Search Results for: NV Rides

NV Rides with Jennifer Kanarek

(May 29, 2019) Catherine Read sits down with NV Rides Program Manager Jennifer Kanarek to discuss volunteer driving programs in Northern Virginia that support older adults who are aging in place.

In 2012, Fairfax County ran a large-scale survey of older adults to find out what they were looking for in their community as they age. The county recognized that the aging population was growing faster than any other segment, and that older adults were looking to remain in their homes as they age. Fairfax sought input on their needs, and the result was the 50+ Community Action Plan that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in September of 2014. Over 30 initiatives were born out of this wide-ranging survey.

Transportation was identified as a key concern. As older adults stop driving, they face the challenge of how to safely remain in their homes. Several communities throughout the county had already established volunteer driving programs to help support their aging neighbors. These programs, however, were operating independently and in silos.

The idea of NV Rides was to bring these programs together into a centralized network, and provide support and infrastructure so that they could increase capacity. This new concept of a coordinated “hub” would provide a backbone infrastructure, along with a network of professionals to collaborate with.

Member benefits include use of a cloud-based RideScheduler software platform, and background checks to ensure that the drivers pass a minimum safety check. In addition, NV Rides is responsible for helping to get new programs off the ground and provide marketing support.

Fairfax County then went on a search for a community organization willing to take on the management aspect of this program. They found a partner in the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. The “J” already has a wide variety of programming for adults, and found the concept of NV Rides to be mission-consistent with its approach to community engagement. In partnership with the Jewish Council for the Aging out of Montgomery County, MD and the Fairfax County Government, the “J” agreed to move forward.

Today, the NV Rides network consists of 13 member organizations located throughout the region. There are a combination of Shepherd’s Centers, Villages, communities of faith and public-private partnerships in the network. The beauty of this structure is that each community can come together to determine the solution that works best for them.

Each network partner operates independently, and can setup guidelines and procedures that meet their needs. However, all of the organizations do require that their clients be ambulatory, meaning that they have to be able to walk to the car. Most of the groups also require lead-time of 3-5 days, in order to be able to ensure that they can find a driver.

According to the 2018 annual report, each year about 500 volunteer drivers give approximately 12,000 rides to their neighbors in need here in Northern Virginia. However, the drivers think of themselves as more than just a ride. Isolation one of the top causes of depression in older adults, and the relationships that drivers and passengers build is a wonderful secondary benefit. The biggest challenge that the partner organizations face is recruiting enough volunteer drivers to meet the demand for rides. Currently, there are twice as many rides that are requested, as there are drivers to give them.

As NV Rides rolls into its fifth year of operation, they are operating under a new round of funding from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Through this grant, NV Rides is looking to expand the number of volunteer driver programs into areas where there is a gap in coverage in Fairfax, as well as neighboring jurisdictions such as Prince William County.

by Rachel Simon

Rachna Heizer – Kitchen Table Conversations

(May 1, 2018) Catherine Read speaks with Rachna Sizemore Heizer about her son, Jake Sizemore, who is a local musician with special needs. Rachna speaks with Catherine about her journey as a parent navigating the system with a child with an autism diagnosis, and how she learned to focus on Jake’s abilities, instead of his disabilities, in order to discover his gifts.

In 2004 at the age of 2, Rachna faced a doctor at Children’s Hospital who turned her world upside down. Her son Jake was diagnosed with low-functioning autism, and she was told to have “very low expectations” about what he could accomplish. Jake was non-verbal, and struggled with many things that the average child his age could master. The doctors provided her with limited resources, many of which were not at all helpful. Rachna felt lost and confused, as she attempted to navigate a system that was not designed for children like Jake. She acknowledges that things have changed quite a bit since then, as more resources have been developed to help families cope with this diagnosis and its challenges. She does know that parents are the best advocates for their children, and it is imperative that parents stay engaged in order to understand how their child can best thrive and succeed.

As Jake grew up, he started school in the Fairfax County Public School System. Starting in second grade, all of his classes except PE, art and music were not integrated with the general school population. When the PE teacher came to Rachna to explain that they wanted to move Jake out of the general PE class, she raised the red flag and asked “why?”. The answer she received was that the class aid didn’t have enough time to spend with each special education student individually. Rachna then asked a very important question – “So, if Jake’s aid is busy, what is he actually doing during this time?” The PE teacher was very forthcoming, and shared that Jake would find another student, and observe them and then mimic the activity. Rachna pointed out that this was an extraordinarily valuable life skill in and of itself – learning to navigate a strange situation and follow along to keep up with his peers, something that does not happen in his other classes that are segregated. Rachna pointed out to the PE teacher that these soft skills help develop a child’s emotional intelligence and give them experiences that they need to succeed in life.

For many years, Rachna struggled to find an activity or subject where Jake could connect and be happy. His older sister was a dancer, and after attending a recital, Jake shared that he wanted to be on stage. Rachna scoured the area to find a studio that would accept a child with special needs, and didn’t give up until she found someone who would work with him. Jake gave it his best shot, and they both learned that what he really loved was not dance, but performing on stage. Jake had always had a knack for picking up tunes and playing songs by ear on his toy keyboard as a child. As Rachna paid closer attention, she found that he has a great gift of being able to play music, and he translated his love of the stage into performing live music. He made his way to Vienna School of Rock, and has been dazzling audiences for quite some time.

With the benefit of hindsight, Rachna wants to point out to parents that she spent so much time trying to work on building Jake’s skills in areas where he struggled, that she was not always able to see where he shined. Once she was able to find that, Jake began to thrive and Rachna experienced joy in seeing Jake do what he loves. The ultimate experience happened when Jake was invited to Broadway to audition for the show School of Rock at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City. Rachna was so nervous for Jake, and when they arrived the stage managers took the musicians down to the audition stage unaccompanied. Rachna shared that Jake had autism, and might be uncomfortable all alone, and not sure what to do. The stage managers would not make an exception, and marched Jake down with the rest of the children. Thanks to Jake’s ability to observe and learn from those around him, he watched what was happening and figured out how to navigate the situation, a skill he picked up from that PE class so many years before. In fact, he performed so well that he was selected to appear on Good Morning America the next day.

Thankfully, doctors and schools have made great strides since Jake received his diagnosis in 2004, but there is still much work to do. Rachna sits on the board of the Fairfax County Special Education PTA, as well as having a seat on the Fairfax County School Board’s Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities. Her goal is to advocate for strong policies so support children with special needs in the FCPS school system. In this way, Rachna hopes to open doors and work with educators to help students with disabilities be able to realize their dreams. Additionally, Rachna is a Board Member of the Arc of Northern Virginia, where she focuses on creating more opportunities for people with disabilities to work and live independently. Jake continues to make music and bring joy to his audiences.

by Rachel Simon

Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

(Sept. 3, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Dale Brumfield, Field Director for Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP). Dale took over this position last year, after authoring a book about the Virginia State Penitentiary System, and penning several opinion pieces on the topic for a variety of Virginia based news publications. As field director for VADP, he seeks to engage a variety of grass roots constituent groups, from progressive to conservative to libertarian to evangelical and beyond.

The death penalty has early roots in Virginia’s history. The first man to be put to death in the New World was Cpt. George Kendall, killed by firing squad in 1608 for treason. Later in 1632, the colony put the first woman to death for the crime of concealing childbirth. Since then, the death penalty has been used far and wide in the commonwealth, where over 1300 people have been executed in its 400+ year history. The practice gained popularity in the 1800’s, born from an unreliable prison system that was unable to secure its residents. Many things have changed since then, and Brumfield argues that death sentences should no longer used. However, 31 states still bring capital punishment cases to trial.

Brumfield makes the case that in addition to being morally wrong (the Old Testament clearly states “Thou shall not kill” in the ten commandments), the use of the death penalty is a waste of both time and money. It costs 4-10x as much to bring a capital punishment case to trial versus a non-death penalty case. This does not even take into account the appeals process, which adds many more hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost.

When speaking with those who support the practice, one the of biggest complaints that Brumfield hears is that people do not want their tax dollars to have to pay for someone to sit in jail. They would rather have the guilty defendant put to death. In reality this is a false argument, because it actually winds up costing the state much more to bring a death penalty case to trial. Additionally, there is the cost of having the convicted felon sit on death row for what often amounts to decades. For example, in California they have had over 700 people on death row, but the state rarely executes anyone. Since 1978, when the death penalty was reinstated, the state has spent 14 billion dollars in death row costs but has only put 13 people to death.

Attitudes toward the death penalty have changed significantly over the past 20 years. In 1999, 75% of those surveyed supported the use of capital punishment. Today, that number has dropped to 54%, up slightly from an all-time low of 49% in 2016, according to a Pew research study. Since 2011 there has not been one death sentence issued by a jury in Virginia, and there are currently 3 people awaiting execution. Compared to 1999 when there were 60 people on death row, Brumfield points out that the Virginia is making great strides in reducing the number of people being sent to death row.

One of the main reasons that there has been such a drastic reduction in capital punishment cases can be tied to the establishment in 2004 of the Capital Defense offices. Four regional offices were opened, staffed with highly competent defense attorneys who would take on these high profile cases. In the past, many of the defendants who were poor and minority could not afford their own counsel. The court would appoint an attorney, but often times these lawyers were not equipped to handle such complex cases. The prosecution would run circles around the ill equipped court appointed attorneys, and many more death sentences were given. The establishment of these offices helped to even the playing field, causing prosecutors to drastically reduce the number of capital punishment cases that they brought to trial.

Blumfield also points out that the death penalty is biased along racial lines. A research study done in Virginia showed that a person is three times as likely to be sentenced to death when the victim is white vs. when the victim is black (VJLRC study, 2000). Additionally, while African Americans represent only 13% of the overall population, they make up 42% of those on death row, and 35% of those executed.

From a legislative perspective, Brumfield is working with the Virginia General Assembly on two main initiatives. The SMI bill (Severe Mental Illness) is designed to make sure that no person with an IQ of 70 or less is executed. Recently, a young man with an IQ of 56 admitted to a crime he did not commit and was given the death penalty. He was proven innocent through DNA testing, but he came within 7 days of being put to death before he was exonerated. This year, Brumfield will also be working on a bill addressing drug secrecy of the injection cocktail used for executions in Virginia. There has been quite a bit of controversy over this practice, and this bill is designed to shine a spotlight on the ingredients being used for these cases.

VADP is holding a luncheon in Reston to raise funds to support their work. Joe Giarratano, a man who served 38 years for a crime he did not commit, will be an honored guest. Actor Mike Farrell (better known as B.J. Hunnicutt on MASH) will be the keynote speaker. For over 30 years he has been working in California to abolish the death penalty. Details and signup information can be found on their website.

by Rachel Simon

Karen Corbett Sanders – FCPS School Board

(June 6, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Karen Corbett Sanders, Vice Chair of the FCPS School Board, representing the Mt. Vernon district. She represents a diverse district, which stretches from the Potomac River in the east, through the Rt. 1 Corridor, into Springfield and across to the Occoquan River. Some of the schools in her district are amongst the poorest in the county, with poverty rates as high at 90% in some places. These conditions put additional stresses on school personnel, and often require a different approach to ensure that each child in her district is getting an excellent education, no matter what their family background is or where they live.

Karen Corbett Sanders opened the conversation talking about the needs of students who come from some of the most vulnerable communities within her district. She mentions the importance of providing “wrap-around” social services to students, to ensure that they have enough food to eat, clothing to keep them warm, and access to healthcare. In order for students to have the best opportunity to succeed, Corbett Sanders argues that we must invest in a strong support system for both students and their families. She points to literacy as a specific challenge for many families. In order for parents to stay up to date and in tune with their children, let alone be able to help them with homework at night, it is important that all families have access to literacy education. The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia is making great strides in helping parents learn the language skills they need, so they can more fully and equitably participate in the community.

Corbett Sanders is proud of the One Fairfax Policy, adopted by both the Board of Supervisors and the FCPS School Board on July 12, 2016. It is a joint social and racial equity policy that commits the county and schools to intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. It is a written declaration that all citizens deserve an equitable opportunity to succeed if they work hard, regardless of their race, color, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or where they live. One Fairfax is a framework that will be used to consider equity in decision-making and in the development and delivery of future policies, programs and services. It is designed to help county and school leaders look intentionally, comprehensively and systematically at barriers that may be creating gaps in opportunity. Corbett-Sanders states that the adoption of this policy helps those in charge understand that there must be a different approach in a school community that has a 90% poverty rate vs. a school that has a 1.8% poverty rate.

In the second segment of the show Catherine speaks with Karen Corbett Sanders about the program GrandInvolve. This is a unique public-private partnership that puts retired educators in Title I elementary schools to volunteer and help give back to their community. GrandInvolve has been recognized by the Governor as one of the top volunteer organizations in the state, and has had great success here in Fairfax County. The seniors serve as role models for the students, many of whom do not have Grandparents who live in the United States. The seniors bring a fresh, new perspective to the classroom and help support one-on-one learning with students. It is truly a win-win for teachers, students and the senior volunteers.

Another new pilot program that Karen Corbett Sanders mentions involves placing police officers in the school cafeterias, where the officers are helping students in the lunch line, and getting to know them. Often times, children only see police officers in a bad or difficult situation. This type of partnership helps to build relationships and teach children that police officers are really there to help them, not hurt or punish them.

Corbett Sanders is also very proud of a new initiative that is being rolled out to all FCPS students called the Passport to Mt. Vernon. This would allow free access for county students to Mt. Vernon, Gunston Hall, Gum Springs Museum and Woodlawn Plantation. We have such a rich source of history right here in Fairfax County, but our students who are the poorest and most vulnerable do not have access to these sights because they cannot afford the entrance fees. By offering free access, they are hoping to open up doors to those who were otherwise shut out. She also highlights the Bus Pass program, now in its third year. This offers any 7^th-12^th grader a free bus pass for the Connector Bus or the Q Bus in Fairfax City. Free access to public transportation allows students to get around independently after school or during the summer. They can travel locally to go to part time jobs, summer camps or the library. Corbett-Sanders is encouraged by the work being done between county and school board leaders to think outside the box and come up with workable solutions to help our most vulnerable residents.

by Rachel Simon

Dan Lagana – Fairfax County Democratic Committee

(Apr. 30, 2018) Catherine Read speaks with Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chairman Dan Lagana. Ninety days into his term, Lagana speaks about the upcoming primary elections, the grass roots effects of the Democratic blue wave washing over the commonwealth, and gerrymandering. He notes that his job as FCDC chair is to get Democrats elected to offices throughout the county – from Supervisors to School Board to Sheriffs to the Soil and Water Council in Fairfax County.

Although some of these offices that are up for election are non-partisan, Lagana notes that the candidates can still seek party endorsements, and the party can harness its resources and organizing power to help elect like-minded candidates. Lagana spoke in detail about the election of school board at-large member Karen Keys-Gamarra, which took place in the late summer of 2017. Karen sought FCDC’s endorsement for an oddly timed special election, and by having her campaign work collaboratively with FCDC, they were able to work together to prevail. Catherine also brought up the question of the municipal elections in May – asking Dan what his thoughts were on this process. Dan believes that all elections should be in November, as it front and center on everyone’s mind, and the turnout is likely to be higher.

Following the 2016 election of President Donald Trump, local democratic committees across the country saw a rise in participation and membership. On a local level, grass-roots disrupter groups like Network Nova and Win Virginia gained a lot of traction by bringing in people who had never before been involved in the political landscape. This helped usher in a blue wave last November, as Democrats picked up 15 seats in the House of Delegates. Lagana believes that FCDC has welcomed these newcomers with open arms, and promotes that more participation in the political process can only make us stronger as a county, state and nation. He shares that he has been working hard to make FCDC an inclusive environment, where everyone has a voice and a seat at the table.

As chair of the FCDC, Lagana reiterates that it is his job to help elect Democratic candidates to office in Fairfax County. As for how the districts are drawn, from the Supervisors to the Congressional districts, he thinks that there is much work to be done in Virginia on making it a more fair process. When the party in power is the one drawing these districts, the outcome is fairly predictable – that party will do whatever it takes to stay in power and protect incumbents. Lagana looks to states that have implemented a bi-partisan process for re-drawing districts for ideas. Although not perfect, states like Arizona have made strides to improve how it can be accomplished.

As for gerrymandering cases making their way through the court system, in Wisconsin lawyers for the case of Gill vs. Whitford are currently awaiting a decision to see if the Supreme Court will hear the case. This will be a telling sign, and have an impact on gerrymandering cases throughout the country. The fact that SCOTUS has opted to not hear the Pennsylvania case where the districts have been re-drawn, may be an indicator that they do not want to get involved. Lagana notes, however, that in order for things to change there must be a change to the law, or some sort of test, to show that the districts are fair. Without this, he is convinced that it will be business as usual.

In the final segment of the show Catherine speak with Lagana about the upcoming primaries in the 10^th Congressional District. There are 6 primary candidates vying to go up against Rep. Barbara Comstock, who is thought to be vulnerable this year. The 10^th district is routinely listed by the Cook political report as one of the most competitive races in the nation in 2018. There are 49 Fairfax County precincts inside the 10^th District, and Lagana invites all eligible voters to take some time getting the know the candidates, and be sure to get to the polls on June 12, 2018 for the primary. There will be many opportunities to meet these candidates at local forums, including the Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia (DemBiz) forum, on Friday May 4^th at Maggiano’s in Tysons Corner. Lagana notes that the 10^th District spans a large geographic area, from the wealthy inner suburbs of McLean all the way out to the West Virginia border in Clark County. It will be important for everyone to participate in the primary process so their voices are heard and counted.

If you would like to support the FCDC, they are holding their biggest annual event, the Jefferson/Obama dinner this Sunday May 6^th at the McLean Hilton in Tysons Corner. Registration is open to all, and Lagana encourages people to come hear what is happening across the county and help raise funds to support the critical job of helping to get out the vote. Special guest will be Senator Tim Kaine, who is up for reelection this year, along with Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. FCDC will be tipping its hat to the blue wave election of 2017 by having newly elected Democratic Delegates introducing the keynote speakers.

by Catherine Read

Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity

(Nov 2017) “Tampons and sanitary towels . . . have always been considered a luxury. That isn’t by accident, that’s by design of an unequal society, in which the concerns of women are not treated as equally as the concerns of men.” – Stella Creasy, Member of British Parliament

I was fortunate to hear author Jennifer Weiss-Wolf talk about her book and her advocacy at Bards Alley in Vienna, VA, on Nov. 28th. The next day I was on a panel of women and girls giving a briefing on menstrual equity issues on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to legislative staff members in the offices of Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Cory Booker and Congressman Gerry Connolly. Rep. Grace Meng made opening remarks and addressed the strides New York City has made in putting these sanitary hygiene products in public schools, homeless shelters and prisons free of charge. The work of Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland of the New York City Council was instrumental in passing a bill in June of 2016 that was the first of its kind in the country.

Two young women on the panel, Ashley (24) and Jennifer (22) talked about their lack of access to needed menstrual supplies when they were incarcerated in jail. (They are both in a Virginia based re-entry program for formerly incarcerated women, Friends of Guest House.) They had to ask guards for pads, and it was up to the guards as to who got how many and when they received them. Requests were handled at the guards’ discretion and at their convenience. Ashley and Jennifer recreated for the hearing room a demonstration of how they made “prison tampons” out of substandard pads because they were more effective than the cheap flimsy pads. Being caught with a “prison tampon” was considered having contraband for which the prisoner could be charged.

Weiss-Wolf talks about her own dawning awareness of how many women in this country and around the world are impacted by the lack of access to the basic hygiene products that menstruation management requires. It affects women’s ability to get an education, to work, and to fully engage in productive daily activities. Factors like poverty, homelessness and incarceration leave many women and girls without access to products that are as necessary as toilet paper and soap – which are mandated by law to be in public restrooms.

The author talks about 2016 as “The Year of the Period.” From her own New Year’s Day thunderbolt to the Women’s March on January 21, 2017, to the trips she made to other parts of the world to research what was being done to address the issue of meeting women’s basic needs so we can fully function in society every day of the year.

Menstrual Equity is on the agenda of cities and states around the country, as well as in countries around the world with populations of women and girls living in poverty. There has been some innovation in place like India around creating small businesses that manufacture pads the poor women can afford. It also creates jobs for them.

In this country, there is a movement to roll back “The Tampon Tax” that places another financial burden on top of the expense of buying these products every month Since only people who menstruate use these products, only those people are paying the tax. The book also addresses the fact that transgender men and gender non-conforming individuals also menstruate. We need to move away from the term “feminine hygiene products” and call them menstrual hygiene products. This is less about a gender binary than acknowledging it as an issue of civil rights and basic human rights.

Weiss-Wolf also addresses the need to have better testing and full labeling on what is in the tampons women are using. Potentially toxic chemicals or artificial fibers need to be tested and consumer informed. She also points out that there is an environmental impact to providing more disposable products to more women around the world. Even bio-degradable products will take longer to breakdown than the lifespan of the people who have used them. Greater innovation needs to take place around how development menstrual management products that don’t have an adverse impact on the planet.

Locally here in Northern Virginia, Holly Seibold has founded BRAWS: Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters. This organization does product drives and distributes products to shelters and schools around the DC Metro area. They are also engaged in issue advocacy around Menstrual Equity. Delegate Jennifer Boysko is sponsoring two bills in Virginia’s 2018 legislative session, HB24 and HB25, that will address the elimination of “The Tampon Tax.”

I highly recommend this book as one everyone should read – men, women and children. We need to remove the stigma around discussing periods. Men and boys should understand this very natural and normal bodily function and should support menstruating individuals by advocating for greater access to menstrual hygiene products for those who need them. It is past time for our culture and our society to normalize that people have periods – every month – for most of their lives. I urge being informed and being an advocate on this issue.