Washington Area Women's Foundation Announces Second Chance Employment Services As Recipient For The 2009 Leadership Award

(Dr. Ludy Green shown far right receiving Washington Area Women's Foundation Leadership Award)


Second Chance Employment Services was one of the top 10 finalists in the Washington Area Women's Foundation Leadership Awards. Dr. Ludy Green received the award on behalf of Second Chance on April 7, 2009.

On the Washington Area Women's Foundation blog they displayed the following responses to the online vote's “Announcing the 2009 Leadership Awardees!”regarding Second Chance:

Judith Mueller Says: March 21st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Dr Ludy Green, founder of Second Chance Employment Services deserves your financial support for her extrordinary mission and your long overdue recognition of her leadership in services to vulnerable , abused ,women.

Claire Schwab Says: March 23rd, 2009 at 12:34 am
Dr. Ludy Green and her cause, Second Chance Emloyment Services, is well deserving of this award and a prime example of leadership for your organization. She has made such a difference in so many people’s lives and has made this world a better place for women trying to make a better life for themselves.

Mary A. Hill Says: March 24th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Dr. Ludy Green has done an outstanding job of helping women in need.

This exciting event was covered throughout the Internet through several groups, such as Dollar Philanthropy, District of Columbia Primary Care Association (DCPCA), Washington Business Journal, and other contributors.

Thank you to everyone who voted online for Second Chance Employment Services to receive this outstanding award. Through your generosity and help Second Chance grows stronger in helping women support their families in having a second chance in gaining financial independence through employment. Thank you!

1980's George Michael Song

This is a flashback from the 1980's by George Michael which he co-wrote with David Austin. Look At Your Hands is from the album Faith. It's too bad there isn't one of George Micheal's videos for this one.



The lyrics:

I loved you once
But look at you now
You're in somebody else's bed
I loved you once
So I don't know how
You're with a man like that
You'd be better off dead
He don't care
He don't treat you right
It's not fair
I still want you at night
Can't you see you made a mistake girl
He treats you like dirt and I hate it

Na na na na na na lady look at your hands
You got two fat children and a drunken man
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like it

Ma ma ma ma baby look at your hands
You should have been my woman when you had the chance
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life now

He hits you once
He hits you twice
He don't care about the blood on his hands
But that's OK
'Cause it's his wife"It's the only she understands" he says

Say you're gonna leave him
Say you're gonna try
But you're only talking
Oh I know you think I'm a young boy
But I'm good and I think we can make it

Na na na na na na lady look at your hands
You've got two fat children and a drunken man
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like it

Ma ma ma ma baby look at your hands
You should have been my woman when you had the chance
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life
Betcha don't, betcha don't, betcha don't like your life now
(Don't like your guy now)

Well excuse me baby but it's making me mad
The only one you want is the only one you'll never have it's so sad
The only one you'll never have
It's too bad
Only one you'll never have

Na na na na na na lady look at your hands
You've got two fat children and a drunken man
And I bet you don't like your life now...

Abuse Crosses All Socioeconomics

Here are tragic highlights from the show Wife Swap found on YouTube portraying the Stevens-Fowler and Long family. Abuse takes place in many forms regardless of socioeconomic background. Steven Fowler attempts to subjugate and demean Gayla Long through verbal and emotional abuse in addition to alienating his children from her.

From Poverty to Providing for Her Family

This story is from the Second Change Employment Services Winter Newsletter:

From Poverty to Providing for Her Family - One Second Chance Client Shares Her Story

by Pamela Johnson

When I first married, my life was wonderful. My husband and I were blissfully happy, and I had a great career as an accountant. We wanted children, but we wanted to wait until the right time. Both my husband and I wanted a stay at-home parent while the kids were young, which meant I would take a break in my career to raise our family. Things changed when our first child arrived. When I was no longer contributing a paycheck, my husband mysteriously began holding this against me. He started calling me a “leech” and a “liability.” Despite these signs of abuse, we had another child, and I continued to stay home. I knew I wasn’t doing anything wrong, I knew I was a good mother, and I hoped he would change. So I focused on the love of my children.

Ignoring the abuse didn’t make it stop. After our second child, I was living with a man who controlled my every move. He controlled our money, and I had to beg to buy groceries or clothes for the children. I no longer asked for anything for myself. By the time our third child arrived, I knew I was living with domestic abuse—emotional, financial, and physical. I had lost all independence, and my livelihood—and that of my children—was in the hands of a man who acted like he despised me. I wanted to leave, but with no job or savings—and with everything in my husband’s name—I couldn’t see a way out that didn’t mean poverty. I remained a prisoner.

Then one day my son fell ill. He was running a fever and needed medical attention. I went to my husband and asked for the money to go to a doctor. He refused. I begged him. He still refused. I took my son to the doctor anyway, only to discover I didn’t even have the $10 copay for the visit. Sitting in that doctor’s waiting room, I knew it was time to leave. Before Second Chance, I was living in poverty with three children to support.

Today, I’m an accountant again! Of all that Second Chance did to help me rebuild my life, for me, the most important was that they provided the money to pay a deposit for day-care. They got me a job, but with no daycare, and no money to pay the deposit, I couldn’t work. It was a Catch-22, but Second Chance paid the deposit, making it possible for me to support my kids. My ability to provide for my three children means everything to me. I can give to my family, save for the future, and never worry about being a victim. I want all of you to know that I truly could not have accomplished this without Second Chance. I ask from my heart, and from the hearts of my children, please continue your support for their work. Financial independence is the key to never going back to abuse, and Second Chance gives all their clients that key!

Dr. Ludy Green Guest Lecturer for Lura Bradfield Foundation

On October 17, 2008 Dr. Ludy Green spoke as the Guest Lecturer for the Lura Bradfield Foundation for their 12th Anniversary Lecture and Awards Presentation. The purpose of the event was to give awards to women and foundations focusing on women making a difference. Lura Colvin Bradford, 1905 - 1996, was a battered child and wife. Despite her personal trials, Ms. Bradford was an accomplished woman who attended George Washington University, American University, and the Department of Agriculture Graduate School. She was an active member in Ikebana International traveling many countries and dabbled in the arts. Ms. Bradford volunteered for St. Alban's Senior Center, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church E.C.W., the Florence Crittenton Foundation, and many other organizations. Ms. Bradford was careful with her investments in which the Lura Bradford Foundation was created to help benefit many other women to receive their educations and to help battered women, like her, to not be left behind as victims.

Dr. Green spoke to the Lura Bradford audience about the problems surrounding victims of domestic violence especially surrounding the prejudice running deeply through the workforce against "Stay At Home Moms" who attempt to find employment after managing their households. Dr. Green spoke about her dream to help women who have been working "non-traditionally" to find employment which would provide much more than a minimal salary for these women to help themselves and their children. Dr. Green spoke about her business model while reporting impressive results including 537 women to date that she has helped to place in positions earning $30,000 - $160,000 including a senior position in the United States Senate. Second Chance Employment Services helps women across all racial and economic barriers. Women do not have to be in a shelter or homeless in order for them to get relief from Second Chance and receive help in becoming employed.

Thank you Dr. Ludy Green and Second Chance Employment Services for helping to provide all at-risk women with the tools they need to reclaim their lives.

Victor Rivers: "I Am NOT A WOMAN"

Second Chance Employment Services would like to give a special Thank You to Victor Rivers for being our Guest Speaker at our 5th Annual Gala Last Kiss of Summer.

Mr. Rivers, an actor in many films such as The Mask of Zorro, Two for Texas, Blood In/Blood Out, Amistad, The Chain, The Distinguished Gentleman, Lara, Semi-Tough, One Good Cop, Fled, The Lost City, The Air I Breathe, many other movies, the stage, TV shows LIFE, Numb3rs, 24, Star Trek, Jag, Miami Vice, and CSI Miami.

Victor Rivers spoke to the attendees that Domestic Violence is not a "woman's issue", but an issue that effect's everyone. Mr. Rivers told us his harrowing childhood tale, growing up in a household of abuse against his mother, himself,and his siblings. Victor Rivers spoke about the reality of the blind eye the legal system lent him when he went for help. The legal system did not protect Victor's mother physically, financially, or especially her children by denying their mother her custodial rights to the children she cared for steadily. It was only through employment that Victor's mother was able to track down her kidnapped children and remain in her children's lives as their non-custodial parent. Victor's father abused the legal system to out maneuver Victor's mother due to his financial positing as the family bread winner and thereby his father gained sole custody of the very children that he abused physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sadly - this imbalance of representation and financial support to domestic violence victims continues to be perpetuated today in which many times the bread winning parent instead of the caretaker patent gains shared custody ("co-parenting") or sole custody.

Mr. Rivers credits his community in reaching out to him in his teenage years and not giving up on him to give him the strength and guidance to make more of his life than what he was left to deal with by his abusive father. Furthermore, Victor Rivers has also written a book detailing the trails of his family in A Private Family Matter: A Memoir written in both English and Spanish.

Thank you Victor Rivers for breaking the silence and making a stand to protect those who are subjugated in their domestic hell.

Thank You 2008 Gala Donors

Thank you to all the 2008 Auction Donors to the Second Chance Employment Services annual gala Last Kiss of Summer. A listing of all the donors are listed with corresponding links to their businesses in the right column under the heading "Donor List for Silent and Live Auctions for Last Kiss of Summer Gala 2008" and will remain posted until September 2009.