EDUCATION DID YOU KNOW? You may qualify for assistance in paying your home phone bill. Discounts for basic telephone service are available to eligible District of Columbia low-income residents.
Ballou Student Accepts Prestigious Peabody Award
Verizon Washington, D.C. Lifeline Plans: Verizon Washington, D.C.’s Lifeline service, known as “Economy II,” offers reduced rates on Verizon’s monthly telephone bill and one-time discounts on the cost of installing phone service. Additionally, toll blocking is available to Economy II customers at no charge.
By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
Economy II Service*: $3.00 per month for unlimited local calling. Value-added services are not included (e.g., Call Waiting, Caller ID). No connection charges apply. Also, customers will not be charged for the federal subscriber line charge. Economy II customers who are 65 years of age or older can have this service at a further reduced rate of $1.00 per month. * Full terms and rates for these services, including terms of eligibility, are as set forth in federal and in Verizon’s tariffs on file with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia. All rates, terms and conditions included in this notice are subject to change and are current at the time of printing.
Eligibility: District residents who have been certified by the Washington, DC Lifeline Program as eligible may apply for the Economy II program. To apply, schedule an appointment with the Washington, DC Lifeline Program by calling 1-800-253-0846. Households in which one or more individuals are receiving benefits from one of the following public assistance programs or have an annual income that is 150% or below the Federal Poverty Guideline may be eligible. P Food stamps P Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) P Supplemental Security Income P Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) P Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8) P Medicaid P National School Lunch Programs (Free Lunch Program)
Restrictions: P No other working telephone service at the same location P No additional phone lines P No Foreign Exchange or Foreign Zone service P No bundles or packages P No outstanding unpaid final bills P Bill name must match eligible participant P No separate Lifeline discount on cellular or wireless phone service P Business lines are not eligible P Phone number must match eligible participant P Must be a current Verizon customer or establish new service with Verizon
Contact Washington, DC Lifeline Program at 1-800-253-0846 to apply To learn more about the Lifeline program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org. Economy II is a Lifeline supported service. Lifeline is a government assistance program. Only eligible consumers may enroll. You may qualify for Lifeline service if you can show proof that you participate in certain government assistance programs or your annual income (gross and from all sources) is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. If you qualify based on income, you will be required to provide income verification. Proof of participation in a government assistance program requires your current or prior year’s statement of benefits from a qualifying state or federal program; a notice letter or other official document indicating your participation in such a program; and/or another program participation document (for example, benefit card). Proof of income requires your prior year’s state or federal tax return; current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub; a statement of Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement, pension, or Unemployment or Workmen’s Compensation benefits; a federal notice letter of participation in General Assistance; a divorce decree; a child support award; and/or another official document containing income information. At least three months of data is necessary when showing proof of income. In addition, the Lifeline program is limited to one discount per household, consisting of either wireline or wireless service. You are required to certify and agree that no other member of the household is receiving Lifeline service from Verizon or another communications provider. Lifeline service is a non-transferable benefit. Lifeline customers may not subscribe to certain other services, including other local telephone service. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain the Lifeline benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment, or can be barred from the program.
TOP RATED U.S.
WEIGHT LOSS COFFEE IS NOW BEINGwww.tipstalent.org SERVED!
Filled with healthy blend of MCT Oil & Ramon Seeds
Featured on the Dr. Oz Show
- Ideal for Home, Businesses, or Special Events - Convenient Single Brew Cup Sizes or 12 oz. bag - $$$ Low Cost – High Health & Weight Loss Benefits TO MAKE A RUSH ORDER DELIVERY, CALL
877-550-3637
20 June 5 - June 11, 2014
There used to be a time when Rufus McDowney couldn’t have cared less about school. If he wasn’t skipping classes every chance he got, the troubled teenager had fun hanging out with the wrong crowd and getting into all kinds of trouble. “After my mother died, it was a real struggle for me, especially with my school attendance,” said Rufus, 18. “Then I had some other family and personal issues that I was dealing with. It was a lot, a whole lot that was going on,” he recalled. “I relocated to Maryland to live with some family members, and was arrested again and ended up in a group home.” Meanwhile, Rufus entered Washington Metropolitan High School in Northwest as a 9th-grader. But before he left – later transferring to Ballou Senior High School in Southeast – he landed a feature role in a film about his daily routine at Washington Metropolitan. The film titled, “180 Days Inside an American High School,” ended up winning a Peabody Award – the most prestigious in the category of electronic media. “The [documentary] chronicles a year in the life of students at Washington Metropolitan High School, and Rufus was one of five that we followed during filming,” said Jacquie Jones, director of the four-hour series that initially aired in March 2013 on PBS. “We were [at the school] every day during the 2011-12 school year, and at the time Rufus – who was in the 10th-grade – had just lost his mother,” Jones said. “He’d also had several [run-ins] with the juvenile justice system.” However, as the film progressed, Rufus, began to turn his life around. “I was thinking about where my life was headed and where I wanted to be in about 10 years,” he said. “Once I made up my mind to get it right, it really wasn’t a hard decision for me. I took notice of the potential I had and the influences around me.” Rufus, who is set to graduate on Saturday, June 14 during commencement exercises on the The Washington Informer
Rufus McDowney recently accepted the Peabody Award for the TV series, “180 Days: A Year inside an American High School,” on behalf of its producer Lesley Norman, co-director Garland McLaurin and director Jacquie Jones. /Photo courtesy of The Peabody Awards
campus of Howard University, said that at first he felt uncomfortable having the cameras follow him every day. “But after a while, I got used to it, and then it was as if the cameras weren’t even there,” said Rufus. He said that by the time he arrived at Ballou, he’d not only changed his ways, but when he turned 18 several months ago, he decided to live alone as an independent student. “It’s a lot of responsibility but I’ve been balancing three jobs most of the year to pay for rent, food and clothing,” said Rufus. “I’ve done it all while maintaining a 3.0 grade point average,” he said, adding that in the fall, he plans to attend the University of the District of Columbia to major in criminal justice. Jones said that due to Rufus’ rebellious behavior at the beginning of the filming, the film’s crew wondered if he’d finish high school. “It just happened that when we found out about winning the Peabody Award, the next day Rufus called us to invite us
to his graduation, and we were thrilled,” said Jones. “That’s when we had the idea for him to accept the award [on May 19 during ceremonies in New York City] on our behalf.” Ballou counselor, Kira Rowe, said Rufus has been an inspiration to his peers. “I saw the documentary prior to Rufus enrolling at Ballou, but it took me a while to realize he was the Rufus who’s in the film,” she said. “He’s extremely mature and has made the honor roll every quarter since he’s been at Ballou. He’s been an inspiration to the students at Ballou. Everyone’s rooting for him,” Rowe said. However, no one can be more proud than his father, Eric Lee, who said his son’s record of achievement speaks for itself. “I don’t like to look back in time and revisit Rufus’ negative past. I’m looking forward,” said Lee, 52. “I know my son, so I was well aware of his potential – and he’s done exceptionally well for himself.” WI
www.washingtoninformer.com