Welcome to Wednesday! Let’s see what’s in the non-profit and local news …
The US Maternal Health Crisis: 14 Numbers You Need To Know — Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and at Amnesty International, “we’re honoring mothers by fighting for maternal health.” As an update to last year’s report on maternal health in the US, Amnesty has also released some striking numbers: “49: The number of countries that have lower maternal mortality ratios than the US” and “2x: Women living in low-income areas across the US were 2 times as likely to suffer a maternal death.”
Mapping DC’s Food Deserts — Do look over the US Department of Agriculture‘s map of food deserts (low income areas without grocery store access) published on DCentric yesterday: “About 18,000 DC residents live in food deserts … In one such food desert, 39 percent of residents are children. And although Prince George’s County … has more food deserts, DC’s deserts have a higher concentrations of children.” The article also points out that the health problems are two-fold: “Violence and the perception of violence creates environments in which children and adults are less likely to go outside, walk, bike and generally be active.”
In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week: An Open Letter from Arne Duncan — Check out the complete letter on the Department of Education blog, but this part in particular jumps out to me: “The teachers I have met are not afraid of hard work, and few jobs today are harder. Moreover, it’s gotten harder in recent years; the challenges kids bring into the classroom are greater and the expectations are higher … In today’s economy, there is no acceptable dropout rate, and we rightly expect all children … to learn and succeed.”
Health care philanthropy picks up steam after recession — According to yesterday’s American Medical News, “reports indicate that contributions are inching up as the economy recovers.” A March study by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative showed that 46% of health care non-profits saw an increase in donations from 2009 to 2010 and 24% saw donations hold steady. Another report “released April 11 by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy also showed reason for optimism.”