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Business
Councilmember Henderson Sponsors Bill to Aid Food Insecure Residents
James Wright WI Staff Writer
D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson has authored a bill seeking to assist recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more often referred to as SNAP.
Henderson, an at-large independent lawmaker, introduced the “Give SNAP a Raise Amendment of 2021,” which would increase the program’s minimum monthly to recipients by providing city funds to match their federal benefits under the Low-Cost Food Plan set by the Food and Nutrition Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Additionally, the bill would change the maximum benefit to 15% of the maximum
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For further information or to submit resumes please email: skallen09@gmail.com allotment for a recipient’s family, as opposed to the current flat rate of $30.
Henderson’s bill emerges as the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported in 2019 that about 94,000 residents – nearly one-in-eight – count as recipients of SNAP. District government statistics reveal that during the pandemic, the number of residents receiving SNAP benefits increased to more than 136,000 residents, with Blacks representing 24%, facing food insecurity. Whites only accounted for 2%.
Henderson pointed out that the average SNAP benefit for a resident equated to $1.67 per meal in 2019. The legislator said that level of benefit leaves most recipients short each month by about $100 as they struggle to secure their food and dietary needs. She also noted that the present level of SNAP benefits fails to take into account residents who have specialized food needs and must often deal with higher grocery prices in the District.
“We know the pandemic has exacerbated food inequities across the District and investing local dollars in SNAP is one way to combat this trend,” Henderson said. “We have an obligation to provide resources for participants to purchase the healthy and necessary food options for their families.”
Beverly R. Wheeler, director of DC Hunger Solutions, praised
5 Christina Henderson serves as an independent lawmaker on the D.C. Council. (WI File Photo)
the bill, saying her organization “is grateful that Councilmember Henderson understands that over 136,000 D.C. residents, in particular, and the District economy, as a whole, will benefit from giving SNAP a raise.”
D.C. Councilmembers Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), Robert White (D-At Large), Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) have signed on as supporters of Henderson’s bill.
The D.C. Council’s Committee on Human Services, chaired by Nadeau, held a hearing on the bill on April 28. WI @JamesWrightJr10
INVITATION TO BID FOR CONSTRUCTION OF BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Concourse A/B Connector and Baggage Handling Project
Your bid is due to Clark on or before June 15th, 2022 @ 5:00PM (EDT) for Bid Package #2 – Part 1 July 15th, 2022 @ 5:00 PM (EDT) for Bid Package #2 – Part 2
Project Description: This contract will involve all building trades and specialty work associated with airport facilities. Specific elements of the project include, but are not limited to, underground utilities; concrete pavement; reinforced concrete and structural steel; building envelope systems including architectural curtain wall; roofing systems, and skylights; interior architectural finishes; vertical transportation; industrial piping, ducts, and building automation system; fire protection and fire alarm systems; plumbing systems; electrical distribution; telecommunications, data, and security systems.
INFORMATION ABOUT PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS Drawings, Specifications, and Scope Information May Be Obtained From: Greg Jones at 410-598-6995 Bid documents can be viewed at: Online at our Building ConnectedTM website as of May 6th, 2022
CLARK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER We request bids from small, disadvantaged, minority and Women-owned subcontractors and suppliers.
Embassy’s Open Their Doors to the Community
Hamil R. Harris WI Contributing Writer
The University of the District of Columbia was recently the venue for diplomats from various embassies who rarely get a chance to show off food, art and cultural aspects of their countries.
The diplomats from Libya , Uganda and Eritrea displayed a variety of items at the UDC Van Ness campus were part of the Around the World Embassy Tour and included other embassies along Massachusetts Avenue, Georgetown and other parts of the District.
“This is our 15th year of being involved in the Around the World Embassy Tour,” said Steve Shulman, Executive Director of Cultural Tourism DC. “My hope for Passport DC is to help remind everyone that we are more alike than different, despite the multitude of cultures and beliefs.”
On Saturday, the diplomats at UDC set up tables filled with art, food and fashion but Ronald Nnam who works in IT at Uganda Embassy showed a 30 foot replica of the “Peter the great battle cruiser.”
Nnam said he built the replica of the ship because, “I want people to learn to appreciate hard work and to have the ability to think out of the box and be creative. That was the whole person of this project.”
For many years the 4200 block Connecticut Avenue has been a gathering place for vendors from around the world on Saturday there were vendors from several countries.
Shulman also said, “Washington DC has unlike any other city in the US are different neighborhoods of embassies, we have the DuPont Circle area, up and down Mass Avenue and
Some of the embassies on display had been on the US terrorist watch list or those who were led by dictators in the past like Idi Amin or Mormar Khadifi. The Lybians had one of the most popular tables because they served lamb, beans, coo coos and dates.
One diplomat from Libya ia said that he was glad to have a chance to show Libya.
Participating embassies included: The African Union, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Bolivia, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Uganda.
Shulman said the event is more important than ever as nations around the world emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current state of international affairs is uncertain.
As she passed out samples of bread, Seble Tsehaye, political officer for the Eritrean Embassy, said “There are a lot of people who don't know anything about Eritrea. We are showing a little bit about what the country is.
Tsehaye, said “At one time Eritrea and Ethiopia were enemies and now we work together.”
WI
5 Executive Director of DC Tours and staff. (Hamil R. Harris/The Washington Informer) 3 Representatives from the Eritrean Embassy greet guests. (Hamil R. Harris/The Washington Informer)
Empowered 2 Prosper
Aimee D. Griffin, Esq.
I often say that I have the best job ever! As an estate planning attorney I have the opportunity to be intimately involved in legacy building plans. I have the privilege to serve as a trusted advisor as strategies are built. The greatest gift that I offer the people I serve is the reminder that each of us is empowered to prosper! It is so amazing to be able to impact the individuals and families with an opportunity encourage this perspective. As I confess that I am a person of faith, I share my vantage point that we are all indeed blessed. One of my favorite scriptures is III John 2, Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (NKJV)
It is with this foundational scripture that I have realized how many of us lose focus. Not only do we forget that it is God’s desire for us to survive but it is His plan that we prosper. We spend so much time on the realities of the struggle but not appreciating the skills, resources and the strength that we have acquired through the victories we have previously earned. We short sell our capacity. We short sell our resources. We short sell our opportunities. Another of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)
We often accept surviving as the ultimate goal as opposed to thriving and prospering to embrace abundant living. If we focus on survival, we will only see the opportunities to survive as opposed to thrive and prosper. If we accept the lower standard of simple survival, we settle for so much less than that which is available to us. I meet with people and hear their goals and vision for themselves and their families, I am often compelled to provide insight and inspiration on the opportunities to raise the standards.
We are hosting a women’s conference Empowered 2 Prosper to convene amazing women to raise our vision on prosperity which includes physical, emotional, spiritual and economic health. This gathering will focus attention on prosperity, creating a circle of support that empowers, builds financial acuity as well as personal and professional development goals to thrive and enhances the entrepreneurial vision to conquer.
Women are typically the caretakers of the family, office, church and community. We work hard to make sure that everyone else is taken care of and often manage self-care with left over energy and resources. While we intellectually know that we need to put our oxygen mask on first, we often make sure that there is enough oxygen to go around before we would put on a mask ourselves.
We are indeed better together. Collectively, we build networks of support. Collectively, we dream dreams of fulfilling the purpose for which we are created. Collectively, we build strategic plans to prosper.
