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!
April marks National Poetry Month. Ever since 1996, organizations, businesses, and schools celebrate this oft-underappreciated art during April through readings, workshops, and festivals. Some DC organizations, however, celebrate poetry all year round.
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.
Two area organizations help to provide suits and skills for disadvantaged men preparing to enter the job market
People with so-called “mystery disease” find a community of support in D.C. area
Children from lower income families face a number of challenges to academic and personal success.
Nobody likes to be outside during the bitter cold winter months, but for the nearly 12,000 homeless people in the D.C. metropolitan area, there isn’t a choice.
The current economic crisis puts many seniors in our community at risk.
Prenatal care is essential for the health of babies and soon-to-be-mothers, but it's a challenge for low-income mothers to find providers.
Mentoring children is one of the most effective ways to help improve their lives.
HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health concern in the District of Columbia that disproportionately affects the African American community.
Homelessness has long been a problem in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. As traumatic as being homeless is for an adult, it is especially so for children, causing a myriad of developmental delays and emotional issues.
November marks National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Early diagnosis aids in treating and even reversing some symptoms.
Defaults on prime mortgages have the potential to delay recovery of the housing market. Help is available in both English and Spanish through local HUD-approved housing counselors
The U.S. lags behind 14 other industrialized nations in deaths that are potentially preventable, given timely and appropriate medical care. Primary care plays a crucial role in ongoing health care for all individuals.
Ward 8 has historically had the largest number of children in the District. Unfortunately, according to the 2007 Every Kid Counts Fact Book compiled by the D.C. Children’s Trust Fund, it also has the highest rate of unemployment, teen murders, and welfare indicators in the city. Many factors contribute to these realities, but extreme educational challenges can play a significant role in an area where less than half of students graduate from high school.
Ready is a national public service campaign aiming to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The goal of the campaign is to get the public involved and to increase the level of basic preparedness across the nation.
Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon and/or rectum. It is equally common in both men and women — 148,810 cases will be diagnosed in 2008, and an estimated 49,960 people will die from the disease. It is also one of the most easily prevented cancers because it can develop from polyps that can be removed before they become cancerous.
More than 100,000 children and adults in our nation’s capital live in deep poverty. For these families, having a bed in which to sleep is no guarantee, nor is having access to the health information and resources most of us take for granted.
According to the Surgeon General, one in five individuals is affected by mental health problems at some point during their life. Many adults who suffer from acute mental health problems struggle with ways to integrate in their community after receiving inpatient treatment at hospitals and day treatment centers.
The Women's Collective has started a pilot program, Sister Act, to increase communications about sexual health and sexual behavior between generations within the same family or community. The goal is to empower women and girls with information and the ability to talk with each other about sex, HIV/AIDS, and testing.
While the housing and economic crisis is hitting the entire country hard, areas in Washington, D.C., are suffering badly. Rent and home prices are rising far more quickly than income. More than 35% of families with children live below the poverty level, and any given night more than 6,000 people are homeless or living in shelters; the waiting list for public housing and rental assistance is more than 45,000 individuals long. In the meantime, an individual making minimum wage would have to work 20 hours a day, seven days a week, to pay the average D.C. rent of $1,187 a month for a two-bedroom apartment.
One of the greatest weaknesses of our justice system is the recidivism rate of prisoners; according to the United States Sentencing Commission, on average, 40% of inmates return to prison. This rate, however, can be as high as 90% among juveniles tried as adults, according to a study performed by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. The good news is that studies have shown that education and literacy during an individual’s incarceration greatly reduce their chances of returning to jail, and help inmates re-enter society.
Many area children don't have the opportunity to be involved in sports or other physical activity. There are serious health risks for children who don't exercise, but the cost of organized sports is often prohibitive. Fields of Dreams tries to combat this trend, as well as improve the self esteem, academics, and life skills of local youth.
Asthma affects more than 22 million Americans, more than six and a half million of whom are children. The disease occurs when the linings of lung airways become enflamed and swollen. The cause is unknown and there is no cure. However, poor air quality, second hand smoke, and genetics all can contribute to a child developing asthma. While it is generally very treatable, 4,000 people annually die as a result of asthma.
The time spent in middle school does much to determine a child’s future. Students who are not involved and do not participate in organized out-of-school activities are far more likely to become "at risk" in high school.
One out of every 150 children suffers from the fastest growing developmental disability in the country: autism. This disorder affects more children than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined, and leads to difficulties throughout their lives. 90% of the costs associated with autism are in adult services, though the costs of autism can be decreased by as much as two thirds with early diagnosis and education.
One of the goals of the American justice system is to rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them for a life outside of jail. However, many formerly incarcerated women have a very difficult time re-entering society.
Music education in schools is an often overlooked, but important, part of a child’s enrichment.
In recent years. there has been renewed focus on planting trees in an attempt to build a more robust tree canopy. However, it is equally important to the environmental health of the region to nurture and maintain the health of existing large and mature trees.
As seniors age, they face more and more challenges doing every day activities. Many find themselves either physically or fiscally unable to maintain their homes or install important safety features necessary for their survival.
