A Wider Circle

This election season, volunteers with our Advocacy team reached over 10,000 potential voters via text banking, phone banking, and canvassing to provide them with all the information they needed to vote. Volunteers also worked today to help voters who needed assistance getting to their polling place. Many thanks to our partners at the Maryland Poor People's Campaign for leading this non-partisan effort!

Because of your support, here's what we accomplished in October.

I was happy to help yesterday with a clothing drive for A Wider Circle organized by a collaborative of my engageDC students led by Cali Guastella and Gannon Albertsen. Together, they collected, sorted, and washed 339 pounds of clothing, which I dropped off at A Wider Circle’s Silver Spring location. Some of these clothes will go to their Professional Development Center where they provide professional clothing for individuals to wear to interviews or to their new jobs at no charge, one of many critical resources the organization provides to help individuals and families in the DC region break cycles of poverty. This engageDC team is already busy planning their next drive.

It's time for another edition of our monthly e-newsletter, First Friday! Check out this month's First Friday at bit.ly/ff-nov, and never miss an edition in your inbox by signing up at awidercircle.org/emails.

Meet some of AWC's Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation Service Year fellows who will be making a difference on our team for the next 8 months!

Friday! Join A Wider Circle and our partners at WorkSource Montgomery for Dignity in the Workplace: Elevating Worker Equity Through Innovative Practices and Policies - a dynamic workshop designed to ignite inspiration and fuel collaboration among social service professionals. Registration is free, but space is limited. Email amy.javaid@awidercircle.org to sign up.

It's hard to believe that Neighbor to Neighbor Night was just two weeks ago! Thanks again to all who joined us for an incredible, intriguing, and impactful evening!

Next Friday! Join A Wider Circle and our partners at WorkSource Montgomery for Dignity in the Workplace: Elevating Worker Equity Through Innovative Practices and Policies - a dynamic workshop designed to ignite inspiration and fuel collaboration among social service professionals. Registration is free, but space is limited. Email amy.javaid@awidercircle.org to sign up.

Janet Dailey, AWC’s Chief Inventory and Strategic Partnerships Officer, shares how A Wider Circle has evolved from a small, neighbor-to-neighbor initiative to keeping hundreds of tons of furniture out of landfills and into the homes of those who need it most. Collaboration with partners like Republic Services, Host Hotels & Resorts, and Community Forklift allows us to take on large-scale projects, expand our impact, and share resources with other nonprofits, fostering a stronger, more connected community. Many thanks to our friends at 4C Partners for helping us create this video!

Last month, participants in Partnership to Independence (P2I), our long-term support program, enjoyed a magical outing with their families to Medieval Times. The group enjoyed an unforgettable day of camaraderie, jousting tournaments, and delicious feasts! This day gave families a much-needed break and allowed them to create lasting memories together, all while strengthening their sense of community.