Celebrate Your Birthday with Everyone Home DC in 2025

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Join Everyone Home DC’s year-long 2025 Birthday Bash! This year, we have set a goal of welcoming TEN birthday fundraisers to the Bash.

Below are some simple ways you can join in on the fun and help Everyone Home DC reach this 2025 goal:

Make a personal impact in the lives of the people we work alongside

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We all have a place we call home. We have a history there—whether long or short—and we have friends and special connections there. We know our neighborhoods like the back of our hands—which street the best local bookshop is on, what visitors just have to try on the menu of our favorite lunch spot, the bus stops, the shortcuts—everything that makes our home uniquely ours. 

And for all that our home is ours, we understand that it belongs just as much to our neighbors, and together we all share a vision for our community being safe, comfortable, and welcoming to all. As a supporter of Everyone Home DC, we know that you share this vision for our city’s future and are dedicated to the work it takes to make that vision a reality by providing resources and supportive services for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness. It is your gift this holiday season to Everyone Home DC that 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. 

Throughout 2024, Everyone Home DC has witnessed many changes that threaten this vision of the future for the city. From 2023 to 2024, homelessness rose by 14%. Budget cuts have stripped away government resources that many families and individuals count on to stabilize their housing situations—this includes over 1,000 families being exited from the city’s Rapid Rehousing program this upcoming year. The Supreme Court upheld a decision in the Johnson vs. Grants Pass case that will make it easier for cities nationwide to criminalize homelessness. Even the DC Public Library announced changes that will prevent people from sleeping outside their property and reduce the number of computers and charging stations available for common use, turning a former safe harbor of public space into one that is restricted and policed unnecessarily. All of these changes, rather than reinforcing what we know to be true—that housing is the solution to homelessness—create an environment that puts people lacking secure housing more and more at risk. 

But we do not have to stand for it. 

Everyone Home DC sees so much hope and potential for a future where our city can be home to anyone who chooses it, especially for those who have been strategically undervalued in our city for far too long. Though we will be seeing significant cuts to government funding, which is often already restricted in how it may be used, it is YOUR flexible support that can make a personal impact in the lives of the people we work alongside, people just like Steven. 
 

Everyone Home DC recently worked with Steven* to ensure that what mattered to him—finding a place to live near his place of work—was kept as a top priority during his search for housing. Having a home that makes our commute easier is something we all hope for, after all. When Steven found a building to suit his needs, the Permanent Supportive Housing team was able to advocate for him and negotiate for a unit that would be the perfect fit—a comfortable home. Once he moved in, the team was able to ensure he had a variety of home essentials available to make his transition to this new space a smooth one: everything from furniture to cleaning supplies to cookware. Everyone Home DC was also able to purchase a larger mattress for him that would be the right size to accommodate the medical equipment Steven uses as he sleeps. Today, Steven has pride in his new home, which is uniquely set up to support him as he navigates new opportunities, experiences, and goals. 

Your personally meaningful gift will allow Everyone Home DC the flexibility to move forward in 2025 providing a wide range of unique necessities for the people we work with. It will allow us to continue to provide resources that people count on throughout their day-to-day lives, like those found at our drop-in Day Center, Shirley’s Place. For three years while John* slept outside, he visited the Day Center every day to grab a nutritious meal, shower, and wash his clothes while he slept outdoors. Having a safe space where he could attend to basic needs provided John with a stable foundation from which he could pursue housing—and this fall, his apartment in Northwest was officially approved. Heading into this holiday season, John is proud to have a place to call home. 

When people come together to support one another, any neighborhood, any community, any city can thrive and be a true home. Everyone Home DC cannot wait to share the stories that this upcoming year will tell—stories that YOU are helping us write. The work Everyone Home DC accomplishes each day cannot be done without you, the people who share DC as home, and have incredible hope for its future. In the spirit of the season, please make your urgently needed, year-end, tax-deductible gift today to ensure Everyone Home DC can continue to take steps towards that future where everyone in the city has a safe, comfortable, affordable home to call their own. 

Thank you in advance for your consistent generosity and love that you show to Everyone Home DC every day as one of our most valued neighbors. 


2024 Executive Director Reflection

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Dear Friend,

I’ve been watching my fair share of cheesy Christmas movies over the last several weeks. While I enjoy seeing the sad orphan or widow reconnecting to their Christmas spirit; the lonely, over-achieving career woman finding love with a carpenter restoring an old church in her hometown; and the venture capitalist saving the independent bookstore instead of putting it out of business as much as the next gal, I do have a gripe with the Christmas movie cliche that idealizes small towns over big cities. While big cities may have bigger problems than small towns and a pace of life that can leave less time for baking cookies and crafting hand-made Christmas ornaments, it is simply not true that small-town folks have stronger values or care about their neighbors more than big-city residents do. Big cities also have big hearts. 

Everyone Home DC’s supporters like you prove this again and again and again. All year long, I watched you show love for your unhoused and housing-insecure neighbors in our big city. Here are a few examples:

  • Point in Time Count volunteers spent hours outside on a cold January night ensuring that every person sleeping outside and their experience of homelessness was documented so that the city can understand the size, demographics, and needs of our homeless population.
  • Individuals from religious congregations and community organizations prepared and shared home-cooked meals with about 80 guests at Shirley’s Place at least once a month. For Thanksgiving, one church delivered mini-pies to make our guests’ holiday meals special.
  • Community members organized in-kind drives within their workplaces, schools, and religious organizations to ensure that people living outside had plenty of water and sports drinks to keep them hydrated (nearly 4,000 bottles of water were donated) in the hottest summer months and that they always had the hygiene items necessary to preserve both their health and their dignity (3,000 hygiene kits were created).
  • Several faith communities worked together to plan and host an educational forum on homelessness and how best to support unhoused neighbors.
  • A Girls Scout troop spent time learning about homelessness and then assembled toiletry kits, which they donated to our Outreach and Day Center program along with a portion of their cookie sale earnings. 
  • Small businesses hosted events, contributed a portion of their proceeds to support Everyone Home DC, and donated dozens of items to our silent auction.
  • Scores of supporters made the holidays special for Everyone Home DC families by donating gift cards that enabled parents to prepare Thanksgiving meals with all their family favorites and pick out just the right holiday gifts for each of their kids. Another group brought the merry by providing Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights delivered right to their homes!

All of the above acts of kindness were in addition to the other generous financial contributions you made or plan to make through year-end giving. Indeed, all of you city slickers routinely demonstrate strong values that include caring about the well-being of both loved ones and strangers and sharing your blessings with those who have the greatest needs. I dare say that the District of Columbia I know is overflowing with the kind of generosity and commitment to a loving community that many Christmas movies imply is lacking from big city life. Thank you for all the ways, big and small, that you support Everyone Home DC and people experiencing homelessness. You are what makes our big city great. 

I wish you all a joyful holiday season and that the love you have given returns to you tenfold!

With love and gratitude,
Karen Cunningham
Everyone Home DC
Executive Director

Share Your Merry with Families in DC

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This winter 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 families we work alongside will have the flexibility to celebrate their winter holiday and experience the joy of giving gifts. This holiday season, Everyone Home DC will distribute 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.

Based on the family size, Everyone Home DC will provide gift cards valued between $150 and $500. 

We need YOUR help to reach our goal. You can make a monetary donation today here. You can also consider running a drive to collect gift cards with your favorite community or network 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 and some of the most preferred gift cards. Thank you for your continued support of Everyone Home DC!

Everyone Home DC plans to distribute gift cards to families in December.

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 any brainstorming support to get the word out to your community and create personalized donation forms to track your progress easily.
  • You can also make a monetary donation, which program staff will use to purchase gift cards and send electronically to families. Consider donating today!
  • Everyone Home DC families most appreciate Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Amazon.

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC 

You can skip purchasing gift cards and donate on our Winter Holiday donation page. Program staff will then purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Consider donating 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 Development
Attn: Holidays
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.**

Celebrate Giving Tuesday with Everyone Home DC & Solid State Books!

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This year, Everyone Home DC and local business Solid State Books (600F H St NE, Washington, DC 20002) are teaming up to celebrate Giving Tuesday–and we want you to join us!

“Housing security is a most concerning area of need in our DC community, and we are proud to partner with Everyone Home DC for this Giving Tuesday. Please join Solid State Books in helping to continue to address the hard things in our local worlds.” Solid State co-owner, Scott Abel.

 Drop by on December 3, any time between 11 am – 7 pm, to visit Everyone Home DC’s table and learn more about our organization’s work in the community and throughout the District. We will also be featuring our “Recommended Reading List” full of books that discuss DC history, housing security, racial equity, and more:

  1. Evicted by Mathew Desmond 
  2. Color of Law by Richard Rothstein 
  3. Chocolate City by Chris Myers Asch & George Derek Musgrove
  4. I’m Still Here. Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness By Austin Channing Brown
  5. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
  6. How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
  7. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
  8. On the Housing Crisis: Land, Development, Democracy by Jerusalem Dembas

 A portion of the proceeds from sales of this list will go towards Everyone Home DC’s vital programs, which provide resources for our unhoused neighbors. 

“We’re looking forward to this opportunity to meet community members and to highlight some amazing resources. We’re grateful for Solid State Book’s partnership and for all of our supporters who believe in our mission to end homelessness in DC.” Grace Arenas, Everyone Home DC Development & Engagement Specialist

Giving Tuesday is a day when people come together to show their generosity and support for causes that can bring about impactful change. With Everyone Home DC and Solid State Books’ partnership, you can give back to your community while supporting a local business. The timing couldn’t be better with the upcoming holiday season! We can’t wait to see you on December 3. 

 

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!

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