic abuse in her lifetime. This abuse often results in complex trauma, but several local organizations strive to help those individuals who have been victims of abuse to live healthy, self-sufficient lives.
Stable housing is an essential part of success for anyone living with mental illness, providing dignity and a safe space to live. Providing such housing can be costly, yet some organizations in the Washington, D.C., area have stepped up to the challenge.
October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month. The death of an infant is a tremendous loss that may provoke serious feelings of sorrow, guilt, self-incrimination, and inadequacy in family members and caregivers. Parents need reassurance that the emotions they are experiencing are normal and a part of the healing process after such a traumatic event.
Raising a child can be challenging in the best of circumstances, but for some families, children are born with special needs or disabilities that present a new set of challenges. Several local organizations work to support these children and their families.
The Washington, D.C. metro area has a growing and vibrant Hispanic community, but it is one that is often underserved. However, there are several local organizations that work to help this community continue to grow and thrive.
A lack of health insurance and access to primary care providers can lead to higher rates of hospitalization, long-term care, disability, and mortality. It also often results in overuse or inappropriate use of hospital emergency rooms. Several organizations in the Washington region routinely bring primary care to medically underserved, underinsured, and uninsured populations.
In the Washington metropolitan area, an estimated 633,000 people are at risk of or experiencing hunger – approximately 200,000 of them are children. A difficult job market, the scarcity of low-income housing, and the rising cost of living in the city and its suburbs all contribute to the risk of hunger. However, the following area organizations help provide food to those who need it. All of the organizations need non-perishable food donations and volunteers for activities such as preparing and serving meals, distributing groceries, and hosting food drives.
The Washington, D.C., area has many organizations dedicated to helping those in our community who have trouble getting a home loan or making payments once they obtain a mortgage. The goal of all is to strengthen our communities by providing resources for stable, strong communities. Read about a few of these organizations.
In 2008, more than 60,000 people fled persecution in other countries and entered the United States as refugees; an additional 23,000 people were granted asylum. They face challenges of finding employment and housing, learning English, and adapting to American culture. Area organizations help these refugees make their home in the United States.
Arts and music education can help level the playing field for disadvantaged students, develop creativity, help students mature academically and socially, and prepare children to lead productive lives, according to the National Endowment for the Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Many of our nation’s veterans are not receiving the care and support they need. Many suffer from mental illness, untreated post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other problems. Some are suicidal, unemployed, and more than 150,000 are homeless. Meanwhile, veterans are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious physical and psychological injuries.
The current job market is challenging, but it’s even more difficult for those who are unemployed or underemployed. Without the necessary skills and education, many people are at a disadvantage in the hiring process. Several local organizations are helping workers obtain job training and essential workplace skills.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, with more than 185,000 new cases in the U.S. every year. All women are at risk, and while survival rates are increasing, diagnosis is always difficult for the patients and their families. During the current recession, some women may not get important screenings in order to avoid co-pays they can no longer afford – but options to help them do exist.
There were 248,300 reported rapes/sexual assualts in 2007; less than half were reported. Victims, whether they choose to report the crime or not, have resources available locally to aid their emotional and physical recovery.
