Provide a Little Something Extra This Thanksgiving

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Support Everyone Home DC’s Goal to Distribute Gift Cards to Support Families in Celebrating Thanksgiving This Year.

This Thanksgiving holiday season is the perfect time for Everyone Home DC and our amazing network of supporters to provide a little something extra for this special time of year. Everyone Home DC is committed to ensuring that the diverse families that we work alongside will have the flexibility to celebrate their Thanksgiving. Everyone Home DC will distribute grocery and debit gift cards throughout our community, allowing each household the opportunity to decide how they spend these funds to create a meaningful holiday for their family.

Everyone Home DC’s goal this year is to distribute $100 gift cards to individuals and families before Thanksgiving. Thank YOU for helping us reach this goal. We will put these critical funds right to work, distributing them directly to the families we work with.

If you are interested in helping Everyone Home DC reach this goal, you can make a monetary donation today here. You can also run a drive to collect gift cards at your work, place of worship, or social club, OR set up a fundraising page and watch your social network support you in reaching your goal! Every little bit helps. Below is more information on how to get started. Thank you for your continued support of Everyone Home DC!

Everyone Home DC plans to begin distributing gift cards to families in mid-November.

GETTING STARTED

  • We want to hear from you if you plan to run a drive or collection! This will support Everyone Home DC’s planning (and budgeting) efforts. Contact Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org to discuss what types of gift cards to focus on collecting and to share how many gift cards you plan to contribute. We can also provide brainstorming support to get the word out to your community if you are running a drive.
  • You can also make a monetary donation, which program staff will use to purchase gift cards and send electronically to families. Consider making a donation in $100 increments (or any amount) today!
  • Everyone Home DC families expressed most appreciating Visa, Mastercard, Safeway, and Giant gift cards.

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC

You are welcome to skip the process of purchasing cards and make a donation on our Thanksgiving Celebration donation page. Program staff will then purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Consider making a donation in $100 increments (or any amount) today!

If purchasing gift cards at a store or online, you can mail them directly to Everyone Home DC’s main headquarters address. Please contact Kate at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org if you have any questions or to discuss dropping the gift cards off.

Mail Gift Cards to:
Everyone Home DC
Attn: Thanksgiving
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington DC 20002

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Thank you for standing with Everyone Home DC now and always. We are so glad you are here.

Any funds received above the goal for this campaign will be redirected to the general fund.

Please note: Everyone Home DC’s Day Center will not be accepting gift card drop-offs at our drop-in day center. Thank you for understanding.

Another Successful September Challenge is in the Books!

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Year after year we are so incredibly grateful to you for continuing to ensure Everyone Home DC’s September Challenge reaches historic success! For the fifth year in a row, you showed up for individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness in DC. We reached our ambitious (and record-setting) $80,000 goal, with more than 200 gifts made throughout the Challenge. 

This successful milestone was not achieved by one entity alone. It was a collective effort of our AMAZING September Challenge Sponsors, Benefactor Circle, and Committee members, our staff, volunteers, donors, event hosts, and participants, fundraisers, online auction partners and participants, and our many social media ambassadors. The urgency to raise critical funds to support people facing homelessness has never been more pronounced, and each one of you played a vital role in ensuring this campaign’s success. Thank you.

In addition to the funds raised, check out some of the other highlights of Everyone Home DC’s September Challenge:

  • In the final week of this year’s Challenge, we received nearly 100 unique gifts, raising nearly $20,000.
  • We are incredibly honored to introduce one new and welcome back three Lead Sponsors this year. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Christ Church + Washington Parish on Capitol Hill, The Jeanne Phil Meg Team at Compass, National Capital Bank, and Louise Walsh & Charlie Rupp for their unwavering support. You can see all of this year’s amazing September Challenge sponsors below, and be on the lookout for our celebration advertisement in the November Hill Rag.
  • The September Challenge Leaderboard had seven active fundraisers that raised more than $20,000, which is a 100% increase from 2023. This year’s top fundraisers were Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Rifat Jafreen, Edith Shine & Mark Sherman, Alison Harwood & Chuck Rohe, Laurie Mankin, Pat Joseph, and Andy Staszak Interiors. Thanks to ALL for sharing your time, talent, and enthusiasm with this year’s Challenge!
  • Everyone Home DC’s online auction raised over $11,000. This year there were 70 participants who placed a total of 228 bids. 

The need in the District is more urgent than ever, as homelessness is continuing to rise—up 14% from 2023 to 2024—and the DC government’s budget for homeless services is even more dire than many of us could have anticipated. It seems like Everyone Home DC will need to rely more on funding from private sources, such as contributions to campaigns like our September Challenge in the future. 

Thank you for joining Everyone Home DC in this critical month-long campaign to support our mission to ensure everyone in our city has access to safe, affordable, and comfortable homes. It is our collective responsibility to end homelessness in Washington, DC, and build the welcoming and inclusive community we believe is possible. Your support has always been critical to our work and allows us to be flexible in working alongside people in our programs. We could not do this work without you, and we are so glad you are here. Thank you!

 

The Challenge Auction is Open. Browse & Bid Today.

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Everyone Home DC is excited to share that the September Challenge Auction is now OPEN FOR BIDS! We have curated an array of unique experiences, items, and opportunities just for you! The Challenge Auction will take place entirely online until Wednesday, September 20 at 7pm. 

Join The Challenge and place a bid (or two!) All of the Online Auction proceeds support Everyone Home DC, which makes winning feel twice as nice.

Buy something for yourself, your family, or a friend. There is something for everyone in this year’s auction—from enjoying Shakira Shakira from your luxury box seats to a history-infused DC foodie tour, a weekend beach getaway, a custom wine tasting for 10, watching your Washington Spirit from the DC Council Suite, and so much more. It is genuinely guilt-free shopping! The funds we raise will benefit Everyone Home DC’s month-long digital campaign—consisting of various fundraising experiences—to raise $80,000 for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our city! Take a look and start bidding today.

September Challenge Starts Now

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Happy First Day of September!

Everyone Home DC‘s September Challenge has officially kicked off with some healthy competition on The Leaderboard. Head on over to Everyone Home DC‘s September Challenge page and show some love to one of our Fundraisers. OR consider joining The Challenge by creating your own Fundraiser and check out your September Challenge Toolkit, to maximize your success and engagement! If you need any support, just let us know!

*NEW THIS YEAR**Everyone Home DC is introducing the Weekly Challenge!

Each week in September, we will challenge you to support our unhoused neighbors and give you a chance to win an exclusive Everyone Home DC merch capsule and other fine gifts throughout the month for participating.

DO YOU ACCEPT? Week 1 (Sept. 1-Sept. 7) Challenge Starts NOW: Every dollar brings us closer to turning DC‘s vision of a place where everyone can access safe, affordable, and comfortable homes into a reality. DONATE $14 (OR MORE) TODAY–using this unique form–to combat the 14% rise in homelessness that DC saw from 2023 – 2024. Accept this Challenge and make your $14 gift today to be entered to win!

There are also some amazing September Challenge events and experiences coming up that you are not going to want to miss. Check out some of the events below and keep your eye on Everyone Home DC‘s event page throughout the month, as we anticipate adding more opportunities.

AND, be on the lookout! This coming Wednesday, September 4, Everyone Home DC‘s September Challenge Online Auction will open for bids. Join The Challenge and place a bid (or two!) on a variety of unique experiences and opportunities. All the Online Auction proceeds support Everyone Home DC, which makes winning feel twice as good.

Thank you for joining Everyone Home DC‘s month-long digital campaign—consisting of various fundraising experiences—to raise $80,000 for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our city! 

Happy Birthday to Director of Single Adult Programs — Brendan!

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This August, Everyone Home DC wishes our Director of Single Adult Programs–Brendan Haley–a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Brendan decided to celebrate his birthday with all of us by joining Everyone Home DC’s staff Birthday Bash fundraiser!

So, what inspired Brendan, you may wonder? We asked him a few questions to find out: 

What makes Everyone Home DC’s work important for the community? 

Brendan: “ Everyone Home DC’s work is vital to ensuring that everyone living in DC can do so in a safe and respectful manner in their home!”

What do you love about working with Everyone Home DC?

Brendan: “I get to work with a great group of colleagues, but also, our clients are amazing

 and have so much to teach us and help us grow along with them.” 

Why do you want to celebrate your birthday with an Everyone Home DC fundraiser?

Brendan: “Everyone Home DC is a great agency doing amazing work to make sure everyone in DC has a safe and dignified home and place to stay.”

We encourage you to wish Brendan a happy birthday and to consider giving a personally meaningful gift to Everyone Home DC’s Staff Birthday Fundraiser today! AND, if you are feeling inspired yourself and interested in pledging your birthday, please complete this form, and an Everyone Home DC staff will follow up closer to your special day to share a birthday toolkit to make the process easy and

to ensure you reach your goal!

Support Everyone Home DC’s 2024 Back-to-School Initiative

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We are just starting to enjoy the summer, AND the new school year is approaching fast! Each year, we begin planning around this time so that when our families start to think about the new school year, Everyone Home DC is ready to provide support for any back-to-school needs. This year, Everyone Home DC will again offer flexible monetary support to the families we work alongside, encouraging families to shop together in anticipation of the new school year. 

Everyone Home DC is raising funds for the upcoming school year to provide gift cards for families to use during back-to-school shopping. This year, we aim to distribute 200 $50 gift cards to Everyone Home DC scholars, and we need your help to reach our goal. 

Here are some other ways you support Everyone Home DC in reaching our goal:

  • Make a donation today towards our fundraising goal.
  • Create a fundraising page to share with your community. We are on standby to provide support! 
  • Host a drive to collect gift cards (Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, and Amazon) at your work, place of worship, or with your favorite people. 
  • Please email or post on your favorite social media platform to spread the word and share the need with your friends and family. 

Everyone Home DC plans to distribute gift cards to families the week of August 5.

Every little bit helps. Below is more information on getting started and getting gift cards or cash gifts to Everyone Home DC. 

GETTING STARTED

  • We want to hear if you plan to run a drive or collection! This will support Everyone Home DC’s planning (and budgeting) efforts. Contact Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org to discuss what types of gift cards to focus on collecting and to share how many gift cards you plan to contribute. We can also provide brainstorming support to get the word out to your community if you run a drive.
  • You can also make a monetary donation, and program staff will purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Please note families have openly expressed how much they appreciate the convenience of receiving gift cards electronically. Consider donating in $50 increments (or any amount) today!
  • Families express most appreciating Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, and Amazon gift cards.
  • Are you interested in setting up a personal fundraising page? Email Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org. She is on standby to help you get started!

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC

  • You are welcome to skip the process of purchasing cards and make a donation on our Back to School Collection donation page. Program staff will then purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Make Your Donation Today!
  • If purchasing gift cards at a store or online, you can mail them directly to Everyone Home DC’s main headquarters address. Please contact Kate at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org if you have any questions or to discuss dropping the gift cards off.

Mail Gift Cards to:
Everyone Home DC
 Attn: Back-to-School
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington DC 20002

Please note: We will not be accepting gift card drop-offs at our drop-in day center. 

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Thank you for standing with Everyone Home DC now and always. We are so glad you are here.

 

Dine Out for Everyone Home DC is Here!

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What’s on the menu this May?

Everyone Home DC is serving up a brand new fundraising event, with a side of positive impact!

Dine Out for Everyone Home DC is a month-long partnership between Everyone Home DC and restaurants throughout the District. Together, we will share more about Everyone Home DC’s vital mission to end homelessness in DC and raise funds through a variety of special (and dare we say, tasty?) opportunities!

Take a bite out of the calendar of events for Dine Out for Everyone Home DC:

  • Call Your Mother, 701 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003: Favorite DMV deli Call Your Mother is hosting a fundraiser at their Capitol Hill location on Wednesday, May 15. From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (that’s prime bagel time), when you use code “EHDC” on orders made online or in-person, 25% of sales will go to Everyone Home DC. 
  • Letena, 3100 14th St NW, Washington, DC, 20010: Visit this Ethiopian eatery in Columbia Heights on Thursday evenings throughout May and 10% of sales of any wine bottle will be donated to Everyone Home DC!
  • Dolan Uyghur Restaurant, 3518 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008: Stay tuned to our social media for upcoming announcements about this event!

Delicious Dine Out delights will continue at this year’s Spring Social, where we will be raffling off $100 gift cards to Blue 44, DC Sweet Potato Cake, Elfegne, and Pacci’s! The Spring Social, which will be held on May 21 from 6-8pm at H Street’s Irregardless, will feature other raffle prizes as well, including Wizards and Nationals tickets and passes for adventures all around the DMV at Six Flags, Beat the Bomb, 5 Wits Arlington, and more.

At the Spring Social, we will come together to harness collective energy around our shared vision of the District of Columbia as a thriving and diverse community where all people can obtain and remain in safe, affordable, and comfortable homes. Tickets are required, and space is limited, so make sure to reserve your spot today if you haven’t yet done so.

We look forward to Dining Out and Spring Socializing with you all this May!

Stay connected to all our upcoming events on Everyone Home DC’s Event Page!

Make a Lasting Impact. Join Everyone Home DC’s GoodNeighbor Circle.

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We are so glad you are here! And, we would love to invite you to invest monthly in ending homelessness by joining Everyone Home DC’s GoodNeighbor Circle. 

The GoodNeighbor Circle includes 35 of Everyone Home DC’s most committed partners. Collectively, its members raised more than $20,000 in 2023, an increase of 40% from the previous year. Everyone Home DC has a goal of reaching 50 members. Will you help us reach our goal and join our GoodNeighbor Circle today?

Joining Everyone Home DC’s GoodNeighbor Circle is the easiest and most consistent way to support Everyone Home DC. Members make automatic monthly donations, which allows Everyone Home DC to plan long-term, budget more efficiently, and create more life-changing opportunities for individuals and families in our city. You choose how much to give and you can change your amount or cancel anytime.

Become a GoodNeighbor with your monthly gift today and ensure everyone in our city can access safe, affordable, and comfortable homes.

Introducing…

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Everyone Home DC is excited to kick off this new year by introducing a new initiative while at the same time celebrating our tenacious and inspiring leader, Karen Cunningham! Karen has served as Everyone Home DC’s Executive Director for TEN phenomenal years…and…fun fact…Karen begins each new year celebrating her birthday on January 1. 

In honor of both Karen’s January birthday AND her recent 10th work anniversary, Everyone Home DC is launching its first-ever year-long Birthday Bash, with the goal of welcoming TEN birthday fundraisers to the Bash this year.

Below are some simple ways you can join in on the fun and help Everyone Home DC reach this 2024 goal:

Invest in Stable Housing this Holiday Season

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In reading this post, you are no doubt at some point in your typical daily routine. You may be scrolling online first thing in the morning, coffee mug in hand, ready to tackle the day ahead, or maybe you are just getting home from work, preparing to take the dog for a walk, or finding a minute to relax before making dinner.

However, this letter fits into your day, we all find comfort in our routines. Consistency helps us to stay on top of tasks, manage stress, and find moments to do those special little things that make us happy—maybe that coffee has your favorite caramel creamer swirled through it. But the key to forming our routines–and coping when they are disrupted—is the support of something we may not have ever had to think twice about—having a permanent, stable home. 

“You get a flat tire, you think,  ‘Okay, I might need to take the bus home tonight. But I’ll be able to go home, sleep, and rest. I’m not pushed to the brink of, ‘I have nothing,'” says Veronica Starr, Everyone Home DC’s Clinical Supervisor of the Permanent Supportive Housing Program, which was newly launched in March of 2023. Everyone Home DC’s new Permanent Supportive Housing Program guides individuals and families through the process of finding housing and securing the resources necessary to maintain it. 

Everyone Home DC’s Permanent Supportive Housing team’s work directly supports the goal of ending chronic homelessness in DC, as do donors like you. This holiday season, your gift to Everyone Home DC ensures all people in our city have access to services and programs that connect them with supportive networks and make positive gains in their lives. At Everyone Home DC, we know housing is the solution to ending homelessness. 

We also know that much of the hard work continues once connected to a safe and stable home. “There are so many barriers that people are dealing with personally that have nothing to do with housing,” Veronica says, noting that this is where their team’s work comes in. “If you have someone to ensure that you can work through those things while you are housed, you can put your other goals first if you know where you are going to sleep and that you’re going to be safe.” 

However, the Permanent Supportive Housing Program faces many challenges in helping its clients find this safety and security, making the support of Everyone Home DC’s friends and supporters all the more crucial.

“There are all these shades and layers of red tape,” says JoVonna Chase, the Permanent Supportive Housing Program Manager. Everything from a person having their only form of ID stolen, to landlords being reluctant to accept applicants working with a case manager and potentially without a solid rental history, to unit inspections taking months instead of days to carry out can slow down the approval process. Veronica adds, “It’s not as easy as looking at apartments.com and picking out a place.” 

The dedication of Everyone Home DC’s Permanent Supportive Housing Team and the generous donations from our community this holiday season can help lead to more and more success stories despite the many roadblocks.

“As we built the team,” says JoVonna, “one of the things we were very intentional about was hiring people who would operate from a place of kindness and compassion first. Allowing people to be people allows us to have big wins.”

Veronica felt inspired when the Permanent Supportive Housing team supported its first client in finding permanent housing after a challenge-filled four months. “It felt like, ‘We can do this! This isn’t impossible!'” she says. Beyond feeling confident in the team’s work, Veronica was struck by the change she saw in the client herself. “The smiling, the casual conversation: it makes such a huge difference when someone can remove [concerns about housing] from their brain and just talk about food, the weather, school, and music.” Finding a home meant that this person could finally shift their focus to those everyday things instead—their routines. 

“I believe if I come home to a comfortable home with AC and heat, with no rodents or roaches, somewhere I feel safe, I feel our clients should have that same opportunity,” says JoVonna. As Program Manager, she has ambitious goals for the Permanent Supportive Housing team that can be supported by a gift from community members like you, who believe, just like JoVonna, that everyone deserves this same comfort and security. She wants to grow the team’s capacity in the coming years, with more case managers to partner with more clients. No matter what support they may need, JoVonna hopes the people we work alongside can trust that Everyone Home DC will be there with a comprehensive, holistic response.  

“Our donors have a heart to help,” JoVonna shared. And we at Everyone Home DC know that those generous hearts beat especially strong at this time of the year. In the spirit of the season, please make a personally meaningful year-end gift to Everyone Home DC today. Our entire community will feel your love and support. 

When we invest in Permanent Supportive Housing, we are taking a crucial step toward the ultimate goal of ending chronic homelessness in the District. Your urgently needed year-end gift can ensure that 
Everyone Home DC continues to provide essential services and housing support for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our city. We cannot do this work without YOU. Thank you in advance for your support and the love that you show to Everyone Home DC.  

Sincerely,
Karen Cunningham
Executive Director

P.S. Does your employer have a matching gift program? There is still time to give and have it matched in 2023! Learn more on our website. If you need any support with completing forms, email Kate at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org

 

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