Brown School

Money going to faith-based organizations can bring a financial benefit to donors.In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, Americans generously donated money to relief groups around the world. But it appears Americans don’t need a major disaster to give money. Annually, Americans donate $183 billion, with nearly half of that amount going to faith-based organizations. Money going to faith-based organizations, such as churches, mosques, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, not only can help provide needed social services to communities, but it can also bring a financial benefit to donors, says a noted community development expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “People who donate money on a regular basis take a closer look at where their money is going,” says Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. “They are able to figure out and set aside the money they can donate on a weekly or monthly basis. This can lead to more financial responsibility in the areas of debt repayment and asset building.”

The George Warren Brown School of Social Work’s spring lecture series addresses a broad spectrum of issues from elder care to the future of social policy. The series will kick off Feb. 7 with a lecture by Melvin Oliver, Ph.D., titled “Can We Preserve the Progressive Soul of Asset-Based Social Policy?” Oliver is a professor of sociology and dean of social sciences in the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. All lectures will be held at noon in Brown Hall, Room 124.

Photo by Kevin LowderA reception celebrated the recent national recognition earned by the Center for Mental Health Services Research.

Faculty and graduate students from St. Louis-area universities with an interest in topics relating to labor, households, health care, law and social welfare are being invited to take part in a series of Monday brown-bag luncheon seminars to be held biweekly through April at Washington University. Now in its ninth year, the “Work, Families and […]

The George Warren Brown School of Social Work’s spring lecture series addresses a broad spectrum of issues from elder care to the future of social policy. The series will kick off Feb. 7 with a lecture by Melvin Oliver, Ph.D., titled “Can We Preserve the Progressive Soul of Asset-Based Social Policy?” Oliver is a professor of sociology and dean of social sciences in the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. All lectures will be held at noon in Brown Hall, Room 124.

MLK delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech.”Be The Change” is the theme of the University’s annual Commemoration Celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday at 7 p.m., Jan. 17 in Graham Chapel. The celebration is free and open to the public. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will begin the program with a welcome and remarks. The evening will include performances by Vashon High School’s drumline, the YMCA Boys Choir, the University’s Vision Gospel Choir and Black Anthology, as well as testimonials from University students.

In an effort to foster and encourage productive and proactive dialogue about race within the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University and the St. Louis region, the Society of Black Student Social Workers will host ” Forum on Race: The Dialogue Continues,” Jan. 17, featuring Lee Mun Wah, a nationally acclaimed director, lecturer and diversity consultant. Mun Wah will present his film, Last Chance for Eden, a documentary featuring nine men and women engaging in an electrifying and honest conversation about the anguish and pain of dealing with racism, sexism and heterosexism in their lives and communities.

The Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to become the nation’s first Advanced Center for Interventions and Services Research at a school of social work. CMHSR will celebrate its new designation and expanded research agenda during an opening and reception from 1:30-3 p.m. Jan. 11 in the Brown Hall Lounge. Visitors can hear about the center’s current and future research from CMHSR leaders. For more information about the center or the open house, call the center at 935-5687 or go online to gwbweb.wustl.edu/users/cmhsr.

The Center for Mental Health Services Research in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work will celebrate its new designation Jan. 11.

Promoting healthy marriages in African-American communities.The Bush Administration has introduced proposals to renew Temporary Assistance for Needy Families that include spending $1.5 billion over five years to create programs with the goal of promoting marriage, reducing divorce and creating incentives for fathers to be involved in their children’s lives. “Although controversial, President Bush’s plan to make marriage promotion an explicit element of the government’s anti-poverty policy sends an urgent call to African-American faith communities to increase and expand marriage promotion and building activities within their congregations,” says Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., a noted community development expert and assistant professor in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. “Faith leaders in the African-American community need to be aware of the current vigorous debate about the definition, purpose, jurisdiction and future of marriage under way in the United States that is influencing federal welfare policy.”