2011
2011
CITY HELPINGS CITY HELPINGS
www.breadforthecity.org facebook.com/breadforthecity twitter.com/breadforthecity
SPRING NEWSLETTER FALL NEWSLETTER
BREAD IS on ON ThE THE WEB WEB BrEAd is
Stay updatesby byfollowing following stayabreast abreast of of our our updates us:us:
www.twitter.com/breadforthecity WWW.TWITTER .COM/BREADFORTHECITY
www.breadforthecity.org facebook.com/breadforthecity twitter.com/breadforthecity
ALL IN THE FAMILY COURT Did you know? Bread for the City’s lawyers assist families in distress.
This summer, Bread for the City has teamed up with the Legal Aid Society of D.C. to establish a new Family Law initiative designed to help families in distress. And to make it happen, we’ve expanded our legal clinic!
WWW.FACEBOOK .COM/BREADFORTHECITY www.facebook.com/breadforthecity
Andimmediate receive immediate action alerts by subscribing And receive action alerts by subscribing to our email list. to our email list. Email bulletin@breadforthecity.org Email bulletin@breadforthecity.org with the subject line “subscribe!” with the subject line “subscribe!” Thank Thankyou youfor foryour yoursupport. support.
ThAnK YoU THANK YOU Frank Asher from Old City Green for his garden support
Nellie’s Sports Bar and White House Andre Saliba for his tremendous Elena Alvarez and Carolina Valencia for translation assistance Nannies for Parking Lot Picnic support. tech support. The Art with a HeartTrees Committee Mark Buscaino of Casey for hisfor planning supportJessica with our urban gleaning initiatives. Del Vecchio and Michelle Lindsay for
an awesome Staff at LIFTevent DC and Housing Counseling
Rod Parker of Gibson Parker for Farms for his assistance Nelson accounting support of Glean for the City.
Ketina McPherson and the staff at Capitol Commons and Moore Towers.
Servicesphotography for their partnership in service. fantastic
Harrison Pham for assistance with community engagement
LaShon Hill and the staff at Anthony Herman for his service and Anna Melton for Southeast rooftop gardenFamily leadership Covington Association. on our Chimu Board Titi of Directors. Kristin Henrikson at answering Delaney McKinney for mentoring in divorce cases George Godwin and the staff Dickstein Shapiro LLP for at Johnson our lastDavid minute call for volunteers. S. Goldberg from Family Mediation Services, Inc. Towers.
“Especially in these difficult economic times, most D.C. residents simply cannot afford to pay for legal counsel,” explains Vanessa Batters-Thompson, who just joined our legal team as Bread for the City’s eleventh full-time attorney.
202.265.2400
Joan Kaplan and the staff at Terrific, Inc. Potomac Communications Group and Groff Dionne Reeder of the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative Creative for their pro bono services. Elena Alveraz for writtenfront translations at our Southeast desk. Deborah Watson for a year of essential volunteering of court documents for our SpanishWilmerHale for their pro bono services. speaking Legal Clinic clients. Covington and Burling for their Kristin Henrikson for mentoring continuing support. in family law cases.
WishLisT
WISHLIST
BREAD FOR THE CITY IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF: Easy to read books for adult learners Gift cards (to Target, CVS, 8 book stores, etc.) Cleaning supplies / laundry detergent Feminine hygiene products Pots and soil for planting Plus-sized winter clothing
4
Framed art suitable for meeting rooms Plastic storage containers (of all sizes) Small paper shredder Lockable file cabinet Plus-sized winter clothes We now have a Wish List Pots for planting registered on Amazon.com! Soil USB drives Now you can make an online
purchase that will directly help our community.
Go directly to it here: www.amzn.to/BFCWish
A MESSAGE
Family law cases are deeply personal, and legal proceedings FROM are complexMELISSA and I’m very proudthe to bemeans writing to you tostressful. For people without day insuch my official capacity nW CEnTEr: to afford a lawyer, situations canas Bread for the City’s new Food & Clothing Program 1525 7th Street, NW be overwhelming. Legal representation Director. It’s an especially exciting time WaShiNgtoN, DC 20001 can make all theto difference in achieving take this leadership role, given how Bread for the City introduces green rooftop gardens! 202.265.2400 The new school year is well under way, much remarkable growth we’re seeing NW CENTER: hereContinued at Bread foron thepage City. 2 and with school comes some relief for will be found in the relationships we It’s springtime, and we’re gardening build there and the experiences we on our roof. You may find that anmany of DC’s families. At school, you 1525 7TH STREET, NW --nouncement have. More than a hundred Bread for to be strange, even sursee, breakfasts and lunches are free. The need has rarely WASHINGTON, DC 20001
Tamar and theour staff at Sarah’s Circle. AvalereSgt Health and Podorsky Alston + MPD Bird for steadfast engagement Jonathan with Southeast Center for their pro bono services. Johnson and the staff Gifts of the Good Earth for their self-watering Tessa growing containers at St. Mary’s Court. Steve Goldenberg for pro bono photography. Allison Burket and Abbie Steiner for food justice organizing
Adobe InDesign software Silverware sets Easy to read books for adult learners Gift cards (to book stores, Target, CVS, etc) SmarTrip cards Cleaning supplies/laundry detergent Feminine SmarTrip hygiene products Cards
“Free legal services like ours are very limited in the District,” Vanessa adds. As a result, most people who appear in Family Court (in particular, the Domestic Relations and Paternity and Support Branches) have to do so without representation.
sE CEnTEr: 1640 gooD hope roaD, Se WaShiNgtoN, DC 20020 202.561.8587
prising; but it’s true. And we think it’s awesome!
Atop our Southeast Center, we’ve installed rain barrels, a proud little village of pots, planters, and even a repurposed kitchen sink that’s currently sprouting a cabbage plant. And our newly-expanded Northwest Center now features the largest rooftop agriculture site in the DC area. The Northwest Garden was built in collaboration with dc Greenworks, with thirty raised beds growing as many as a thousand vegetable plants. The yield from these gardens, of course, will be just a drop in the bucket compared to all of the food that passes through our pantries. Their true value
the City clients have already signed up to help build and maintain these gardens, participate in workshops about healthy eating and living, and learn about opportunities to work towards a healthier and more sustainable community.
For instance, Rosa was a client of Bread for the City’s nearly 20 years ago, and still volunteers with our pantry regularly. It’s been decades since she had space to garden on her own -- and this project brought her out even in wind and rain for an opportunity to dig in the dirt and work with plants. “I haven’t felt this calm and at peace for years!” Ms Antoinette Jones is also a regular at the site. She digs into the memories of an active childhood on a farm in North Carolina to teach us all about the best ways to grow lots of food in small spaces, and the most delicious and Continued on page 2
A MESSAGE FROM GEORGE
been greater, and ourHowever, for many children, even that capacity to serve iswill not be enough. Not when their familarger than ever. lies’ resources are stretched so thin.
Bread for the City helps families make ends meet when everything else seems to come up short.
You see, even though Bread for the City is already DC’s largest food pantry, we never previously had enough capacity to accommodate the entire city. The need was simply too great for our cramped facilities, so we dedicated our energies to serving people from the communities where those facilities are located.
Of course, we always meet with anyone who walks through our doors lookThis is where Bread for the City comes ing for help. In the past, we would at in.visiLow-income parents are able to not least be able to provide Northeast tors in need of food assistance only with aaccess food from our pantry, but list of accessible resources in their owndoctors to conduct school physialso community. cals, social workers to help them find Continued on page 2
Bread for the City is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensive services to low-income residents of Washington, DC in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Bread for the City is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible. Federal ID #26-3407327
SE CENTER: 1640 GOOD HOPE ROAD, SE WASHINGTON, DC 20020 202.561.8587
public benefits and community support, and lawyers to help them retain safe and SUMMER 2011 1 affordable housing. With these services, Bread for the City helps families make ends meet when everything else seems to come up short.
Bread for the City offers a comprehensive array of services to help families in need.
I’m proud to tell you that in the past year we’ve dramatically increased our Continued on page 2
Bread for the City is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensive services to low-income residents of Washington, DC in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Bread for the City is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible. Federal ID #26-3407327
FALL 2011 1
HELPING
CHILDREN HERE’S SOME OF BREAD FOR THE CITY’S NEW FAMILY SERVICES: •DOUBLED CAPACITY FOR PEDIATRIC CARE •NEW LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR CHILD SUPPORT LITIGATION •KIDS’ LIBRARY (ONE FREE BOOK TO TAKE HOME PER VISIT) •GARDEN FUN DAYS AND FAMILY FRIENDLY COOKING CLASSES!
Family from page 1 a positive outcome that supports the family. This new Child Support Project will aid unrepresented parents who are struggling through child support cases. Our attorneys are located on-site in Family Law court two times a week, where they can provide on-the-spot advice and even same-day representation at the most critical moment. “For all kinds of reasons, people struggle to assert their rights within the child support system,” says Vanessa. “In some cases, I’ve seen my legal advice help unrepresented parties become strong advocates for themselves. In other cases, I’m able to take a client on for full representation. It’s a great opportunity to help where it’s needed most, and I’m thrilled to be working with Bread for the City!” □
2
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
george from page 1 capacity to help these vulnerable families, and more specifically, the children themselves.
Sponsor a Family $28.85 will provide a family of four with a holiday meal. It’s not too early to make your donation!
It takes space to serve children -- a lot of space to ensure a friendly and safe environment. With our new medical clinic (more than twice its former size!) we have been able to double our total number of pediatric patients, as well as add new features like a real kid’s play room, complete with a library that provides each child with a book of their choosing to take home after each visit.
Recruit Friends & Co-workers
Every holiday season, with the help of our generous community, Bread for the City distributes complete holiday feasts — a turkey with all the trimmings — to thousands of DC families in need. We call it Holiday Helpings! This year, our goal is to provide a holiday meal to more than 8,000 families. The kickoff is Tuesday, November 1st. Join us!
Parents and kids can also find opportunities to learn together. “In our family cooking classes, we get kids touching food, making food, and eating food that’s healthy and fun,” says our nutrition consultant Sharon Gruber. “We try to take the pressure out of eating a healthful diet, and to add some laughter and adventure instead.” Such adventure now extends even onto our roof, where our gardening workshops introduce kids to food at its source. You can see more about our rooftop garden projects at www.breadforthecity.org/rooftopgardens. I’m especially pleased to announce the newest change to our family-specific services: we’ve expanded our family law practice. Vanessa Batters-Thompson is our newest full-time staff attorney, and she is helping families navigate through child support litigation. (See right sidebar.) These new and growing services are only possible because of your participation with Bread for the City -- as a donor and a volunteer. For your kindness, I thank you, and I ask that you please stand with us in the year to come. You’re invited to join us at the Northwest Center on October 6th for our volunteer appreciation reception (page 3), hold a Holiday Helpings drive at your office (page 3), or grant a wish for one of our clients (see back page). Like a family, we are all in this together, and by working together we can strengthen the safety net for DC’s children. □
Organize a Holiday Helpings drive in your office, house of worship, or community group. Our Holiday Helpings Kit will walk you through all the steps (it is available on our website: www.breadforthecity.org/holidayhelpings
Throw a Party During your annual holiday party, encourage guests to bring donations to Bread for the City. If you’d like, we’ll provide Bread for the City materials (like pens and t-shirts) and even an organizational representative for your event, if you’d like.
Volunteer
INTRODUCING OUR
NEW CHILD SUPPORT
PROJECT GOOD NEWS:
Bread for the City’s legal clinic has expanded again! We now have a total of eleven full-time staff attorneys. The newest addition is Vanessa BattersThompson,
who
joins
our
Family Law Team to help launch our new Child Support Project.
Volunteers are needed to help pack and distribute groceries during the busy holiday season. Slots fill up quickly! Go online and submit an application: www. BreadfortheCity.org/volunteer
Turkey Tip! Donations of food are welcome, as long as they are healthful. A complete list is available at http://breadforthecity. org/holidayhelpings). But please know that Bread for the City can purchase food at much lower cost than individuals at the store, so fundraising drives are the most effective way to increase our capacity to provide Holiday Helpings to families in need!
To Get Started
You can read more about
Visit: www.BreadfortheCity.org/ HolidayHelpings
Vanessa, our Child Support
Email: ESchneider@BreadfortheCity.org
Project, and Bread for the City’s
Call: 202.480.8909
family law practice on our blog!
Like: www.facebook.com/ Breadforthecity
GO TO:
BREADFORTHECITY.ORG/BLOG
Follow: www.twitter.com/BreadfortheCity
GOOD HOPE
AWA R DS
Attention volunteers! Our 6th Annual Good Hope Awards will be held on October 6, 2011 from 6-8 pm at our Northwest Center, located at 1525 7th Street, NW. The Good Hope Awards are open to all Bread for the City volunteers. Each year, there are more than 1,500 of you -- and we are so grateful! Come celebrate your tremendous service, and join with us to recognize those volunteers who have gone above and beyond in the past year. This event is free, but your RSVP is required to attend. Please RSVP by September 22nd to RSVP@BreadfortheCity.org or by calling Emily Schneider at 202.480.8908.
The 2011 Good Hope Award recipients are: Corporate Partner City First Bank Fresh Food Partner West End Farmers Market Food Program Partner Leonard Edwards Chimu Titi Social Services Program Volunteer Ida M. Smith Brittany Hales Medical Program Volunteer Eleanor McClean Community Reformer April Goggans Community Partner Capital Area Food Bank Community Leader Cynthia Krus
FALL 2011 3
HELPING
CHILDREN HERE’S SOME OF BREAD FOR THE CITY’S NEW FAMILY SERVICES: •DOUBLED CAPACITY FOR PEDIATRIC CARE •NEW LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR CHILD SUPPORT LITIGATION •KIDS’ LIBRARY (ONE FREE BOOK TO TAKE HOME PER VISIT) •GARDEN FUN DAYS AND FAMILY FRIENDLY COOKING CLASSES!
Family from page 1 a positive outcome that supports the family. This new Child Support Project will aid unrepresented parents who are struggling through child support cases. Our attorneys are located on-site in Family Law court two times a week, where they can provide on-the-spot advice and even same-day representation at the most critical moment. “For all kinds of reasons, people struggle to assert their rights within the child support system,” says Vanessa. “In some cases, I’ve seen my legal advice help unrepresented parties become strong advocates for themselves. In other cases, I’m able to take a client on for full representation. It’s a great opportunity to help where it’s needed most, and I’m thrilled to be working with Bread for the City!” □
2
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
george from page 1 capacity to help these vulnerable families, and more specifically, the children themselves.
Sponsor a Family $28.85 will provide a family of four with a holiday meal. It’s not too early to make your donation!
It takes space to serve children -- a lot of space to ensure a friendly and safe environment. With our new medical clinic (more than twice its former size!) we have been able to double our total number of pediatric patients, as well as add new features like a real kid’s play room, complete with a library that provides each child with a book of their choosing to take home after each visit.
Recruit Friends & Co-workers
Every holiday season, with the help of our generous community, Bread for the City distributes complete holiday feasts — a turkey with all the trimmings — to thousands of DC families in need. We call it Holiday Helpings! This year, our goal is to provide a holiday meal to more than 8,000 families. The kickoff is Tuesday, November 1st. Join us!
Parents and kids can also find opportunities to learn together. “In our family cooking classes, we get kids touching food, making food, and eating food that’s healthy and fun,” says our nutrition consultant Sharon Gruber. “We try to take the pressure out of eating a healthful diet, and to add some laughter and adventure instead.” Such adventure now extends even onto our roof, where our gardening workshops introduce kids to food at its source. You can see more about our rooftop garden projects at www.breadforthecity.org/rooftopgardens. I’m especially pleased to announce the newest change to our family-specific services: we’ve expanded our family law practice. Vanessa Batters-Thompson is our newest full-time staff attorney, and she is helping families navigate through child support litigation. (See right sidebar.) These new and growing services are only possible because of your participation with Bread for the City -- as a donor and a volunteer. For your kindness, I thank you, and I ask that you please stand with us in the year to come. You’re invited to join us at the Northwest Center on October 6th for our volunteer appreciation reception (page 3), hold a Holiday Helpings drive at your office (page 3), or grant a wish for one of our clients (see back page). Like a family, we are all in this together, and by working together we can strengthen the safety net for DC’s children. □
Organize a Holiday Helpings drive in your office, house of worship, or community group. Our Holiday Helpings Kit will walk you through all the steps (it is available on our website: www.breadforthecity.org/holidayhelpings
Throw a Party During your annual holiday party, encourage guests to bring donations to Bread for the City. If you’d like, we’ll provide Bread for the City materials (like pens and t-shirts) and even an organizational representative for your event, if you’d like.
Volunteer
INTRODUCING OUR
NEW CHILD SUPPORT
PROJECT GOOD NEWS:
Bread for the City’s legal clinic has expanded again! We now have a total of eleven full-time staff attorneys. The newest addition is Vanessa BattersThompson,
who
joins
our
Family Law Team to help launch our new Child Support Project.
Volunteers are needed to help pack and distribute groceries during the busy holiday season. Slots fill up quickly! Go online and submit an application: www. BreadfortheCity.org/volunteer
Turkey Tip! Donations of food are welcome, as long as they are healthful. A complete list is available at http://breadforthecity. org/holidayhelpings). But please know that Bread for the City can purchase food at much lower cost than individuals at the store, so fundraising drives are the most effective way to increase our capacity to provide Holiday Helpings to families in need!
To Get Started
You can read more about
Visit: www.BreadfortheCity.org/ HolidayHelpings
Vanessa, our Child Support
Email: ESchneider@BreadfortheCity.org
Project, and Bread for the City’s
Call: 202.480.8909
family law practice on our blog!
Like: www.facebook.com/ Breadforthecity
GO TO:
BREADFORTHECITY.ORG/BLOG
Follow: www.twitter.com/BreadfortheCity
GOOD HOPE
AWA R DS
Attention volunteers! Our 6th Annual Good Hope Awards will be held on October 6, 2011 from 6-8 pm at our Northwest Center, located at 1525 7th Street, NW. The Good Hope Awards are open to all Bread for the City volunteers. Each year, there are more than 1,500 of you -- and we are so grateful! Come celebrate your tremendous service, and join with us to recognize those volunteers who have gone above and beyond in the past year. This event is free, but your RSVP is required to attend. Please RSVP by September 22nd to RSVP@BreadfortheCity.org or by calling Emily Schneider at 202.480.8908.
The 2011 Good Hope Award recipients are: Corporate Partner City First Bank Fresh Food Partner West End Farmers Market Food Program Partner Leonard Edwards Chimu Titi Social Services Program Volunteer Ida M. Smith Brittany Hales Medical Program Volunteer Eleanor McClean Community Reformer April Goggans Community Partner Capital Area Food Bank Community Leader Cynthia Krus
FALL 2011 3
2011
2011
CITY HELPINGS CITY HELPINGS
www.breadforthecity.org facebook.com/breadforthecity twitter.com/breadforthecity
SPRING NEWSLETTER FALL NEWSLETTER
BREAD IS on ON ThE THE WEB WEB BrEAd is
Stay updatesby byfollowing following stayabreast abreast of of our our updates us:us:
www.twitter.com/breadforthecity WWW.TWITTER .COM/BREADFORTHECITY
www.breadforthecity.org facebook.com/breadforthecity twitter.com/breadforthecity
ALL IN THE FAMILY COURT Did you know? Bread for the City’s lawyers assist families in distress.
This summer, Bread for the City has teamed up with the Legal Aid Society of D.C. to establish a new Family Law initiative designed to help families in distress. And to make it happen, we’ve expanded our legal clinic!
WWW.FACEBOOK .COM/BREADFORTHECITY www.facebook.com/breadforthecity
Andimmediate receive immediate action alerts by subscribing And receive action alerts by subscribing to our email list. to our email list. Email bulletin@breadforthecity.org Email bulletin@breadforthecity.org with the subject line “subscribe!” with the subject line “subscribe!” Thank Thankyou youfor foryour yoursupport. support.
ThAnK YoU THANK YOU Frank Asher from Old City Green for his garden support
Nellie’s Sports Bar and White House Andre Saliba for his tremendous Elena Alvarez and Carolina Valencia for translation assistance Nannies for Parking Lot Picnic support. tech support. The Art with a HeartTrees Committee Mark Buscaino of Casey for hisfor planning supportJessica with our urban gleaning initiatives. Del Vecchio and Michelle Lindsay for
an awesome Staff at LIFTevent DC and Housing Counseling
Rod Parker of Gibson Parker for Farms for his assistance Nelson accounting support of Glean for the City.
Ketina McPherson and the staff at Capitol Commons and Moore Towers.
Servicesphotography for their partnership in service. fantastic
Harrison Pham for assistance with community engagement
LaShon Hill and the staff at Anthony Herman for his service and Anna Melton for Southeast rooftop gardenFamily leadership Covington Association. on our Chimu Board Titi of Directors. Kristin Henrikson at answering Delaney McKinney for mentoring in divorce cases George Godwin and the staff Dickstein Shapiro LLP for at Johnson our lastDavid minute call for volunteers. S. Goldberg from Family Mediation Services, Inc. Towers.
“Especially in these difficult economic times, most D.C. residents simply cannot afford to pay for legal counsel,” explains Vanessa Batters-Thompson, who just joined our legal team as Bread for the City’s eleventh full-time attorney.
202.265.2400
Joan Kaplan and the staff at Terrific, Inc. Potomac Communications Group and Groff Dionne Reeder of the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative Creative for their pro bono services. Elena Alveraz for writtenfront translations at our Southeast desk. Deborah Watson for a year of essential volunteering of court documents for our SpanishWilmerHale for their pro bono services. speaking Legal Clinic clients. Covington and Burling for their Kristin Henrikson for mentoring continuing support. in family law cases.
WishLisT
WISHLIST
BREAD FOR THE CITY IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF: Easy to read books for adult learners Gift cards (to Target, CVS, 8 book stores, etc.) Cleaning supplies / laundry detergent Feminine hygiene products Pots and soil for planting Plus-sized winter clothing
4
Framed art suitable for meeting rooms Plastic storage containers (of all sizes) Small paper shredder Lockable file cabinet Plus-sized winter clothes We now have a Wish List Pots for planting registered on Amazon.com! Soil USB drives Now you can make an online
purchase that will directly help our community.
Go directly to it here: www.amzn.to/BFCWish
A MESSAGE
Family law cases are deeply personal, and legal proceedings FROM are complexMELISSA and I’m very proudthe to bemeans writing to you tostressful. For people without day insuch my official capacity nW CEnTEr: to afford a lawyer, situations canas Bread for the City’s new Food & Clothing Program 1525 7th Street, NW be overwhelming. Legal representation Director. It’s an especially exciting time WaShiNgtoN, DC 20001 can make all theto difference in achieving take this leadership role, given how Bread for the City introduces green rooftop gardens! 202.265.2400 The new school year is well under way, much remarkable growth we’re seeing NW CENTER: hereContinued at Bread foron thepage City. 2 and with school comes some relief for will be found in the relationships we It’s springtime, and we’re gardening build there and the experiences we on our roof. You may find that anmany of DC’s families. At school, you 1525 7TH STREET, NW --nouncement have. More than a hundred Bread for to be strange, even sursee, breakfasts and lunches are free. The need has rarely WASHINGTON, DC 20001
Tamar and theour staff at Sarah’s Circle. AvalereSgt Health and Podorsky Alston + MPD Bird for steadfast engagement Jonathan with Southeast Center for their pro bono services. Johnson and the staff Gifts of the Good Earth for their self-watering Tessa growing containers at St. Mary’s Court. Steve Goldenberg for pro bono photography. Allison Burket and Abbie Steiner for food justice organizing
Adobe InDesign software Silverware sets Easy to read books for adult learners Gift cards (to book stores, Target, CVS, etc) SmarTrip cards Cleaning supplies/laundry detergent Feminine SmarTrip hygiene products Cards
“Free legal services like ours are very limited in the District,” Vanessa adds. As a result, most people who appear in Family Court (in particular, the Domestic Relations and Paternity and Support Branches) have to do so without representation.
sE CEnTEr: 1640 gooD hope roaD, Se WaShiNgtoN, DC 20020 202.561.8587
prising; but it’s true. And we think it’s awesome!
Atop our Southeast Center, we’ve installed rain barrels, a proud little village of pots, planters, and even a repurposed kitchen sink that’s currently sprouting a cabbage plant. And our newly-expanded Northwest Center now features the largest rooftop agriculture site in the DC area. The Northwest Garden was built in collaboration with dc Greenworks, with thirty raised beds growing as many as a thousand vegetable plants. The yield from these gardens, of course, will be just a drop in the bucket compared to all of the food that passes through our pantries. Their true value
the City clients have already signed up to help build and maintain these gardens, participate in workshops about healthy eating and living, and learn about opportunities to work towards a healthier and more sustainable community.
For instance, Rosa was a client of Bread for the City’s nearly 20 years ago, and still volunteers with our pantry regularly. It’s been decades since she had space to garden on her own -- and this project brought her out even in wind and rain for an opportunity to dig in the dirt and work with plants. “I haven’t felt this calm and at peace for years!” Ms Antoinette Jones is also a regular at the site. She digs into the memories of an active childhood on a farm in North Carolina to teach us all about the best ways to grow lots of food in small spaces, and the most delicious and Continued on page 2
A MESSAGE FROM GEORGE
been greater, and ourHowever, for many children, even that capacity to serve iswill not be enough. Not when their familarger than ever. lies’ resources are stretched so thin.
Bread for the City helps families make ends meet when everything else seems to come up short.
You see, even though Bread for the City is already DC’s largest food pantry, we never previously had enough capacity to accommodate the entire city. The need was simply too great for our cramped facilities, so we dedicated our energies to serving people from the communities where those facilities are located.
Of course, we always meet with anyone who walks through our doors lookThis is where Bread for the City comes ing for help. In the past, we would at in.visiLow-income parents are able to not least be able to provide Northeast tors in need of food assistance only with aaccess food from our pantry, but list of accessible resources in their owndoctors to conduct school physialso community. cals, social workers to help them find Continued on page 2
Bread for the City is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensive services to low-income residents of Washington, DC in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Bread for the City is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible. Federal ID #26-3407327
SE CENTER: 1640 GOOD HOPE ROAD, SE WASHINGTON, DC 20020 202.561.8587
public benefits and community support, and lawyers to help them retain safe and SUMMER 2011 1 affordable housing. With these services, Bread for the City helps families make ends meet when everything else seems to come up short.
Bread for the City offers a comprehensive array of services to help families in need.
I’m proud to tell you that in the past year we’ve dramatically increased our Continued on page 2
Bread for the City is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides free, comprehensive services to low-income residents of Washington, DC in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Bread for the City is a 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax-deductible. Federal ID #26-3407327
FALL 2011 1