CHGM’s Annual Back-to-School BackPack Distribution Helps 278 Children

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Each August, hundreds of children throughout our Capitol Hill community begin the school year unprepared due to their family’s financial difficulties. To assist with this need, Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM) hosted its Annual Back-To-School BackPack Distribution on August 18th, 2012.

This year, CHGM partnered with local schools, recreation centers, and churches to identify families in need. Thanks to the generous support of local organizations, churches, and individual donors, CHGM was able to supply 278 fully loaded backpacks to children in our community. That is a full 125 more backpacks than those provided in 2011!

Without the incredible support from both individuals and organizations such as St. Monica & St. James, Christ Church + Washington Parish, Emory Fellowship, Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, and Unity of Washington DC this year’s Backpack Event would not have been as large of a success. Thank You!

If you would like to see more pictures from the event please CLICK HERE to view the Facebook photo album.

CHGM’s May Family Night with Care Company & Friends

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On May 21st, 2012, Care Company hosted Capitol Hill Group Ministry’s “Summer Fun Family Night” at Christ Our Shepard Church in Capitol Hill.

For years, CHGM has partnered with local congregations and organizations to help provide the families in our programs an opportunity to share a meal and an evening of fun and fellowship with their neighbors and friends.

While the events themselves are simplistic by design, their transformative properties and lasting impact on the families have made CHGM’s Family Nights an essential element in our work with homeless families in our community.

These unique and powerful community events allow CHGM to express our deep connection toward community and to all who live in it.

If you are interested in learning about how you can partner, volunteer, or make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Jacob Wilkins at 202-544-3150 or via email at wilkins@chgm.net.

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Volunteer Transformation with CHGM

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One of my greatest joys in working with Capitol Hill Group Ministry has undoubtedly been watching the power of transformation our Street Outreach Program has on the way our volunteers think about our homeless neighbors on the street. The saying that people receive more than they give through volunteerism holds especially true for the special groups from across the United States that have spent an afternoon providing bottled water, sandwiches, blankets, and fellowship to the chronically homeless on the streets of Capitol Hill.

Each Sunday before our Street Outreach coordinator Dan Randazzo, or myself, leads our rag-tag groups of volunteers out to serve the community, we take a few moments to cover the basics of who CHGM is, our mission, what is street outreach, and what jobs they will be doing as Street Outreach Volunteers. We then open ourselves up to any questions the volunteers have and without doubt begin to dispel the innocent ignorance and prejudices the volunteers bring with them against the homeless. Most commonly questions focus on the safety of engaging with the homeless, and if they should be worried about catching any diseases, or robbed, or swindled, or worse! It is clear to me that while they feel called to help this marginalized population, they also truthfully believe that the homeless are individuals to be feared.

Where my greatest joy comes in though, is in watching those innocent ignorance and prejudices break down through the conversations and engagements between our volunteers and homeless neighbors. While the first interactions are awkward and hesitant, they lead to ones full of joy, friendship, and fellowship. In the matter of a few hours, our volunteers become truly transformed through the opportunity being provided for them to see that the homeless are people just like themselves who are in need of friendship, laughter, conversation, dignity, and respect. While we pride ourselves on our ability to distribute countless snacks, lunches, and bottles of water, I know that the fellowship provided to the homeless and the transformation in the volunteers are truly the most valuable aspect of our Street Outreach Volunteerism. I am proud to be a part of that transformation.

2011 Capitol Hill Group Ministry Thanks-GIVING Food Basket Results

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Well it looks like Thanksgiving has come and gone and once again we did it! No I’m not referring to eating nearly our entire weight in turkey and stuffing or even that part about consuming our entire recommended daily caloric intake in sweet potato pie. Those are still hopefully our “little” secrets.

What I am referring to is that once again the Capitol Hill Group Ministry (CHGM) with our Thanks-GIVING Food Basket sponsors and donors have succeeded helping provide more than 1,432 members of our Capitol Hill community with a wonderful Thanksgiving Day meal with all the trimmings.

This year CHGM received record demand in request from the community for thanksgiving food baskets. This increase totaled to just over 600 individuals over last year with the bulk of the increase coming from our senior citizens. Throughout the October and November months our Shirley’s Place office was full to the brim with neighbors in need submitting their requests, conducting needs assessment interviews, and checking on the status of their name on the waiting lists.

Thankfully, CHGM’s Congregational Partners, local Community Based Groups, and individual sponsors heard the communities call and were able to answer it. Longtime friends and partners such as Mothers on the Hill (MOTH), St. Monica & St. James, and Christ Church all made significant contributions to help CHGM meet this year’s demand.

Beyond the large groups that made contributions individual sponsorships significantly increased over previous years. Many of these individuals indicated that they had found out about the Food Basket Drive from the November issue of the Hill Rag and would like to help in any way they could. Volunteerism with this year’s distribution event significantly increased.

Shelah Wilcox, CHGM Special Events Manager, commented that “One of the best parts of our Thank-GIVING Food Basket Program is contacting each of the families and hearing how relieved and excited that there family would be able to have a Thanksgiving meal.” She added that “With the help of our partners, sponsors, and everyone who gave of their time, energy and finances, 1,432 were made able for families on Thanksgiving.”

Indeed the success of the 2011 Thanks-Giving Food Basket Program has given all of Capitol Hill something to be thankful for. So congratulations sponsors, donors, friends and Hill Rag readers for helping make this year’s food basket drive the best one to date… and the rest of our Thanksgiving celebration shame can remain our “little” secret.

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