Kathryn Edin, a sociologist who interviewed hundreds of welfare mothers for her new book, will discuss the impact of welfare reform on nonprofit organizations in the DePaul University Public Services Graduate Program's fourth annual lecture on Oct. 28.

Edin's book, "Making Ends Meet: How Single Mothers Survive Welfare and Low Wage Work," has been praised for its door-to-door research approach which reveals the real story of how women house and feed their families on incomes that don't cover the bills.

"Edin's research addresses issues that DePaul believes are vital," said the Rev. J. Patrick Murphy, C.M., director of the public services program. "It matches up well to our urban mission of public service and our Vincentian mission of service to the poor."

Edin's lecture will begin at 6 p.m. at the University Club of Chicago, 76 E. Monroe St. It is free and open to the public.

Edin, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, will spend a week at DePaul visiting classes and meeting with faculty to discuss welfare and related issues.

For her book, Edin investigated the incomes of welfare mothers and found that 213 of the 214 women she interviewed supplemented their budgets with unreported money from friends, families or jobs. They told Edin they felt they had to cheat the system just to survive.

Edin also researched low-income working mothers who, despite higher incomes, fared worse than welfare recipients because expenses for child care, transportation, clothing and medical bills consumed the added income.

A Minnesota native, Edin earned a bachelor's in sociology at North Park College, and a master's and doctorate in sociology at Northwestern University.

DePaul's Public Services Graduate Program offers a master of science degree for professionals in nonprofit organizations, associations and all levels of government. For more than 25 years, the program has educated managers, administrators, policy analysts, health care providers, association executives, social service workers, funders, fund raisers and law enforcement professionals through a variety of programs.

For more information or to RSVP, call 312/362-5565.