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Catalogue Blog

Not Just About Books

Updated (9.30.11): “Sunday Hours at MLK Library Restored at Last Minute” (DCist)

From “Downtown library shutting its doors on Sundays” in this past Sunday’s Post:

This Sunday, parents read picture books aloud in the children’s room, teens lined up to use a mini-recording studio, and anxious Internet seekers checked a waiting list for computer access that was maxed out at 50 names.

It was a busy scene but, for many, a sad one: It marked the end of Sunday hours at the District?s main library. MLK was the last branch in the city, and one of the last libraries in the region, to stay open on a day when so much is closed. Continuing budget cuts mean an end to this Sunday refuge for families, teens and the homeless. Continue reading

Around Town: September 24-25

So … what would you like to do in this final weekend of September?

Support A Non-Profit:

Enjoy a Taste of Arts, complete with festive music and dancing, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Family Day Center tonight (Friday) at 6:00 at Westwood Country Club in Vienna. On Saturday at 6:30, ASHA for Women (Asian Women’s Self Help Association) hosts their annual gala dinner in Fairfax; learn about Hope Through Empowerment here. And on Sunday at 11:00, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) will hold their 14th Annual Fall Brunch at the Mandarin Oriental in DC; you can support LGBTQ youth, who face discrimination everyday in their homes, schools and communities.

Continue reading

International Volunteering (part 2)

By Jade Floyd

This is the second post in a two-part series by Jade Floyd. Ms. Floyd works in international public affairs in DC and serves on the Board of the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. Follow her on Twitter: @DcThisWeek. Read the first part of the series here.

Preparing for an international volunteer experience can be daunting. But paying for it is the hardest part — and once you have tackled that, you are well on your way. (And remember: keep all you receipts because many of these expenses can be tax deducible.) My program required nearly $6,000 when you factored in program fees, flights, buses, immuniztions, taxis, supplies, gifts for family and friends, hotels, guest houses, and gifts for myself. Luckily, I had a very good friend who worked for an airline, which made a major difference. You can also consider using your Airline miles or those of a family member or friend if they will donate them to your cause. Continue reading

We Want to Hear From You …

Attention, Catalogue nonprofits. This morning, we wanted to give you an extra boost of encouragement to enter our 2011 Video Contest — if you have not already done so. (In which case, thank you and good luck!) We’ve just extended the deadline to September 29.

So here’s the deal. No need to have a multi-camera, crazy cinematography production. You are more than welcome to create the video on your phone or laptop in one shot. Think compelling, simple, and 2-minutes in length.

This year’s topic is Heroes and Heroines. More specifically, what person’s spirit and energy and determination encourages you to do what you do every day? The top three (heroic) videos will be screened at Inspiration to Action on November 7, 2011 and … the nonprofit with the winning video will receive a $1,000 prize. Cool, yes? Voting is open to everyone, do encourage your friends and supporters to vote for you.

Full instructions are right here. And check out this video from Catalogue President Barbara Harman to learn more.

Classroom Character

From “What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?” by Paul Tough, New York Times Magazine, Education Issue:

“But as Levin watched the progress of those KIPP alumni, he noticed something curious: the students who persisted in college were not necessarily the ones who had excelled academically at KIPP; they were the ones with exceptional character strengths, like optimism and persistence and social intelligence. They were the ones who were able to recover from a bad grade and resolve to do better next time; to bounce back from a fight with their parents; to resist the urge to go out to the movies and stay home and study instead; to persuade professors to give them extra help after class [...]

Continue reading

Feature of the Month: Create an Account

Hope that you enjoyed the fall weather this weekend! This month, let’s check out another cool feature of the online Catalogue: creating your own Catalogue account.

We’ve kept it nice and simple: you can sign up in one quick step (really — I just checked!) and you can let us know what interests you.?Moreover, when you sign up, you have access to some great features of our site:

Saved Favorites: create a list of your favorite Catalogue nonprofits, so you easily can check back for opportunities to volunteer or donate.

My Catalogue: print your own catalogue of the nonprofits that interest you most.

Donation History: track up to three years of donations (we’ll archive the rest), so you have an easy record for tax and personal purposes.

Especially for Kids: check out our list of charities that are particularly cool for kids — from those working to save the environment to those giving kids access to dance and theater. Kids can also pick their favorite nonprofits and make their own Catalogue.

So sign up and start exploring!

Around Town: September 17-18

Busy, busy weekend at Catalogue nonprofits. So … what interests you?

Volunteering!

All day Saturday, the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia will be training teaching volunteers for the ESOL Learning Centers or Family Learning Program; email volunteers@lcnv.org to sign up. Or from 10:00 AM to noon, join the “Weeding Divas” of Earth Sangha for a round of invasive plant removal at Marie Butler Leven Preserve; a team from George Mason University’s Circle K International will also be working away at Rutherford Park in Fairfax.

Continue reading

More In The News …

(We’re doubling up on the news-front this week. Comment away with any additions.)

Soaring Poverty Casts Spotlight on ‘Lost Decade’ (New York Times): “Another 2.6 million people slipped into poverty in the United States last year [...] and the number of Americans living below the official poverty line, 46.2 million people, was the highest number in the 52 years the bureau has been publishing figures on it [...] Joblessness was the main culprit pushing more Americans into poverty, economists said. Last year, about 48 million people ages 18 to 64 did not work even one week out of the year, up from 45 million in 2009.” And when it comes to the jobs bill, could these bleak figures make a case for or against it? Continue reading

In The News …

Obama’s Jobs Bill: Ready to Take a Chance Again? (Nonprofit Quarterly): Wondering “which parts of the president’s plan are most relevant to nonprofits, and what effect are they likely to have on the sector?” NPQ’s intricate piece walks through both the President’s “track record on nonprofits” and six points of interest to nonprofits in the jobs bill (#4: “Are there any parts of the American Jobs Act that appear to take advantage of the unique skill sets and missions of nonprofits?”), and concludes that “the American Jobs Act must do a better job than ARRA did in involving and including nonprofits of all stripes in its implementation.”

How do we make cities greener? Start by growing smarter?(Greater Greater Washington): Continuing on the green cities theme of yesterday’s article, check out this post on GGW: “a fixed set of people is more sustainable the fewer acres they collectively use. At one point, some viewed the ideal sustainable lifestyle as one where a small bubble of trees and grass surrounds each household. But instead, that just means a lot of heating and cooling energy is wasted to that bubble, and we spend far more energy moving among them [...] The way we grow in the future is likely to be the most significant factor in how sustainable a region we have for generations to come.”

Washington economy grows 3.6% (Washington Business Journal): “Washington’s gross domestic product grew 3.6 percent in 2010, reaching $425.2 billion, the fourth-largest metropolitan economy in the nation. Washington also ranks as the third-fastest growing metropolitan economy” behind Boston and New York. For some additional positive news, metropolitan economies across the country grew in size by 2.5% in the past year, whereas they declined by that same percentage in the previous year.