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Volunteer Opportunities

Get Involved with Our Grantees

Help Us Help Our Grantees Serve Our Community Better

Our volunteer activities expand the impact of our grants. We offer community service to all of our non-profit grant recipients. In this way, we stay connected to these groups and the community. Volunteer activities are open to members and non-members alike. If you would like to become involved in the work we are doing, here are some options:

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  • Volunteer monthly

Every month, Giving Together members and volunteers work together at grantee sites. See the Volunteer Activities Calendar for details.

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  • Volunteer for special service projects

Throughout the year there are opportunities for members and volunteers to come together to work on special activities at grantee sites.

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  • Volunteer to serve as a liaison with one of our grantees

The role of a liaison is to maintain an ongoing connection with a grantee to support the work they are doing in the community. To learn more, click here.

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  • Meet grantees' ongoing needs

All of our grantees collect and distribute a variety of things like gift cards, cleaning supplies, nonperishable food, computers and more. Many of them also need online help with job searches, computer classes, etc. You can read more about this on our grantees’ websites, available below. 

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If you’d like to buy or collect something for one of the programs but aren’t able to do the drop off, please let us know and we’ll help with the logistics. 

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If you would like to volunteer with Giving Together grantees, please contact our Community Service co-chairs, Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com) 301-332-7859 or Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com) 301-229-4088. 

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A Wider Circle

awidercircle.org

 

The mission of A Wider Circle is simple: to help one individual and one family after another rise out of poverty. A Wider Circle works in partnership with those they serve and with those seeking to help to ensure that every child and adult has the chance to succeed and the opportunity to live well. A Wider Circle is based in Silver Spring and serves the entire DC Area.  â€‹

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  • Donate Items - professional clothing, kitchen supplies, linen, furniture.

  • Donate $25 grocery gift cards - Giant or Safeway

  • Create Care Packages - oral care kits and essential household items.

  • Deliver supplies to families in southeast Washington DC

  • Pick up Donations to Sort Remotely 

  • Volunteer in Person to Sort Donated Items -  at the Silver Spring Center

  • Mentoring or Coaching - via Zoom

  • Host a Drive for:

    • Non-perishable Food

    • Coats and Winter Accessories - gently used, all sizes and ages.

    • Essential Items - laundry detergent, dish soap, toilet paper, and more.

  • Holidays:

    • For Thanksgiving: donate food supplies - Thanksgiving wishlist or deliver food bags 

    • December holiday - drop off new, unwrapped toys or other gifts, or check out AWC’s Amazon wish-list to ship directly to AWC. Or get matched with a family and provide their wishlist.

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General questions about volunteering: please email volunteer@awidercircle.org.   

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GT Co-Liaisons:

Kim Schifrin (kdschifrin@gmail.com) or (301)520-6228

Wendy Yaross (wyaross@gmail.com) or (301)351-2613

[updated 11/12/21] 

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Access Youth’s mission is to empower vulnerable youth with the tools they need to stay in school, graduate on time and avoid the justice system, through mediation and restorative justice. For the last thirteen years, our overarching goal has been to ensure that DCPS students in under-served communities are empowered to graduate prepared for success in life.

Access Youth aims to reduce the rate of juvenile detention originating in school misbehaviors, which typically leads even very young teens into recidivism and a life of crime.  AY is located in 4 high schools and now 2 middle schools with full time staff who become grounded in the school community and work consistently (over 4-5 years, as often needed) with students referred to them for behaviors such as truancy, fighting, bullying or threats. GT's 2-year funding is general operating support for AY work with students grades 6-12 in 4 partner high schools and 2 middle-schools in wards 6,7 and 8, in three main programs:  Truancy Prevention, Restorative Justice in Schools, and MADE for girls (My Attitude Determines Everything).  The last works with girl cohorts on social-emotional and leadership development, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and community-building

 

Interested in helping out? Contact GT Liaison Christine Kessides (ckessides@gmail.com)

[Updated 6/21/23]

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Aspire Counseling

www.we-aspire.org

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Aspire Counseling is a mental health nonprofit based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, providing mental health and wellness services to Montgomery County's diverse residents. Giving Together funded Aspire's Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Program, which provides in-home therapy to low-income, uninsured and underinsured pregnant women and new mothers.

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They are most in need of the following items:

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  •  General hygiene items.  COVID "survival kit" including:

    • Baby wipes

    • Lotion

    • Body wash or shower scrub

    • Travel size q-tips 

    • Chapstick 

    • Women's socks 

    • Nail files

    • Menstrual pads (no tampons) 

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  • Clothing for infants, toddlers, early childhood

  • Christmas/holiday gifts

  • Gift cards for grocery stores (Giant, Safeway, etc.)

  • Gift cards for Target, Walmart, CVS, will be greatly appreciated

 

Volunteer opportunities include helping with annual springtime projects such as a Mother's Day Spa for their "Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies" clients, and their Market for Moms.

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Interested in helping out? Contact GT Liaison Nancy Ebb (ebbford@verizon.net) 301-538-1624 

[updated 1/10/22]

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Career Catchers

www.careercatchers.org

 

CareerCatchers, based in Montgomery County (offices in Silver Spring and Rockville), works to promote career stability and self-sufficiency for every client through individualized counseling, training, and support.  Since 2007, CareerCatchers has provided one-on-one sustained guidance for some 3,500+ low-income and otherwise disadvantaged local residents.  Services are provided through the efforts of staff, board of directors, volunteers, and partners. 

 

Career Catchers is looking for volunteers for the following:

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  • Volunteer basic tutoring one-on-one.

    • A bilingual Spanish – English speaker to assist the client with ESL

    • GED Math & English Exam

    • Writing Skills

    • Qualifications: Volunteers will use the zoom or other meeting platforms. Sessions are held remotely. Volunteers are required to meet twice a week. The time spent tutoring is based on the client’s needs.
      College Biology

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  • Specialty Exams tutoring one-on-one:

    • TEAS (Math, Science, Reading, English Language)

    • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam

    • RN- NCLEX EXAM

    • Qualification: One-on-One training to assist aspiring nurses to prepare for the TEAS (Test Essential Academic Skills) test. R.N or Nursing degree. Teaching experience would be a plus. The volunteer will meet clients via zoom or other meeting platforms. The duration of time tutoring is between 4 to 5 months, as the client needs. Tutoring and prep time 3 to 5 hours a week.

 

  • Teaching Computer Training Classes 

    • QuickBooks - basics

    • Bookkeeping - basics

    • MS Word, Excel, Outlook—basic and intermediate

    • Google Docs Suite: Docs, Sheets

    • Other work related topics to help gain introductory skills

    • Qualification: Strong computer skills. Volunteers can use our teaching material or welcome to provide their own material as well as handouts to the attendees. Comfortable with zoom. Training classes are held once a week, an hour per session, a total duration of four or five weeks. Attendees in the class range between 5 to 15 attendees.

 

CareerCatchers holds Empowerment Club on Tuesdays from 3 pm to 4 pm and Job Club on Wednesdays from 11 am to 1 pm. Volunteers co-facilitate with the CareerCatchers staff. Volunteer will work one-on-one with Staff to create material for the workshops. These are some topics that have been covered in the past. Volunteers are welcome to suggest the topics for future workshops.

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  • Empowerment Hour Workshop. Some examples of topics include (please feel free to suggest others):

    • Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

    • Goal setting

    • Setting and Maintaining Boundaries

    • Other topics assisting Empowerment

 

  •  Job Club. Some Examples of topics include (please feel free to suggest others):

    • The Emotional Rollercoaster of the Job Search

    • Emotional Intelligence

    • Job Search Strategies

 

Volunteer requirements: basic Web understanding, good communications skills, a mountain of patience, and a willingness to help.

If you are interested in helping from a distance, please contact Emma@careercatchers.org

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If you'd like to receive Career Catchers Email Blast/Newsletter please send an email to reply@careercatchers.org to request to be added to their list.  

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Interested in helping out? Contact GT Liaison Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com)

[updated 4/28/23] 

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CASA

wearecasa.org

 

Casa works to create a just society by building power and improving the quality of life in working class and immigrant communities. They work to organize, advocate for, and expand opportunities for Latino and the immigrant population in the state of Maryland.

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CASA is launching a contact-less food distribution program out of CASA’s Silver Spring Center so that they can provide groceries for people in need in both Montgomery County and Prince Georges County.  They need support.  
 

To help click on the highlighted link -

 

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Many of the people you will be helping are immigrant families facing extreme hardships.    

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Volunteer opportunities include helping in the ESOL Department with administrative tasks in the office and reminder phone calls to potential students. Volunteers for the reminder phone calls need to be bilingual.  Casa also needs one or two volunteers in their legal department helping with administrative tasks. Casa also seeks potential volunteers for tutoring high school students after school at 3:00 p.m.

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Citizenship Clinics: Casa's team of 13 AmeriCorps members, together with dozens of community volunteers helps more than 1,000 people on the path to U.S. citizenship every year through this program. In addition to regular business hours, Casa provides weekend services at our monthly Citizenship Clinics. Casa counts on volunteers like us to help manage the flow of 40-60 applicants or more. They have offices in Hyattsville, Rockville and Baltimore that host events routinely.  Other clinics are held occasionally in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland. Their clinics are generally held on Saturdays, beginning at 9:30 a.m., with a mandatory 8:30 a.m. training session for new volunteers.  Please expect to be at the clinic until about 3:00 p.m.

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Interested in volunteering? Please refer to CASA's website or contact GT Liaison Leah Steinberg (leahgsteinberg@gmail.com).

[updated 9/20/21] 

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Computer C.O.R.E.

computercore.org

 

Computer C.O.R.E.  is a 501 c(3) nonprofit, community-based organization located in northern Virginia whose mission is to help low-income adults acquire the technological and life skills they need to pursue their career aspirations.  CORE is about jobs and self-sufficiency for their clients and their families.  Six-month workforce development training programs at six sites are offered throughout northern Virginia:  Alexandria, Falls Church, western Fairfax, Herndon, Reston and down the Route 1 corridor in Fairfax County. 


Computer C.O.R.E. also offers on-site shorter six-week training programs to clients at Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, Volunteers of America Chesapeake RTC (transitional shelter), Together We Bake (serving female ex-offenders), and Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque (serving women).

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Computer CORE is recruiting virtual volunteers to teach online classes in Google G-Suite, Office 365, Word and Excel, Virtual Interviewing, Career Development and other subjects.  Please indicate your interest here and they will get back to you to discuss your interest and our openings.

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Want to help? They have a particular need for:

  • Gently used laptops, including Chromebooks - this is their greatest need. (They will refurbish and wipe clean. If you know any businesses that are replacing old units, kindly reach out.) 

  • On-line/Distance Learning Instructors (i.e. teaching a Zoom class on MS Word or Excel)

  • Lead Computer Instructors (Microsoft Office)

  • Teaching Assistants

  • Career Coaches

  • On-line Tutors via ZOOM: Help clients learn various computer and office skills

 

1) Reach out to any business you know that can donate computers in quantity. Computer CORE is a qualified refurbisher of donated computers. They will ensure donated machines are wiped clean and are loaded with Windows 10 and Microsoft Office Suite. They are seeking laptops in good working order with 8GB hard drives or better, power cords, and which can run Windows 10.
 
2) Donate Chromebooks or other web-only devices - they have curriculum for cloud-based solutions. 

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They also have an ongoing need for used computers (desktops or laptops, which they refurbish and give to their students to keep), binders, and flash drives. They welcome help with organizing computer equipment.

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Questions? Check out the Volunteer Opportunities page, or contact GT Liaison Lynn O'Connell (lynnoconnell.va@gmail.com).

[updated 4/28/23] 

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Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria
https://ccnalexandria.org/

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Volunteer opportunities TBD. If interested, contact Jim Paige, Executive Director, at jkpaige1911@gmail.com.

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  • CCNA’s flagship program, Reach and Rise for Excellence (RARE), is a mentoring and professional development program serving 6th – 8th-grade students at two Alexandria middle schools.  RARE focuses on academic achievement, mentoring, leadership development, cultural education, and parent involvement. The program is provided at no cost to families and includes academic support such as help with homework,  diagnostic tools in tutoring, and online programs to support classroom instruction. Academic supports are supplemented by cultural enrichment activities, team-building,

  • and leadership activities, and general life skills educational activities.  

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  • Parent Engagement Workshops empower parents to advocate to teachers and school officials on behalf of their children.  This unique program prepares Parent Outreach Workers to be responsible for and successful at building relationships with parents, identifying their needs and ensuring that they attend the program workshops.  

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  • CCNA Community Forums brings together stakeholders to enhance partnerships within the community. These forms seek to education, empower and inspire underserved community members. Topics include health, economic well-being, safety, and housing and transportation issues.

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Questions? Contact GT Liaison Lynn O'Connell (lynnoconnell.va@gmail.com).

[updated 5/26/23]

Crossroads Community Food Network

crossroadscommunityfoodnetwork.org

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CCFN is dedicated to promoting food access, food entrepreneurship, and healthy food choices in Maryland’s Takoma/Langley Crossroads, a vibrant immigrant community with disproportionate rates of poverty and food insecurity.

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Key programs are:

  • Fresh Checks nutrition incentive program, which matches SNAP benefits dollar for dollar

  • Healthy Eating Program, which lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating for students and families

  • Microenterprise training for Low-income food entrepreneurs who are shifting focus and resources to stay in business

  • Takoma Park-Silver Spring Community Kitchen, which GT helped furnish.

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  • Too many neighbors are struggling to put food on the table because of the pandemic. SNAP usage at Crossroads Farmers Market increased 154% this season. We can help by supporting their Fresh Checks nutrition incentive program, which matches SNAP dollar-for-dollar so people can buy twice as much fresh fruits and vegetables at Crossroads Farmers Market:

--$40 provides 2 families with a week's worth of Fresh Checks
--$80 provides 1 family with a month's worth of Fresh Checks

 

  • Please support low-income food entrepreneurs who are shifting focus and resources to stay in business during the pandemic. It’s a time of profound uncertainty, but also opportunity. Food businesses that can successfully adapt can also thrive:

--$75 supports 15 hours of community kitchen use for a food entrepreneur
--$120 supports 1:1 technical assistance (e.g., developing new products or online ordering systems) to help a food business pivot

 

  • Or support their Healthy Eating Program, which lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating for students and families:

--$150 covers the cost of supplies for 3 socially distanced workdays for families at school and community gardens
--$225 covers the cost of plants, seedlings, and seed kits for windowsill gardens distributed to families at Crossroads Farmers Market

 

They have implemented a new fresh produce delivery program to get healthy food to senior shoppers who are staying away from the market due to COVID-19. Each week, they deliver to two low-income senior apartment buildings. 85 people receive weekly deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

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ONSITE OUTDOOR OPPORTUNITIES

- April through November in Takoma Park: Box up food that others will deliver to Senior Facilities on Wed Mornings 9:30-10:30 am - outdoors in tents

- Wednesdays through November 24, varying hours: In-person, outdoor help with tasks including Fresh Checks distribution, setting up and taking down signs and tables, etc.

 

More ways to support CCFN:

  • Patronize the Farmers Market in Takoma Park on Wednesdays between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm through November 24 (Anne Street between University Blvd. & Hammond Avenue).

  • Help community kitchen applicants with obtaining food management licenses, making business plans, or otherwise mentoring their start-up food businesses.

 

For more information, go to their website for quarterly updates

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To Share, Volunteer or Donate, click HERE

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For more information, contact Liaison GT Liaison (temporary) Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com).

[updated 2/21/22] 

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DC Volunteer Lawyers Project

www.dcvlp.org

 

DC Volunteer Lawyers Project was founded in 2008 to create a network of volunteer lawyers that provide high-quality, pro bono legal services to survivors of domestic violence, immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, and vulnerable children in high-conflict custody cases. 


DCVLP helps over 2,000 low-income DC and MD residents annually by representing clients in civil protection order, custody, divorce, and immigration matters as well as representing child clients as court-appointed Guardians ad litem. DCVLP also operates several community-based and remote legal clinics where clients receive free legal advice on matters relating to domestic violence, family law, and immigration. 


Through DCVLP’s unique model of pairing volunteers with a staff Supervising Attorney, pro bono lawyers have access to all the resources they need to successfully represent clients, including comprehensive training, guidance, and mentorship. Additionally, DCVLP assigns a Client Advocate to each case who assists survivors with their non-legal needs, including crisis intervention, safety planning, and access to comprehensive social services. 


Want to support DCVLP? 


To make a tax-deductible gift to DCVLP, visit www.dcvlp.org/donate. For ways to give, visit https://dcvlp.org/support. Every $1 donated to DCVLP becomes $6 in free legal services! 


Interested in volunteering as a pro bono attorney? 

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  1. www.dcvlp.org/register. Register as a new volunteer at www.dcvlp.org/register

  2. Complete a brief 20-minute intake call with DCVLP’s Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator. This call is to ensure you are matched with a volunteer opportunity that best aligns with your interests and availability. The link to schedule your intake will be emailed upon registration as a new volunteer. 

  3. Complete your training at an upcoming in-person session or through DCVLP’s On Demand Training Hub. To view and register for an upcoming training, visit https://dcvlp.org/volunteer/calendar/. A link to access DCVLP’s On-Demand Training Hub is provided upon registration as a new volunteer. 

 

DC Bar membership is not a requirement to volunteer with DCVLP. Please don’t hesitate to contact volunteer@dcvlp.org with questions. 


Thank you for supporting domestic violence survivors, at-risk children, and immigrants in DC and MD!

Interested in helping out? Fill out their volunteer registration form, or contact GT Liaison Christine Kessides (ckessides@gmail.com)

[updated 5/24/23] 

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Food for Others

foodforothers.org

 

The mission of Food for Others is to distribute free food to our neighbors in need, in partnership with their Northern Virginia community, and to provide opportunities for people to volunteer their resources. Food for Others is the largest provider of free groceries directly to people in need in our area, operating as a safety net for those needing food in an emergency, and for the growing number of working poor struggling to make ends meet.

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Food for Others remains committed to serving our neighbors in need. In one week recently, they served 811 households at the warehouse and Annandale pop-up site, distributing over 51,000 lbs of food. (For comparison, before the pandemic, in one week they served 282 families at the warehouse.) Power Pack volunteers have been delivering packs to eight partner schools where children are able to receive meals from Fairfax County Public Schools.
 

Their biggest needs are:
 

  • Contribute to their Stuff the Bus campaign to collect food for their numerous programs. 

  • Help organize snack packs for students and/or deliver to distribution sites - must wear masks and maintain social distancing

  • Canned meats (particularly chicken), canned chili, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruit, produce

  • Medium sized boxes (banker sized, printer paper sized)

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If you’re a Fairfax County resident, write/email/phone your Supervisor and Jeff McKay to advocate for the increased funding for Human Services to remain in next year’s budget.
 

Financial support is also always appreciated.

 

The food insecurity rate in Fairfax County is 5.3% with nearly 60,000 people facing uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life. Nationally, 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger while 376,000 live in poverty in Northern Virginia. 1 in 17 Fairfax County residents live in poverty, including 1 in 14 children. Lacking an adequate income, families are often forced to choose between spending money for food, or on other basic needs such as housing, utilities, health care, and transportation. Food for Others is dedicated to fighting hunger and food insecurity in our community through four key program areas:

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  • Emergency Food operations at their warehouse provide 3-5 days’ worth of non-perishables as well as milk, eggs and other fresh food to individuals and families referred to Food for Others by Fairfax County CSP and various social service providers.

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  • Clients who qualify based on income eligibility may also receive monthly food supplements via the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Neighborhood Site distributions provide food to individuals and families via volunteers who pick up food at their warehouse and deliver groceries to low-income neighborhoods. This occurs every evening, Monday through Friday, serving 17 sites in Fairfax County.

 

  • The Community Partners program provides bulk food items to 14 community partners on a regular basis. This includes faith-based organizations, homeless shelters and other groups serving at-risk residents facing food insecurity in Northern Virginia.

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  • The Power Pack Program (P3) provides weekend backpack food to Fairfax County public elementary school students identified by school social workers and teachers as in need of supplemental food. Food for Others received the 2017 FCPS Community Partner of the Year Award in recognition of this effort. www.foodforothers.org/p3/

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They welcome help with conducting a food drive, assembling power packs, helping in the warehouse stocking shelves, bagging food for distribution, etc.

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Interested in volunteering? Visit their website, Facebook, or Twitter pages, or contact GT Liaison Lynn O'Connell (lynnoconnell.va@gmail.com) for more details. 

[updated 9/20/21] 

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Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education (FAME) 

www.famemusic.org

 

FAME provides music education and educational support to middle and high school students in the Greater Washington Region. Offerings include the FAME Jazz Band Program, Summer Music Program and the Music is Central Program which provides support to school music departments throughout the school year.  

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Volunteer Opportunities:

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  • Reviewing newsletter content

  • Developing PSAs

  • Providing input for annual event content.  

  • Sharing FAME board member recruitment effort in August

  • Attending events including the opening of our new satellite facility at Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington near National Harbor

  • If members have areas of expertise that they could share during a workshop (1-2 hours) that would be good too, ie, Stock market basics, public speaking, finances, etc.

 

Contact info:

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FAMEmusic.org

P.O. Box 2228

Bowie, MD 20718-2228

301-805-5358

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If interested in more information or volunteering, contact GT Liaison Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com)

[Updated 7/3/23]

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George B. Thomas Saturday School

www.saturdayschool.org

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Saturday School provides affordable academic support and tutoring for students Grades K-12 in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Extra help is offered to help children stay on track with their schoolwork. Specialized programs and SAT/ACT preparation are also available to help accelerate and encourage learning for all students.

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Most needed are:

  • Grocery gift cards in any amount - trying to give families $50-100.

  • Chrome books (gently used) for students. At least one is needed at each of five schools they serve. Raising funds to purchase new Chrome Books, and/or used Chromebooks in good working condition. 

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Volunteers are needed to help support staff and teachers in a variety of tasks or in mentoring students in specific subjects.

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To Volunteer: Check out their Volunteer Opportunities page or contact GT Liaison Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com). 

[updated 2/10/22] 

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Healthy Babies Project

healthybabiesproject.org

 

Healthy Babies Project, Inc. (HBP), a 2017 Giving Together Grant recipient, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and connects the poorest, pregnant D.C. teenagers to health care, social services, and educational opportunities. More than half the young mothers and babies served by HBP are homeless or transient. HBP operates two transitional homes to ensure these young people have a safe, clean place to work towards economic independence and stability, often up to five years, so they can break out of generational poverty.  You can help!

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Items welcomed at HBP’s two transitional homes:

  • Cleaning supplies, paper goods, antiseptic wipes and sprays

  • Twin sheets and comforters for twin beds and cribs; towels, wash cloths

  • Non-perishable food items 

  • Fresh packages of underwear, nightclothes, mittens, gloves (all sizes)

  • Winter clothing for infants, toddlers, and young children

  • Basic baby care items

  • Board books (English and/or Spanish) and toys for young children

  • Grocery gift cards for emergency food and medicine supplies 

  • Metro cards

  • Financial support

 
Volunteer opportunities at HBP 

  • Facilitate a group workshop for youth in your area of expertise, such as emotional self-regulation, personal finance, relaxation, networking, professional appearance 

  • Sponsor a dinner for HBP’s weekly teen parenting workshops

  • Provide Thanksgiving baskets for HBP families

  • Sponsor an HBP family with gifts during the holiday season

  • Fill welcome baskets for new residents with soap, lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other personal items

  • Provide tutoring in any subject

 

Learn more about HBP in this Washington Post article (published 1/1/2019) and when you visit www.healthybabiesproject.org.

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Want to get involved? Email Jazmine Brazier at jbrazier@healthybabiesproject.org for specific opportunities, or contact GT Liaison Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com).

[updated 3/9/22] 

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Identity creates opportunities for Latino and other historically underserved youth to realize their highest potential and work towards a successful transition into adulthood. Each year, they assist more than 3,000 in-school and out-of-school youth and their families who live in high-poverty areas of Montgomery County and who are most at-risk for poor academic and economic life outcomes.

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Identity is currently building long-term capacity as a trauma-informed organization, both for its own services and by advising other nonprofits, to address trauma-related needs among immigrants and refugee women and girls.

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Items needed:

Snack bars
Journals 
Arts and crafts supplies
Backpacks and school supplies - For information on Identity's drive look here: https://www.domore24.org/IDENTITY 

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Want to get involved? Contact GT Liaison Christine Kessides (kessides@gmail.com) 

[updated 6/21/23] 

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Interfaith Works

iworksmc.org

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Interfaith Works’ Mission is to join forces with the communities of Montgomery County to serve our neighbors in need and advocate for an end to poverty. Their programs provide services to help neighbors lift themselves out of poverty. They provided assistance to Montgomery County families who lived in the apartment complex that was flooded during summer 2021 storms. 

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DONATE: Clothes, personal care and small household items;

PROVIDE: Bagged lunches,  meals or snacks for the women's center or older women residences. (approx 8-10 residents)

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These are the items they need urgently to ensure the staff and those in their care remain safe and healthy:

 

  • Women's underwear

  • Face masks

  • Hand sanitizer, soap

  • Disinfectant spray, wipes, surface cleaners with bleach

  • Bath tissue, paper towels

  • Snack bars and water bottles

  • Interfaith Works is collecting $25 gift cards for their clients. They prefer cards from Target, Kohl's, Giant or Safeway. The idea is to afford dignity and normalcy to their clients by letting them choose the food or gift items they prefer for the holiday season.  

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Interfaith Works runs several programs:

  • Women's Center (Rockville) - provides emergency shelter, meals, vocational services and case management to more than 250 women annually.

  • Interfaith Homes - houses 31 chronically homeless, disabled men and women annually in permanent supportive housing in several locations in Montgomery County.

  • Housing Initiative Program  - provides service coordination services to 66 formerly homeless individuals, including 30 families, who are now in permanent housing. 

  • Becky’s House (Rockville) and Priscilla's House (Gaithersburg) - provide permanent supportive housing in eight-bed homes for older women who previously have experienced homelessness. 

  • Interfaith Works Residences (Silver Spring) - provides individual residential units to 21 men and women who have experienced homelessness, and services to support their successful transition to housing. 

  • Interfaith Works Overflow - provides shelter for clients during extreme cold and hot weather.  

  • Interfaith Works Empowerment Center (Silver Spring) - runs a day program that engages over 800 individuals experiencing homelessness annually with services, meals and shelter, including shelter in weather extremes. 

 

There are numerous ways to volunteer, including by sorting and organizing donated clothes at the clothing center, hosting a drive for travel-size toiletries, providing bagged lunches, and donating items on their wish list.

 

Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve food to groups of 8-35 at their facilities; organize and lead activities with guests, such as bingo, board games, arts & crafts, knitting, afternoon tea, a "spa day." They also welcome help sorting and organizing donated clothes and household goods.

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Update as of Nov 2021:

Interfaith Works is always looking for volunteers to help sort clothing and linens for their Clothing Center as well as volunteers to help distribute food at their Food Hub.  

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Volunteer shifts have been added to the sign-up roster for the winter holiday season.  And now they have shorter -- 2 hour -- shifts so you can more easily fit some volunteer time in your schedule. 

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The sign-up link can be found here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040f4faaa923a64-interfaith3  

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Any questions? Contact GT Liaisons Gail Dratch (gaildratch@gmail.com) or Anita Lampel (anitamishook46@gmail.com)

[updated 11/17/21]

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John H. Bayne

PG County Elementary School

 

John H. Bayne is a public school in Capitol Heights, Maryland serving approximately 500 students in grades Pre-K through Fifth Grade. Its mission is to provide a quality education to its students through a well-organized and structured academic program, with full participation and collaboration between the school, community, parents, teachers, students and administrators.


As a special 10th-anniversary project in 2019, Giving Together partnered with the John H. Bayne community and KaBOOM! to build a state-of-the-art multi-sport play space for students that includes basketball hoops, nets for volleyball and futsal, four square, hopscotch, large scale maps of the US and the world, and an outdoor musical instrument center.

 

They are requesting help with: 

  • Grocery Gift Cards

  • School Supplies

  • Enrichment opportunities for students, including mentors, chess clubs, opportunities for exposure to cultural and other resources

  • Parent university, to help instruct parents and caregivers on how to use school-related technology and to provide emotional/social support

​​

Want to volunteer? Please contact GT Liaison Renee Licht (renee.licht@gmail.com)​

[updated 9/20/21] 

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LEEP to College Foundation

www.leeptocollegefoundation.org

 

L.E.E.P to College Foundation is shaping today's youth to become right now leaders! Their team creates and supports programs that directly achieve positive outcomes for underrepresented students.  Their programs focus on improving high school graduation rate and college acceptance through educational enrichment activities, internships, community engagement, leadership development and parental involvement.  

 

Just a few things that LEEP is working on now - 

LEEP just started a pilot program with Capitol Heights Elementary School in Prince George’s County.
Twenty fifth grade students  students were selected to participate in six sessions on social-
emotional development and skills. The students will be followed until high school graduation to determine

if the sessions have a positive impact on their academic and personal lives. The program was designed by Lisa’s daughter. Demonstrating the efficacy of the intervention will help with future planning and with funding.


10 Minutes for MEE webinar format informative and motivational programs - the first and fourth Saturdays of each month through Oct.  Sessions can be viewed live or accessed on the LEEP website / click HERE

College tours to Ohio State, Penn State, University of Maryland and other campuses this summer.  Twenty students will participate for no cost due to our funding and the funding of others.

Ways for members to help include  - 
Someone to help with press releases.
Tutoring reading and math in person with Kindergarten through second graders at the LEEP offices ( Largo, MD) 

on Saturdays for one hour from late July through the start of school (four sessions total). The format will be
provided by LEEP. Tutoring will be one or two children in a group.

Please contact Lisa Rowe lrowe@leeptocollegefoundation.org and cc GT liaison Anita Lampel
anitamishook46@gmail.com if you are interested in any of these. 

[Updated 6/21/23]

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Mercy Health Clinic, an organization of largely volunteer doctors and nurses, that provides free health care to needy adults in Montgomery County. Our funding will enable Mercy to permanently expand their medical and counseling services to  adolescents age 13-17 from low income and immigrant households and add more specialized services for clients age 18-22, vulnerable groups that currently lack access to most health care systems in the County.

 

The Clinic, with more than 150 dedicated volunteers, is committed to continually seek ways to improve and expand the quality primary medical care, educational support and pharmaceuticals it provides free of charge to people who might otherwise not receive health care.

​

Currently in need of the following:

  •  

    Medical professionals willing to donate time: Including Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Registerd Nurses, Medical Assistants and Pharmacists.

    Volunteers with administrative skills including those bi-lingual in English and Spanish ​

  • Anti-pyretics, such as Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen - bottles of any size

  • Over the counter creams, such as 1% Hydrocortisone or Clotrimazole​

​

Want to get involved? Please contact GT Liaison Marea Hatziolos (marea.hatziolos@gmail.com)​

[updated 6/21/23] 

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My Sister's Place

https://mysistersplacedc.org

 

My Sister’s Place, in Washington, DC, serves families fleeing domestic violence by providing emergency shelter, transitional-to-permanent housing, and a wide range of supportive services. 

​

Volunteers are needed to: 

  • Read to, provide homework help or play with children

  • Assist staff moving clients into housing

  • Help with annual event drives

​

If you are interested in volunteering, please check their website or click www.mysistersplacedc.org/volunteer. For more information, contact GT Liaisons Susan Alberts (susanalberts@gmail.com) or Joan Levy (joanglevy@gmail.com). 

[updated August 2023]

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Nourish Now

nourishnow.org

​

NOURISH NOW is a nonprofit food bank specializing in food recovery and providing donations from grocers, caterers, restaurants, bakeries, and other food donors for the benefit of children, families, and the elderly, as well as shelters, food pantries, and other organizations working to end hunger.  Donations are collected throughout Montgomery County, MD and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and distributed directly to individuals, families and partner organizations. 


CURRENT NEEDS:

​

  • VOLUNTEER for onsite food sorting (Rockville): help sort and organize groceries. Donations are distributed to more than 19,000 individuals/month from 8 distribution sites. An organized effort by Giving Together volunteers takes place on the third Monday of each month, 1-3pm.

​

  • SUPPORT the Student Nutrition Access (SNACK) program by hosting a snack drive, donating gift cards or making monetary donations. Through this program Nourish Now supplies healthy snacks to at-risk students in 11 schools.

​

Location: 397 E. Gude Drive, Rockville 20850 

Tel. 301-330-0222

 

Want to help out? Visit Nourish Now's website, or contact GT Liaison Susan Alberts (susanalberts@gmail.com)

[updated 5/24/23] 

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The Safe Sisters Circle

safesisterscircle.org

 

The Safe Sisters Circle provides free, culturally specific, and trauma-informed services to Black women survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault who live in DC's Wards 7 and 8.  TSSC lawyers provide direct representation of survivors in Civil Protection Order hearings and family law cases such as custody, divorce, and child support.  It was the need for Black women in circumstances of domestic violence and/or sexual assault to have attorneys who have shared lived experience, that looked like them, and with whom they could have a deep trusting relationship that led Alana Brown to create The Safe Sisters Circle in 2018; she became its first paid staff member in 2020. TSSC received a Giving Together Accelerator Grant in 2021.  Since receiving the GT grant, TSSC has grown considerably having six full time attorneys on staff.  Having secured funding to establish mental health services programs to clients, Brown is actively recruiting a Mental Health Program Manager who will then hire counselors and therapists. 

​

How you can help:

Any GT member with a professional network in mental health, please consider spreading the word about this position https://safesisterscircle.org/mental-health-program-manager-opening/ 

​

For ways to get involved, contact GT Liaison Amy Peck Abraham (amypeckabraham@att.net)

[updated 4/17/23]  

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Sasha Bruce

sashabruce.org

 

Sasha Bruce is on a mission to end youth homelessness! They provide safe homes, life skills, workforce development, and prevention services to more than 10,000 young people and their families each year.

​

Sasha Bruce’s emergency housing programs and drop-in centers have remained open throughout the pandemic, providing survival services and housing with supportive services for homeless youth. The pandemic continues to disproportionally impact our city’s most vulnerable residents, and we need your support. 

​

Here is how you can help:

​

  • Help a young person move into their first home
    We constantly need supplies for our housing programs as young people arrive with little or nothing. Visit our Amazon Wish List for the most up-to-date needs. 

​

  • Sponsor a Birthday (Project Joy) or Sunday Supper
    Three of our programs host monthly birthday celebrations (Project Joy). We are looking for volunteers to sponsor birthday celebrations by baking or buying a cake or cupcakes.

    Sunday suppers at the Drop-in Center bring people together for a family-style meal. Volunteers can participate by preparing and/or delivering a home-cooked meal. Contact info@sashabruce.org if you’re interested. Dates that are available to sign up for these activities can be found at sashabruce.vomo.org.
     

  • Volunteer
    Volunteering at Sasha Bruce provides groups and individuals the opportunity to have a powerful and positive impact on the lives of y    oung people and families in DC and Prince George’s County, MD. Both one-time experiences and ongoing positions are available. Visit www.sashabruce.org/volunteer for the most up-to-date opportunities.

​

Sign up for Project Joy at https://sashabruce.vomo.org/project/projectjoybirthdays

​

Sunday Suppers are at the Drop in Center for 35-40 people experiencing homelessness. We hope to occasionally schedule this as a group activity; however, individuals can sign up for a date but must contact the Organizer Leigh Bailey at lbailey@sashabruce.org and specify the Giving Together connection or go to Sashabruce.vomo.org

 

Another need:

Youth and young families in Sasha Bruce programs struggle to purchase food and basic household supplies. Some of those items are on their new Amazon Wishlist.

​

Similar items could be purchased anywhere and dropped off or shipped to the Administrative offices.

​

Want to get involved? Contact GT Liaison Molly Strauss (mmstrauss1@gmail.com)

[updated 3/15/23] 

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ScholarCHIPS is a DC-area non-profit that provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health supports, and a peer support network to college-bound young adults with incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. Their goal is to empower youth with incarcerated parents to graduate college, establish upwardly mobile careers, and contribute to their communities.  

 

In addition to one-on-one mentoring, college life skills/professional development workshops, exposure to arts and culture, and community service opportunities, ScholarCHIPS provides renewable $3,500 scholarships and $1,000 book awards to help ensure scholars graduate from college. 

​

ScholarCHIPS targets high school seniors from Washington DC, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, City of Alexandria, and the City of Falls Church. Many recipients are the first in their families to attend or complete college. There is a strong emphasis on demonstrating a commitment to the community. 

 

ScholarCHIPS has served 88 scholars since 2012, now with 39 college graduates. Scholars have attended a wide variety of colleges and universities, with most earning Bachelor’s. The majority of ScholarCHIPS scholars pursue advanced degrees as a pathway into professional career fields, including but not limited to education, medicine, law, social work, speech pathology, counseling, and film production. 

​

In 2023, ScholarCHIPS was featured as a CNN Hero. In 2019, ScholarCHIPS was selected as a Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy) partner (a 4-year partnership from 2019-2023), which establishes the organization in the Greater Washington Region as “one of the best and most critical and trusted” local nonprofits from 2019-22. ScholarCHIPS was recently selected for a second time as a Spur Local Partner from 2023-2027. In addition, ScholarCHIPS was selected as a Fair Chance Pathways partner in 2019. Fair Chance is DC's premier capacity-building organization for local, mission-driven, grass-roots nonprofits. 

​

With the support of an $11,000 grant from Giving Together, in 2021, ScholarCHIPS launched its Mental Health & Wellness Program, which provides counseling and therapy support to scholars in need, such as providing referral lists to local therapists, covering co-pays or the cost of therapy sessions and offering mental health webinars on topics including such as Grief, Resilience, Having an Incarcerated Parent, Self-Image and Building Healthy, Self-Esteem and Navigating College.

​

For ways to get involved, contact GT Liaison Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com)

[updated 7/3/23]  

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Urban Alliance

urbanalliance.org

​

Urban Alliance connects high school students and recent graduates with access to paid internships, dedicated mentors, professional networks, and skills training digital literacy, communications, and problem solving. We work closely with schools and employers to address systemic barriers that can impede young people, especially in communities of color, from achieving economic success.

 

Volunteer Opportunities: 

Urban Alliance welcomes community members to participate in one-time volunteer opportunities including Networking Day, Career Day, or Mock Interview Day, all of which contribute to Urban Alliance interns’ professional development and exposure.

 

Employer Partners:

Interested companies can give back by hosting an Urban Alliance intern. Becoming an employer partner allows you to observe how much potential a young person has while concurrently developing their skills. You can evaluate skills and work ethic while helping to build company loyalty for your future employees. The program allows you to invest in a young person, your community, and your business all at once. For more information contact development@theurbanalliance.org.

 

Interested in helping out? Contact GT Liaison Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com)

[updated 7/3/23]

 

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Creating Hope and Opportunity through IT!

Based in SE DC, Urban Ed provides technology driven education, information and skills to low-income residents from early childhood through adulthood.  Its STEM Academy Program, for adults ages 18-35, offers certifications that enable students to move from minimum wage jobs into careers in IT.  To read about their accomplishments click HERE.

 

Here are ways for our members to get involved throughout the year  - share your IT expertise with students, sign up to be on a mock interview panel, read to children "Lil Bitties"  of students during the summer IT camps, host a field day at your company, hire an intern or set up Shadow days.  

 

For more information about volunteer opportunities click Here.  Or you can also email volunteers@UrbanEd.org

 

Questions? Contact GT Liaison Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com).

[updated 6/20/23] 

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We Are Family

wearefamilydc.org

 

Grounded in grassroots senior leadership, We Are Family mobilizes a committed corps of volunteers to reach out to isolated inner-city seniors with free services, advocacy, and companionship, building a network of caring eyes and ears that enables at-risk seniors to age in place. More than simply a social service provider, We Are Family is a bold experiment in building a caring, just and inclusive community.

​

Their ongoing services currently include:

 

  • ï‚·Free monthly grocery delivery

  • ï‚·Friendly visits to seniors in their homes

  • ï‚·Regular telephone reassurance calls to isolated seniors

  • ï‚·Referrals to other agencies or services

  • ï‚·Advocacy with landlords and government agencies

  • ï‚·Transportation to shopping or social gatherings.

​

We Are Family also provides organizing and leadership training, bringing seniors to participate in community meetings, protests, and city council hearings.  Their model is grounded in the power of volunteers – especially their senior leaders – in their work. They rely on volunteers to provide services, advocacy and beyond. They also purposefully draw on a diverse range of such workers to achieve their deeper aim of building a caring, just, and inclusive community, to help them get to know one another past boundaries like race, class, religion, sexual orientation and language. 

 

Volunteer opportunities (in Shaw, Columbia Heights, Petworth and Adams- Morgan) include Saturday morning grocery deliveries as well as friendly visiting and other assistance throughout the month.  Help is welcome anytime with these activities! You can sign up to help with the Saturday morning grocery deliveries at www.wearefamilydc.org/get-involved/volunteer/ or call Mark at 202-487-8698 for more information.

​

Interested in volunteering? Please visit the website or contact GT Liaison Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com)

[updated 6/26/23]

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Young Doctors DC

https://www.youngdoctorsdc.org

 

Young Doctors DC (YDDC) is a ​multi-generational mentoring, education, and pipeline to health careers​ program for high school boys in Southeast Washington, DC. Through intensive summer programs and Saturday academies at Howard University, YDDC participants are trained in preventive medicine, mental health, and health issues in underserved communities.

Selected youth join YDDC during their freshmen year of high school and remain in the program until graduation. After one year of training in the summer program and Saturday academies, the "young doctors" begin the service learning component of the program, which includes conducting free health clinics in their community under the supervision of YDDC staff doctors.

With the support of Howard University's Department of Psychology and College of Medicine, the Young Doctors are equipped to address Washington, DC's health disparities head-on.

​

For ways to get involved, contact contact GT Liaison Pam Feinstein (feinstep@gmail.com).

[updated October 2021] 

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