Voices of Shirley’s Place

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Collectively, we continue to find ourselves amid extraordinary challenges. This is especially true for Everyone Home DC and the people we work alongside. We are so profoundly grateful to you for standing with us yet again this year. Your dependable support has ensured that all of Everyone Home DC’s front line and essential services have continued uninterrupted. That includes our drop-in Day Center, Shirley’s Place, which continues to keep its doors open and services accessible—although in a re-imagined way—over the last year and a half. Shirley’s Place, located near the Potomac Avenue Metro station, is named in honor of the late Shirley Smith Anderson, a long-time member of the Capitol Hill Community, and social justice activist. Everyone Home DC’s Day Center is one of only a few spaces in our city offering people experiencing homelessness a safe, healthy, and dignified place to take respite from the elements and access vital services like showers, laundry, restrooms, mail service, phones, computers, lunch, and social service referrals. This holiday season, it is your gift to Everyone Home DC that supports our critical work on the front lines, ensuring that all people living in our city have access to meaningful relationships that connect them with supportive services and networks.

As economic uncertainty continues to loom, this is more important than ever before. As we reflect on the past year, we want to lift up the voices of our community as they share what Shirley’s Place has meant to them over the last 20 months.

Because of your commitment to our mission and programs, Everyone Home DC’s Day Center has historically had a profound impact on the Capitol Hill Community by providing consistent and life-saving support to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. During this pandemic, Shirley’s Place has continued to provide these essential services and supplies without interruption. The Day Center reconfigured its physical space, acquired the appropriate PPE, and put policies and protocols in place to offer in-person services safely and with urgency and compassion. This year, Everyone Home DC is partnering with DC Central Kitchen to provide tasty, nutritious, and dignified meals, to anyone who stops by Shirley’s Place for a visit.

It is so hard to know what 2022 will bring. Due to the economic and racial injustice that has existed in our society for decades, the individuals and families we work with—who were facing crisis and instability long before this pandemic—are feeling far more exposed to the harshness of this new reality. Please make a personally meaningful year-end contribution today to support Everyone Home DC’s critical work on the front lines in the new year ahead.

In the spirit of the season, please make a personally meaningful year-end gift today to ensure that Everyone Home DC continues to provide essential services and housing supports while preparing for the pandemic’s long-term impact. With your gift today, Everyone Home DC will be here not just today but, in the weeks, and months ahead, working with our community to put the needs of people at risk of or experiencing homelessness at the center of a just recovery. We are so glad you are here. We cannot do this work without YOU. Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.

🎁 Looking for Last Minute Gifts?🎁

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THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, GIVE A GIFT THAT MAKES YOUR COMMUNITY STRONGER!

Finding a meaningful holiday gift for the people you love can be a challenge. This year, honor those you care about by making a donation on their behalf to Everyone Home DC. Your holiday gift will provide urgent and critical resources to individuals and families living in Washington, DC, who continue to feel the harsh impact of the ongoing global health pandemic. The process couldn’t be easier…

1. Make a Donation

Everyone Home DC will put your meaningful gift in honor to work immediately in support of individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC.

2. Click Here to Download Your Certificate of Donation

After making your donation, download your certificate and personalize it.

Everyone Home DC Certificate of Donation

3. Check this item off your holiday to do list.

 Thank you for giving a gift that builds a stronger and more vibrant city for all!

If you need any support, we are on standby. 

❤ 2021 Executive Director Reflection ❤

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As unbelievable as it seems, we are somehow reaching the end of another year. We had hoped the pandemic would be over by now, but alas….. The ongoing pandemic continues to complicate our efforts to end homelessness, but today, I want to focus on the positive things the pandemic has taught us.

First, we learned just how much we could count on you in a crisis. You donated more generously than ever and consistently asked how our staff and clients were coping and what more you could do to help. You enabled us to continue providing essential services to those in need and to do so in ways that kept both our clients and staff safe. Thank you!

Through the Pandemic Emergency Housing for Medically Vulnerable Individuals (PEP-V) program, our city learned what service providers already knew–when we have the will and commit the resources, we can quickly move unhoused individuals indoors, including those who have eschewed shelter for years. Many people living outdoors do not want to go into a congregate shelter for a variety of legitimate reasons including, being unable to bring more than two bags of belongings, poor shelter conditions, unwillingness to live apart from an opposite-sex partner or relinquish a pet, and being overwhelmed in large group settings. When offered a room with no more than one roommate in a PEP-V shelter, however, even those written off by some as “housing resistant” happily moved inside and stayed. It is not shelter or housing that folks resist. It is shelter or housing that does not adequately support their very reasonable needs and preferences. We hope this lesson will be incorporated into the design of our standard shelter and housing programs.

Finally, we learned important lessons about making our services even more client-centered and anti-racist. The pandemic forced homeless services providers to conduct meetings by phone and video and have clients sign documents electronically. We also chose to provide electronic gift cards rather than distributing pantry and household items directly. We quickly realized that these changes made it far more accessible for people to actively participate in our programs and get the kind of support they needed. They no longer had to spend the time, energy, and expense to travel to in-person meetings, sometimes with several small children in tow. They also had the dignity of choosing the best items for them rather than making due with whatever we had on hand or chose for them. This is what it looks like to be client-centered, and we hope to continue these practices as much as possible even after the pandemic finally abates.

Similarly, we chose to provide gift cards rather than school supplies, food baskets, and presents through our Back-to-School, Thanksgiving, and Holiday Gift drives. We knew that this approach was the right one as it centered the clients’ needs and offered them the power to make their own decisions. Our clients could choose what their kids most needed and wanted for school, shop for the ingredients necessary for their particular holiday traditions, and feel the joy of selecting and wrapping gifts for their children–things most of us take for granted. Moreover, giving people cash rather than pre-selected goods intentionally disrupts a system of in-kind giving rooted in and maintained by racist and classist notions that poor people–and especially poor Black people–cannot be trusted to spend money in ways that predominantly white and wealthy donors, institutional funders, and service providers deem responsible.

We had contemplated making this change for some time but feared that our in-kind donors might not participate without the feel-good element of shopping for their sponsored families. The pandemic forced our hand, and I am proud to share that our fears were largely unfounded. Several of you even wrote to us saying how much you appreciated our more client-centered and anti-racist approach. It has been so fulfilling for our team to see that when we lead with our values, our community will not just follow but will enthusiastically cheer us on.

We look forward to a new year where we will continue to look and listen for what this pandemic, our clients, and our community have to teach us. Thank you for taking this journey with us!

With warm wishes for a joyful holiday season,

Karen Cunningham
Everyone Home DC
Executive Director

Hip Hip Hooray! It’s GivingTuesday!

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Today is GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is an all day global generosity movement that strives to build communities where the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together—unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity in DC and around the globe. #GivingTuesday is an opportunity for people around the world to stand together in unity⁠⁠—to use their individual power of generosity to remain connected and heal.

Here are some ways to share this very special day with Everyone Home DC:

DONATE. Your GivingTuesday gift ensures all people living in the District have access to safe, affordable, and comfortable homes along with meaningful relationships that connect people with supportive networks. This is even more important during the ongoing global health emergency. Make your year-end #GivingTuesday gift TODAY!

SHARE YOUR MERRY. Every family deserves a joyful end-of-year experience! Everyone Home DC is committed to ensuring that families have the flexibility to celebrate their winter holiday and experience the joy of giving gifts. Learn more about this year’s approach and share your merry with a family today!

SPREAD THE WORD. Share with your friends and families what Everyone Home DC means to you. It can be a video of why you give or a story of your favorite moment engaging with our mission. However you choose to share, tag @EveryoneHomeDC! 

Thank you for standing alongside Everyone Home DC on #GivingTuesday and always.

So Much Gratitude

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Today on Thanksgiving, Everyone Home DC wants to express how grateful we are for the community members we have the privilege of working alongside. In a year that has been filled with ongoing challenges and uncertainty, Everyone Home DC continues to be amazed by your extreme empathy, compassion, and dedication. 

We are grateful and inspired by your commitment to a future that ensures all people living in the District have access to safe, affordable, and comfortable homes as well as meaningful relationships that connect them with supportive networks. Your support is what makes Everyone Home DC’s work possible, and together, we are building a more just and vibrant city for everyone. We are so glad you are here. Thank you for all you make possible. 

From All of Us at Everyone Home DC, Happy Thanksgiving!

‘Tis the Season to Share Your Merry

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This holiday season is the perfect time to help families in our community who continue to be impacted by the global health pandemic. 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 in a meaningful way. Once again this year, Everyone Home DC will distribute debit gift cards to our community members, giving them the power to make their own decisions on how they spend these valuable funds, however best for their families.

This year, 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 at your work, place of worship, book 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 as well as some of the most preferred gift cards. Thank you for your continued support of Everyone Home DC!

Everyone Home DC plans to begin distributing 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 that will be used to purchase gift cards by program staff and sent electronically to families. Please note, families have openly expressed how much they appreciate the convenience of receiving gift cards electronically. Consider donating today!
  • Everyone Home DC families most appreciate Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart Old Navy, Amazon.

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC 

  • You are welcome to skip purchasing gift cards and make a donation 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 are welcome to 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: Holidays
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington DC, 20002

Please note: For our guests’ health and safety at Shirley’s Place, we will not be accepting gift card drop-offs at our drop-in day center (which has historically been the location for drop-offs in the past.) Thank you for understanding.

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.

 

How CARES Act Extensions Affect Your 2021 Charitable Tax Donations

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To help American workers and businesses mitigate the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak, in March 2020 the government signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Included in the original CARES Act were key provisions that encouraged individuals and corporations to help nonprofit organizations providing direct services and support to those impacted by COVID-19.

As a result of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, several of these provisions were extended or expanded into 2021. They may impact your 2021 charitable tax deductions as described below.

  • Extension: $300 deduction for those who claim the standard deduction.
    Individuals who plan to take the standard deduction for their 2021 tax returns may claim an above-the-line deduction of up to $300 for cash donations to qualifying public charities. As many as 85 percent of Americans do not itemize their tax returns, making them previously ineligible for charitable deductions.
  • Expansion: $600 deduction for married couples.
    For 2021, this above-the-line deduction is increased to $600 for cash donations for married couples filing jointly who do not itemize tax deductions.
  • Extension: Charitable giving deduction limit increased to 100 percent of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on cash donations for those who itemize.
    Donors may continue to receive a federal income tax deduction for charitable contributions of up to 100 percent of their AGI for certain cash donations made during the calendar year 2021. Prior to 2020, this number was 60 percent.
  • Extension: AGI limit for cash contributions increased to 25 percent of taxable income for corporations.
    The AGI limit for cash contributions also remains increased for corporate donors. Corporations can deduct up to 25 percent of taxable income. Prior to 2020, this number was 10 percent.

You can also support Everyone Home DC with a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA, if you are age 70.5 or older. Deduction limitations for charitable gifts to donor-advised funds, private non-operating foundations, and supporting organizations were not changed under the CARES Act.

Questions?

Please talk with your accountant to learn more about the CARES Act specifically. If you have any questions or want to discuss the best way to support Everyone Home DC, please contact Kate Akalonu, Director of Strategic Initiatives at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org. You can also visit our “Make-a-Gift” page to learn more.

New Partnership Announcement: if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility

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Everyone Home DC is excited to announce a new grant partnership with if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility, which will support Everyone Home DC’s continued commitment to dismantling power structures that uphold white supremacy. 

In the U.S., Black people are disproportionately impacted by homelessness. In Washington, DC, Black residents make up 86.4% of the homeless population while only representing 46.6% of the city’s population. The over-representation of Black Americans in the homeless population is no accident. Racism, violent land theft, and insufficient income and assets that create housing instability and widen the racial wealth gap has made Black people more likely to experience poverty and homelessness.

Everyone Home DC knows that the systems, programs, and individuals that exist to serve people experiencing homelessness must continue to intentionally address the myriad of injustices that have resulted from racism and racial inequity. And, Everyone Home DC is committed to addressing the disparities that exist in homelessness services across Washington, DC, and within our own organization. Everyone Home DC recognizes that we have much work to do to create long-term change and become a just and equitable society. 

“I am beyond thrilled that if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility has chosen to invest in Everyone Home DC. We know that homelessness cannot end without addressing racial inequity,” shared Everyone Home DC Executive Director Karen Cunningham. “As an organization, Everyone Home DC is focused on doing the work to ensure we are consistently examining the systems and structures of our organization through an antiracist lens.” 

To accomplish this goal, Everyone Home DC has contracted with C4 Innovations’ Racial Equity Design and Implementation (REDI) Initiative to audit the organization and its services to fully understand racial inequities and disparities within our work and correct them through equitable strategies and systems. C4 Innovations has extensive experience in this field and with similar organizations such as the York Street Project, NJ, and Shelter House, VA. They collaborate with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to complete a Racial Equity and Systems Analysis Project, which includes the Continuum of Care that Everyone Home DC is a member of.

The vision of the if Foundation is for Black people and people of the global majority to live powerfully, abundantly, and beautifully in healthy, self-determined communities free of social, economic, and ideological violence. They do this by supporting community-based and nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC region that advance racial equity and justice. Learn more at https://www.iffdn.org/

 

Support Everyone Home DC Families 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 to help families in our community who continue to be impacted by the global health pandemic. Everyone Home DC is committed to ensuring that the families we work alongside will have the flexibility to celebrate Thanksgiving in a meaningful way. Once again this year, Everyone Home DC will distribute grocery and debit gift cards to our community members, giving them the power to make their own decisions on how they spend these funds.

Everyone Home DC introduced this new approach last year and it was met with gratitude and appreciation from our families, who appreciated the efficiency of the process and the ability to personalize their shopping experience. This year, we are continuing with the same model because we are continuing to navigate a pandemic and it’s what the community wants.

Everyone Home DC’s goal this year is to distribute a gift card to each family that works with Everyone Home DC, which means we need 150 $50 gift cards to distribute to families in advance of Thanksgiving. 

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 at your work, place of worship, book 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 by 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 any brainstorming support to get the word out to your community if you are running a drive.
  • You can also make a monetary donation that will be used to purchase gift cards by program staff and sent electronically to families. Please note, families have openly expressed how much they appreciate the convenience of receiving gift cards electronically. Consider making a donation in $50 increments (or any amount) today!
  • Everyone Home DC families expressed most appreciating Visa, Mastercard, Harris Teeter, 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 $50 increments (or any amount) today!
  • If purchasing gift cards at a store or online, you are welcome to 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

Please note: For our guests’ health and safety at Shirley’s Place, we will not be accepting gift card drop-offs at our drop-in day center (which has historically been the location for drop-offs in the past.) Thank you for understanding.

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.

 

September Challenge Wrap-Up

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Thank you for once again making this year’s September Challenge a massive success! Thank you for showing up for individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness in DC during this time of extreme uncertainty. Together, we raised nearly $60,000, with close to 200 donations made throughout the month. 

We would not have seen this success if it wasn’t for our AMAZING September Challenge Sponsors, Benefactor Circle, and Committee members; our staff, volunteers, donors, event hosts & participants, fundraisers, online auction partners & participants, and many social media ambassadors. We know the need to raise critical funds to support people facing homelessness is even more urgent due to the prolonged global health pandemic. Everyone played a critical role in ensuring this campaign’s success. Thank you.

In addition to the funds raised, check out Everyone Home DC’s September Challenge by the numbers.

  • The top two fundraisers raised more than $3,500 and collectively raised more than $7,000. Huge thanks to Alison Harwood, Angela Beckham, AND Edith and Mark Sherman for sharing your time and enthusiasm with this year’s September Challenge!
  • The September Challenge saw an increase in support this year, welcoming thirty Sponsors and Benefactor Circle members. 
  • There were six events hosted this September that welcomed new friends into the Everyone Home DC family and raised more than $10,000.
  • Everyone Home DC’s online auction raised more than $7,000.

It is the responsibility of each of us to end homelessness in Washington, DC and build the welcoming and inclusive community our founders believed is possible. Thank you for joining Everyone Home DC as we continue the work of ensuring all people have access to safe, affordable, and comfortable homes in Washington, DC. We are so glad you are here!

 

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