DC’s Salvadoran community aiding flood victims (Washington Post Local): “Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Honduran communities in the Washington area have been collecting cash, new clothes and medicine to help flooding victims in Central America. Ten days of heavy rains this month destroyed crops and towns. According to the Associated Press, 105 people were killed in the deluge, which topped 60 inches. [Comunidades Transnacionales Salvadorenas Americanas] is partnering with the nonprofit CARECEN and other Hispanic organizations to raise money for the victims of the flooding.” Let us know if you’re involved!

Perceptions Of DCPS Improve, But Not Reality (WAMU): “Approximately 24,000 people responded to a district-wide survey of DC Public Schools, and people have a more positive perception of the school system compared to 2009 overall [...] But some of the perceptions of those surveyed are considerably different from what’s actually going on in schools. For example, 93 percent of children surveyed say ‘they attend all classes,’ whereas the truancy rate in DCPS is approximately 20 percent.” Did you take the survey, and does your experience line up with the results?

Global Health Forum tackles Obesity (Worldwatch Institute, Nourishing the Planet): “At a recent event held at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC, members of the health and nutrition community from Italy and the United States came together to discuss the multiple challenges that obesity presents. ‘Although infectious diseases will decline over time, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will be a leading cause of death, especially in developed countries,’ remarked Gabriele Riccardi, professor of Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Naples Federico II and member of the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition Advisory Board.” As research fellow Supriya Kumar points out, progress on global health concerns becomes far more likely when they are addressed in conjunction with food and environmental concerns.