Thursday, January 31, 2008

'Green' Jobs Forum

A community forum to brief residents on prospective new business and job opportunities will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church, 2616 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE.

The forum, "Planting Seeds for a Green D.C.," will discuss the prospects of new "green"-related jobs. Sponsored by D.C. Council member Marion S. Barry (D-Ward 8), the Ward 8 Environmental Council, the Ward 8 Business Council, the Anacostia Coordinating Council, ANC 8A and the Sierra Club, the meeting is in response to the recent implementation of the D.C. Green Building Act and the passage of the Green Collar Jobs Act by Congress. A panel of business and environmental professionals will provide an overview of the new "green economy" and outline the challenges and opportunities facing the community.

Residents, business owners, job developers and the general public are encouraged to attend the free event. For information, call Jackie Ward at 202-359-2485.

Eight Washington area nonprofit groups will receive Washington Area Women's Foundation awards. The $10,000 awards recognize nonprofit organizations whose work improves the health and safety of low-income women and girls. The winners are:

Ascensions Community Services, http://www.2ascend.org, which helps children and families.

DC Abortion Fund, http://www.dcabortionfund.org, which provides grants and no-interest loans to D.C. area women who cannot afford an abortion.

FAIR Fund. http://www.fairfund.org, engages young people, especially younger women, in civic activism to prevent sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence in their communities.

Nueva Vida, http://www.nueva-vida.org, which supports and empowers Latina cancer patients in the Washington area, as well as advocates for quality health care.

The Women's Collective, http://www.womenscollective.org, which helps women and families living with HIV-AIDS.

A Wider Circle, http://www.awidercircle.org, helps children and adults break the cycle of poverty and poor health care.

Divine Images Network, http://www.divineimagesnetwork.org, works with at-risk youth and their families living in Ward 8 to strengthen the community and to prevent crime, substance abuse and dropping out of school.

Pregnancy AID Center, http://www.pregnancyaidcenter.com, serves low-income, uninsured pregnant adolescents and women in Prince George's and Montgomery counties and in the District.

The Washington Wizards are joining to fight high school dropout rates among African American males. At 5 p.m. Saturday at the Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW, the team will host the Getting African-American Males Educated (GAME) event.

The nationwide initiative, sponsored by EDU Inc., features NBA players urging young black men to complete high school and pursue higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 12 percent of black males ages 16 to 24 had dropped out of high school, compared with 6 percent of white males. Participants will hear brief presentations from community leaders and meet Wizards players.

-- Compiled by JILLIAN S. JARRETT