#Whatsupwednesday 4.22.2015

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Spur Local

It’s Earth Day, Spring2ACTion…and of course, #WhatsUpWednesday…which means Catalogue charities are busy all over our region celebrating program graduates and milestone achievements, thanking volunteers, educating farmers and business owners, and keeping our region beautiful and green!

Byte Back

Byte Back’s spring graduation was on Friday. They had about 75 graduates from their Office Track and IC3 (Internet & Computing Core Certification) classes. Learn more about Byte Back’s classes here.

ARC of Northern Virginia

The Arc of Northern Virginia was a co-sponsor of the ADA Legacy celebration in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The event was held on Monday, April 20 from 12 noon to 2 pm at the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) in Arlington, Virginia and included the “Road to Freedom” ADA Bus.

Senior Services of Alexandria

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Cabot Creamery treated Senior Services’ volunteers to Cabot’s Gratitude Grille, a full service traveling kitchen that prepares healthy, delicious meals to feed volunteers. The menu included homemade grilled pimento cheese sandwich, salad and cookies. The farm families who own Cabot appreciate what volunteers do for their communities every day and are proud to honor their efforts with the Gratitude Grille.

SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) of Northern Virginia

SCAN is busy with Spring2ACTion and the launch of their NEW Community Training Room tonight! Funds raised today will help equip new space & give child abuse prevention, CASA for Kids & Darkness to Light trainings in 2015.

2Seeds Network

The greenhouses in Bombo Majimoto Projectare complete, and Partners have a training this week to learn best practices for growing garlic! Happy Earth Day from Tanzania!

DC SCORES

Students at 44 schools are cleaning up their communities and doing other work to create change as part of DC SCORES service-learning. Happy #EarthDay!

Our Daily Bread

So proud of Kesha, Our Daily Bread’s newest Project BRIDGE Program graduate! Working over the past year with her volunteer Financial Mentor Evangeline and ODB staff, Kesha has worked to pay down her debt, build an emergency fund, and is on the path to be able to support herself and her two daughters on her own. Learn more about Kesha and Evangeline at: https://www.odbfairfax.org/PBKesha

Crossroads Community Food Network

Crossroads staff discussed improved marketing and product lines with one of our Microenterprise Training Program participants at the restaurant she manages. To taste her food, visit our upcoming Night Market!

Washington Parks & People

Washington Parks and People had a great day, hosting the US Department of Justice in Eastern DC, helping to set up an urban agriculture space.

Congratulations on another great week!

#WhatsUpWednesday 04.15.15

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Spur Local

“Tax Day” got you down? Let Catalogue nonprofits lift your spirits with a peek into their inspiring work in our community!

Girls on the Run – DC
As the Girls on the Run – DC girls prepare for the spring season 5K on Sunday, May 3rd, they also learned about Real Beauty last week. This lesson presents the girls the opportunity to explore a new definition of beauty. They are to learn the benefit of thinking positively about themselves. Join GOTR-DC for the 5K at Anacostia Park as they celebrate 10,000 girls’ lives changed through the program since their founding in 2006.

Also, in honor of Volunteer Appreciation Week, GOTR-DC introduced us Kyla Campbell, one of their many wonderful coaches! To learn more about Kyla and her work with Girls on the Run DC, click here.

Washington Parks & People
Parks & People kicks off Earth Week tomorrow night with a candlelight program honoring the 8,428 African American men, women, and children who were buried during Reconstruction in the earth beneath what is now Walter Pierce Park. On April 21, the 25th anniversary of our first Earth Day reclamation of Meridian Hill/ Malcolm X Park, they will raise the Embassy of the Earth flag at our Josephine Butler Parks Center at 2437 15th NW. On April 22, Washington Parks & People and their Green Corps trainees will lead Earth Day greening and farming with the Justice Department at Marvin Gaye Park, alongside partners from DC Urbangreens, Inc. and with the DC Department of the Environment at its headquarters that evening.

Joseph’s House
Today is the final day in Joseph’s House Indiegogo campaign for their Healing Garden — they made it to their $35,000 goal with just a little cushion! Congratulations! Below is a look into the Joseph’s House dream for the garden:

“We dream of a garden sanctuary for those who have struggled for much of their lives. Joseph’s House dreams of creating a healing garden to serve as a threshold to our very special community, where our residents, as well as staff, volunteers and visitors, can pause and reflect within the healing powers of nature. Our dreams is for a garden that is accessible, inviting, neighborly and contemplative; a place to gather and to remember.”

(from http://garden.josephshouse.org/)

Congratulations to Joesph’s House!

Our Daily Bread
Happy ‪#‎NationalVolunteerWeek from Our Daily Bread‬! Last year, 1,031 Our Daily Bread volunteers worked 10,473 hours to help make life better for our Fairfax County area neighbors who are working toward self-sufficiency! We are so grateful to every one of them! Click here for a sample of what ODB volunteers do. Want to get involved? Our Daily Bread has a number of immediate volunteer needs — find them here!

#whatsupwednesday 04.08.15

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Spur Local

This week the Catalogue is excited to share a more detailed look at “what’s up” with two of our charities: CREATE Arts Center, and Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. Read on to learn more about their work, and how you can get involved!

CREATE Arts Center

: To add some sunshine to a gray day: Spring Art Campers are creative and witty! Check out the joke in this wonderful and silly surreal environment. (Click to enlarge)

Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing

We love the artwork (and joke) shared by CREATE Arts Center (’13-’14)! Located in downtown Silver Spring, CREATE offers arts classes, camps, and pARTies for children ages 2 -16, and arts classes and art therapy programs for adults of all ages. Their mission is to promote creativity, self-expression, and learning in the arts. In addition to supporting CREATE through donations, you can also get involved through various employment and volunteer opportunities, such as assisting with camps, classes and other events. Do you know a student looking for leadership opportunities? CREATE is looking for interns and Counselors-in-Training as well!

: Last week, young residents at APAH properties celebrated the start of spring with outdoor egg hunts and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Last week, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (’14-’15) celebrated the start of spring with an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny! APAH is the only nonprofit affordable housing developer working exclusively in Arlington County. Their mission is to develop, preserve, own and advocate for quality affordable housing in Arlington, and to promote opportunity for their residents through partnerships and programs. From child care, to teaching workplace skills to residents, to advocacy and more, APAH is always looking for neighbors looking to lend their time and talent in support of affordable housing in Arlington. On April 25th, volunteers are invited to APAH’s Earth Day Community Clean Up at Columbia Grove Apartments and the surrounding neighborhoods. Click for details and how to register.

…and that’s a wrap on this week’s #whatsupwednesday. Check back next week to learn more about our 331-strong community of charities!

#WhatsupWednesday 04.01.15

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Spur Local

It may be April Fool’s Day, but the work Catalogue nonprofits are doing this week is no joke! Whether its racing in support of same-day emergency assistance, teaching young girls the importance of cooperation, inspiring a young playwright, planting seeds in Tanzania, or working diligently to prevent child abuse…there’s much to be proud of this week. For information on how you can support these organization, check out their Catalogue charity pages in the links below.

Arlington Thrive
Nearly 40 Arlington Thrive supporters have Resolved to Run in 2015! These supporters are training to run the GW Parkway Classic Ten Mile and 5K race on April 26 with an expert coach. They are creating personal fundraising pages and appealing to friends and family to make a gift in their honor and support the work of Arlington Thrive. This week’s photo features their most dedicated runners who braved the cold weather on a Saturday morning at Bluemont Park in Arlington.

Girls on the Run DC
Girls across all 8 wards of the District in the Girls on the Run – DC spring season learned about cooperation this week. The girls are learning what cooperation means and understanding why cooperation is important in society. They will be challenged to begin applying cooperative skills to different situations.

Young Playwrights’ Theater
Student playwright Evan Alston from Stokes Elementary School discusses his play, Losxy Docxy, with professional actors Bryan Norrington and Kenya D. Morris during the first read-through of Young Playwrights’ Theater’s 2015 New Play Festival. April 20-22 at GALA Hispanic Theatre, professional theater artists will bring 15 student-written plays to life onstage. Free and open to the public!

2Seeds Network
2Seeds Network has a number of reforestation efforts launching this week in honor of National Tree Planting Day in Tanzania! Deforestation in Tanzania is devastatingly common, leading to major environmental issues such as soil erosion and decreased agricultural productivity. Given the widespread nature of the problem, a number of projects are employing reforestation efforts to improve soil quality and provide income sources for future generations. Read more about the Lutindi Project, 2Seeds Network’s particular approach here.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County
Today is the start of Childhood Abuse Prevention Month, and CASA Prince George’s County has an entire calendar devoted to events and tips for preventing child abuse. To learn more about Child Abuse Prevention Month, click here.

Fun Fact: Did you know the Catalogue for Philanthropy now offers the ability to make recurring donations? If you see an organization that interests you, consider committing to a regular gift (monthly, quarterly, annually)! This designation can be made on our checkout page. Please contact our office (202-955-6538) with questions.

#WhatsUpWednesday 02.11.14

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Spur Local

What’s sweeter than chocolate this Valentine’s Day? Supporting your favorite community nonprofits by making a donation, following them on social media, attending an event, or volunteering!

Check out what some of your favorite Catalogue charities have been up to this week in our #whatsupwednesday video below, and visit their Catalogue pages to see how you can get involved.

DC SCORES
Last week, DC SCORES students from Lincoln Middle School got to visit the White House for the L.A. Galaxy and L.A. Kings’ championships ceremony!

Girls on the Run – DC
Want a Sneak Peek at the fun in store for the Girls on the Run – DC Sneaker Soiree fundraiser coming up on Thursday, February 26th? Find your GOTR-style sneakers to wear for the evening & win “best dressed with sneakers”…..There’ll be a reception, fun prizes, special guest speakers, and more. Help support girls all across DC who want to participate in the program and rely on program scholarships in order to do so. The Sneaker Soiree is Thursday, February 26th from 6 – 8:30 pm at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery. Ticket information:http://bit.ly/1zPTIod

Turning the Page
In honor of Black History Month, Turning the Page received new books. Kids and parents get to choose from these books and more at every Community Night!

Community Ministries of Rockville
One is never too old to learn new things and yesterday’s workshop on Heart Healthy Nutrition for seniors was proof of that. Organized by the Elderly Ministries Program of Community Ministries of Rockville, the workshop featured a presentation by Lindsey Seegers, the Nutrition Educator from Manna Food Center. Both CMR and Manna are Catalogue non-profits. Elderly guests were given some simple tips on how to improve their diets by reading labels and avoiding foods rich in sodium, sugar and saturated fats, eating fresh and frozen rather than canned foods….and how to be aware of misleading food labels. Interpreters were on hand to help Chinese speaking guests and Manna brought headsets that interpreted for Spanish attendees. No matter what language you speak, no matter how old you are, the message was plain…eat healthy for your heart.

Take a Tour Inside the 2014-2015 Catalogue

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Spur Local

Still waiting for the 2014-2015 Catalogue for Philanthropy to arrive in your mailbox? If you haven’t already previewed our digital edition, we’ve put together a small sneak peek for you here.

So, what’s new in this year’s Catalogue for Philanthropy (aside from 78 hardworking, inspiring charities)? A few things!

More details about our vetting and selecting process: This year, we’re giving readers a closer look at the vetting and selecting process that takes places each year, from January (when charities are invited to apply) to May (when we announce our final selections). You can also learn more on our website, here.
Easier access our charities: Find a charity that interests you? No need to search for it online — simply use the web address at the end of their Catalogue write-up (ex: cfp-dc.org/riverkeeper) to go to that charity’s Catalogue page to donate, find volunteer opportunities, or connect via social media.
The ability to take the Catalogue “on the go” with you: The Catalogue for Philanthropy is now fully mobile! In addition to our mobile/tablet-friendly website, you can also access a digital edition of the Catalogue that looks just like the copy you received in the mail. Simply send a text message to 51555 with Cataloguerequest in the body of the message. From there, you’ll receive a link to the Catalogue!

We hope you’ll become inspired not only by the organizations you find in this year’s Catalogue, but also the 331 on our website. The Catalogue is the only guide to giving that uses local experts to evaluate and identify the best small charities across our region, so you can feel confident that your support will always make a real impact — here, where you live.

And we promise — We’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled “Whats Up Wednesday” programming next week!

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