7 Questions – Scott Schenkelberg (Miriam’s Kitchen)

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Julia Cain

Good morning! We are psyched to introduce you to … Scott Schenkelberg, the Executive Director of Miriam’s Kitchen in DC. Every weekday morning for the last 27 years (holidays included), breakfast has been served to chronically homeless men and women: 1,500 when Miriam’s was first featured in the Catalogue in 2003 and over 4,000 in 2009!

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

Professionally, it was expanding Miriam’s Kitchen’s programs in 2010 to have evening services — meals and case management. Up until the program started in January 2010, there was no indoor, evening meal program for men and women in downtown DC. Personally, attending the State Dinner for the President of Mexico in May 2010.

2. What else are you up to?

Raising money. Miriam’s Kitchen is almost entirely privately funded. Our 2011 annual budget is nearly $2 million.

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In The News …

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to Wednesday, Greater Washington! What’s new this week?

Venture Philanthropy Partners invests $1.4M in youth programs — the Washington Business Journal reported on Monday that the philanthropic investment organization “will invest a total of $1.4 million over two years in two Washington area youth programs.” And those two youth programs also happen to be … Catalogue non-profits! According to the VPP press release, Metro TeenAIDS and Urban Alliance are now partners “in youthCONNECT, an integrated effort to address the multifaceted challenges facing low-income youth, ages 14-24, in the National Capital Region … a goal of expanding to provide 20,000 at-risk youth over the next five years.” Very exciting!

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Question for the Day

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Julia Cain

From “Finding a New Tune: How Arts Organizations Balance Creativity and Operations” by Corbett Barklie in the latest issue of The Nonprofit Quarterly:

By its nature, infrastructure is a barrier that splits the focus of an artistic group and demands attention. At its most positive, it protects the artistic product over the long term and ensures continuation. But to achieve long-term stability, the present must also be considered and planned. This planning often leads to self-conscious creative behavior, which can divide the artist from his art and the art from its community. Without equally considering the potential loss of spontaneity and engagement, recommending the development of infrastructure as the source of long-term security seems irresponsible.

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What No One Else Does …

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Julia Cain

Writes Mark W. Johnson of Business Week:

Creativity, by itself, is not enough. As I’ve previously written in this space, inventions that aren’t commercialized — no matter how creative — remain inventions, not innovations. To be commercial, an invention needs to matter enough to a customer to be worth paying for. And what matters to most customers is not the invention itself but what job it enables them to do that they couldn’t do, or do well enough, before. The microwave, for example, when it was first introduced, was a terrible oven, but it was fantastic defroster.

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Around Town: March 4-6

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to Friday, folks! Some awesome performances and events at Catalogue non-profits are right around the corner:

Northeast Performing Arts Group (at Kelly Miller Middle School Auditorium, 301 49th Street NE)

Friday at 7:30 PM, catch When Will It End: Slavery Then, Slavery Now, a thought-provoking dance musical and high-energy educational expression of Afro American History. An extra-cool fact: the performers range in age from 3 to 25. More information right here!

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7 Questions – Patricia M. Donnelly (Literacy Council of Northern Virginia)

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Julia Cain

Many Catalogue cheers for today’s “7 Questions” guest … Patricia M. Donnelly, Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia. Serving an area where 120 different languages are spoken, the LCNV offers adult education in reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English to over 2,300 students a year.

Interested in learning more? Read onwards … and, swing by “Reading: A Family Affair” on Saturday, March 19 from 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM in Falls Church. Kids can meet Clifford the Big Red Dog, watch the Bob Brown Puppets, learn origami, write and illustrate their own stories, and then take home a free book!

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

The Literacy Council initiated Reading: A Family Affair just a few years ago. Compared to fundraising dinners with live and silent auctions, this event is family-friendly and free, brings books to life with the help of local artists, and (most importantly) open to the Literacy Council’s clients. The event is designed for them. The fundraising comes from Corporate and small business sponsorships, who are willing and eager to see a community-based, free, literacy event in their neighborhood. And it’s a lot of fun!

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In The News …

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to the first Wednesday in March and your weekly news round-up!

State Arts Agencies — Over at Createquity, Ian David Moss follows up on this post by pointing to two new, online national resources for arts advocates. At the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, you can find a simple (albeit unpleasant) breakdown of “major restructuring or funding elimination proposal” by state. The State Arts Appropriation Network, an affiliate of Americans for the Arts, even provides a click-able US map where you can access past and proposed budget numbers. Moss also makes a great point: check to see if your state representatives are already “in the tank for arts funding” so that you can reach out to friends and networks elsewhere!

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Quote for the Day

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Julia Cain

I thought that this might be a good final thought for the month of February:

What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing: you wouldn’t be an artist if you didn’t want to share an experience, a thought.

- David Hockney

In a sense, art is inevitable because of our fundamental impulse to share. Sometimes, we latch on to things that are terrifying or frustrating or sublime, moments that are too critical to be forgotten or pushed away. So we must give them a form in which they can be discussed, seen, and shared. In that sense, art is not just a personal pursuit. It is inherently a collective one.

So many Catalogue cheers this Monday for our Community Arts non-profits — for bringing us closer every day of the week!

Around Town: February 25-26

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Julia Cain

Welcome to the weekend (almost), Greater Washington! We have an awesome variety of events and opportunities, so just follow your interests …

Ready to Volunteer?

Saturday from 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM in Falls Church marks the first day of volunteer training with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and you can sign up right here. From 2:00 – 3:30 PM, For Love of Children also welcomes new and returning volunteers to learn about FLOC’s mission, accomplishments, goals, and tutoring programs; email ntorentinos@floc.org for more info. And definitely call Chess Challenge DC (202.560.1467) to learn more about Saturday’s big intramural tournament for all kids enrolled in their program.

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