“Something is deeply wrong here, and we need to step back, take a look and listen.” Petula Dvorak: Devastating toll of mental illness demands our attention (Washington Post) “Even as the United States as a whole makes steady progress in its fig…

“The minimum wage in the District would increase to $11.50 per hour by 2016 under a bill approved by a D.C. Council committee Monday afternoon.” D.C. Council committee passes minimum wage increase (Washington Business Journal) “The months seem…

“[Poverty] sucks up so much mental bandwidth – capacity spent wrestling with financial trade-offs, scarce resources, the gap between bills and income – that the poor have fewer cognitive resources left over to succeed at parenting, education, o…

Every October, advocates against domestic violence all across the nation prepare themselves for the kickoff of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which begins October 1. At Calvary Women’s Services, many of the women who have entered…

“Ten by 20. That’s the most ambitious goal laid out by the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force…” Gray, Task Force Unveil Proposals for Affordable Housing (Washington City Paper) Also included: a PDF of the full report…

“A shortage of affordable housing for larger families with four or more children is a big factor behind crowded conditions at the District’s main family homeless shelter…” http://wapo.st/YJMTCL How the Affordable Care Act will help incre…

Hot topic this week: Homeless children and families in DC and around the country. Washington Post’s two-part feature on the 600 kids living at the D.C. General shelter (http://wapo.st/VPEwBB) and how we can fix this (http://wapo.st/X2DUvT). In D.C.…

Holiday season brings rise in domestic violence: http://bit.ly/VCCfIn Unemployment rate drops in DC suburbs: http://bit.ly/YQ9rmS

There’s been a recent drop in government donations to food banks, what does this mean for hungry families during the holiday season? http://wapo.st/S7BuZD Domestic violence arrests rise in the District and Northern Virginia: http://bit.ly/WrMQr0 T…

The number of students who are homeless in one DC suburb is expected to reach new record of 2,500 students as homelessness grows: http://wapo.st/RWJrCk A local rabbi and pastor weigh in about the rise of homeless families in DC, and the scarcity of…