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On any given night in Washington, DC , thousands of men and women do not have a home to sleep in. Homeless people, and those who are at risk of experiencing homelessness, rely on shelters and transitional apartments in order to get themselves through difficult times.
Friendship Place, a nonprofit in the District, empowers the people of this marginalized community through programs that address significant areas of need. These programs offer support to homeless and at-risk persons in regards to housing, job placement, meals, showers, laundry, and medical care.
This week's DDG featured org began in the shadow of resistance. Initial efforts 25 years ago to create a shelter led to protests from some residents. But still others persisted, and what has grown since is a reminder of the might of the determined few. Today, Friendship Place serves more than 1,600 people each year. Click here to learn more.
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SHOPPING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
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This holiday season, support your entrepreneurial neighbors by shopping local. According to a recent Washington City Paper article, buying local funnels 68 cents of every dollar into the local economy, whereas shopping at chain stores gives forty-three cents to DC. This time of year, there are holiday markets galore.
Support the students of BUILD Metro DC at their holiday bazaar tomorrow. Have your pet's photo taken with Santa at the Made in DC Pop-Up on Dec. 11 -- proceeds go to City Dogs Rescue + City Kittens. Also on Dec. 11, Silver Spring's HOLIDAZE has teamed up with A Wider Circle. Drop off Toys for Tots at the aptly named Procrastinator's Holiday Market on Dec. 16. And the weekend before Christmas is buzzing with bazaars: There's Shop N' Shaw at WeWork Wonder Bread, 3 Stars Brewing Market (get a growler for Santa), and if you like a little yeti with your holiday shopping, go GRUMP.
Many individual vendors support charities, either as a holiday special or year-round. And best of all, shopping at local holiday markets means you never have to set foot in a mall.
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We've talked about skills-based volunteering before -- donating your time and expertise to a cause or organization. F Cancer has created, we must say, a pretty 'f-ing' good way to connect you and your skills (even perhaps, your skillz) with organizations dedicated to cancer research, awareness, resources and more. It's simple: You check some boxes to filter out what you have to offer (let's say graphic design). Then you say how many hours you have available (how about 'up to 30'?) Click a few buttons, and presto change-o, you get a list of multiple available projects in need of someone just like you. Kudos, and other granola bars, to F Cancer for creating this swanky volunteer matchmaking site to help the fight against cancer, because cancer is a real C.
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In Maine, nearly 200 Santas hit the slopes for charity. (Maine Public)
Don't start a sentence with "Oprah would love this..." and other tips for not being 'that' volunteer. (Forbes)
Give good, but be smart. Looking for transparency in charitable gift-giving. (Money)
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“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that--warm things, kind things, sweet things--help and comfort and laughter--and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess
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'Tis the season for cookie swaps. And for giving.
Give your friends the gift of this newsletter.
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