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GWCAR Community Charities
The Wellness Community
April 2010
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The Wellness Community - Greater Washington, DC (TWC-DC) is an affiliate of Cancer Support Community, a network of independent, community-based, nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing free programs of emotional support, education and hope to people affected by cancer.
Through participation in professionally-led support groups, educational workshops and mind/body programs based on peer-reviewed, evidence-based research and utilizing the Patient Active Concept, people affected by cancer can learn vital skills to regain control, reduce feelings of isolation, and restore hope - regardless of the stage of disease. Most importantly, TWC-DC provides a home-like setting for people with cancer where they can connect with and learn from each other.
Founded in 1982, there are currently 25 facilities in the United States, 56 satellites, two centers abroad in Tokyo and Tel Aviv, and a community online at The Virtual Cancer Support Community. To access online services or to find a Cancer Support Community affiliate near you, visit www.cancersupportcommunity.org.
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Rachael's Women's Center
January 2010
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To provide homeless and formerly homeless women with opportunities to develop their independence, sense of self and hope by:
- Providing safety, shelter, food, showers and laundry in a nurturing, homelike environment;
- Helping women reach their potential through intensive case management and programs that empower them to take control of their lives and advocate for themselves.
Rachael's also reaches out to individuals living on the streets, enabling and encouraging them to access services and benefits available to people who are homeless. Today's clients will be tomorrow's role models.
Rachael's Women's Center is a place of hospitality and hope for women who are homeless. When given the chance to heal in a caring and challenging environment, women can be enabled and empowered to bring forth their forgotten and lost potential. The Center asserts the right of all women to be treated with respect and dignity. We believe that in a non-judgmental and supportive environment that all women can find meaning, self-respect, hope, personal power, and love regardless of race or life experiences. In this environment we maintain that all women can evolve into more independent, self-reliant individuals who can more effectively contribute to the communities in which they live.
www.rachaels.org
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Catholic Charities
2010
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Funding Catholic Charities is the work of the Catholic Charities Foundation. Built on the good name of Catholic Charities, it provides leadership to meet emerging needs in the community and philanthropic investment for the future.
The Catholic Charities Foundation is led by business and community leaders with a passion for social justice. Their dedication is helping meet the immediate needs of people who are poor and vulnerable, while providing for a strong fiscal future for Catholic Charities.
As the fund development arm of Catholic Charities, the Catholic Charities Foundation is looking to build broad support. Year after year, many members of the community built upon the generous philanthropic foundation that made Catholic Charities successful. As the needs of people who are struggling change, so too must the Catholic Charities Foundation's role in generating philanthropic support.
Be a part of changing lives. Give your time. Give your resources. Give hope.
www.catholiccharitiesdc.org
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Horton's Kids
September 2009
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Horton's Kids are the lucky recipients of "mobile tutoring," in which children are bused from their dangerous neighborhood to federal office buildings replete with volunteers and rich academic materials. On Mondays and Tuesdays, tutoring takes place in the Rayburn House Office Building and on Wednesdays, tutoring is at the U.S. Department of Education.
Each child works one-on-one with trained, volunteer tutors who help the child master learning goals appropriate for their academic level and which complement the new DCPS grade-level standards.
Objective testing has shown that Horton's Kids' mobile tutoring works. Despite attending some of Washington, D.C.'s lowest-performing schools, the children have made great strides. At the end of this past school year, Horton's Kids' older children had narrowed their reading deficit from 2.13 grades behind to .88 grades behind while the younger children were, on average, one grade ahead in their reading ability.
To learn more about tutoring a child, please visit www.hortonskids.org page.
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Higher Achievement Program
September 2009
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Higher Achievement's mission is to develop academic skills, behaviors, and attitudes in academically motivated and underserved middle school children to improve their grades, test scores, attendance, and opportunities - resulting in acceptance to college preparatory high schools. The program, held after school and during the summer, culminates in college preparatory high school placement. Grades improve, test scores improve, and academic behaviors are fostered through a program that works.
The organization has received numerous awards, but the most important measure of success is the results achieved by the Higher Achievement scholars themselves. Scholars enter the program with an average GPA of 2.3, and after four years, the GPA jumps to an impressive 3.8.
Higher Achievement is a champion of three principles: talent is everywhere, intellect is built through effort, and opportunities matter.
www.higherachievement.org
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Spanish Education & Development Center (SED)
April 2009
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SED's mission, which is focused on the children of the community, is to integrate Spanish speaking and other immigrants into the mainstream of Washington life by providing educational and other services that allow families to achieve their social and economic goals.
Their goal is to:
- Equip preschoolers with the basic skills essential to their future educational success, and to develop each child's fluency in English and Spanish.
- Provide quality childcare for 3 and 4-year olds, allowing parents to work or advance in their education.
- Provide immigrant adults with survival techniques, including English fluency, problem-solving abilities, and employment skills needed to prosper in the United States.
www.sedcenter.org
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Support the 2008 Walk for Polycystic Kidney Disease!
Saturday, September 20
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This Saturday, thousands across the country will Walk for PKD. You can walk too! Your participation will help fund more than $4 million in research towards finding a cure for PKD, and give hope to the 12.5 million people worldwide affected by Polycystic Kidney Disease! PKD is the number one genetic disease in the United States affecting over 600,000 people.
Your feet and your fundraising can be the difference for someone with PKD!
Register today!
Get involved. Start fundraising or donate. Make a difference!
Join us in Washington D.C. on Saturday, September 20th as we Walk for PKD!
Registration Begins at 7:30 am - Walk Beings at 9:00 am
Rock Creek Park - Carter Barron Section
16th Street and Colorado Ave. - NW, Washington, DC
Please join GWCAR member Randy Martin, a kidney transplant survivor, in making a difference.
Sign up to Walk or make a donation on-line today at www.pkdcure.org .
Working and Walking for a Cure! |
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Montgomery Hospice
January 2008
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Montgomery Hospice is an independent and community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving residents of Montgomery County, MD. Their connection to the community has helped them grow and serve the public for over 28 years. They are the first independent, homecare/hospice organization licensed in Maryland.
Volunteers founded the core service, Hospice at Home, in the basement of a church in Chevy Chase in 1981. Casey House opened in 1999 and is our area's only medical facility designed and built to comfort the dying. A key part of their history and ongoing commitment to the community is professional bereavement care, which is provided to anyone in Montgomery County coping with loss.
Montgomery Hospice has grown from serving seven patients in 1981 to more than 1,500 patients and 6,000 bereavement care clients annually. The principles that guide employees and volunteers are:
- Unconditional Compassion: Compassionate care, partnered with professional excellence, is the heart of our service.
- Dignity of the Dying: We affirm the right of our patients to be treated with respect, and to be honored as unique individuals.
- Dedication: We are committed and privileged to ease the burdens and challenges that our patients and families face.
- Collaboration: Mutual respect, empathy and trust unite us in providing care.
www.montgomeryhospice.org |
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No Greater Sacrifice
2008
Positive Nature, Inc.
2008
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Positive Nature provides structured, strengths-based therapeutic services to at-risk and emotionally disturbed youth through comprehensive, family-focused and cost-effective programs. Above all else, they always stress the power of positivity.
In early June 2000, Brian Bailey and Jennifer Murphy came together to share thoughts on creating the ideal after-school program for kids with special needs. They were driven by a vision to guide youth by developing children's strengths, working with parents, and providing improvement through four stages of personal growth and development. With that vision, the foundation for Positive Nature was established. By the end of that month, the organization was created as a non-profit corporation in the District of Columbia, with Mr. Bailey and Mrs. Murphy serving as the co-directors.
Seriously emotionally disturbed youth are a vulnerable and under-served population in the District of Columbia. At Positive Nature they receive individualized care, consistency, and structure where their special needs are understood, but the expectations of them are high.
Positive Nature, Inc. has its roots in Counseling Psychology, Social Work and Education models. Using concepts and strategies from Rational Emotive Therapeutic techniques, Choice Theory techniques, and Client-Centered Strengths-based techniques, the staff employs a wide range of therapeutic interventions in providing services. Positive Nature is committed to improving the quality of life experiences for children with special needs and working with such youth to maximize their full potential.
At Positive Nature, the motto is "Positive by Choice, Children by Nature."
www.positivenatureinc.com |
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Perry School Community Services Center
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Perry School Community Services Center, Inc. was created in 1991 to address issues of chronic poverty in the North Capitol Street area of Washington, DC. The community raised over $5.6 million to convert the vacant and historic Perry School into the Perry School Community Services Center. Perry Center, Inc., as a nonprofit corporation, developed the Perry Center and provides services in youth development, economic empowerment, and social services.
Through a collaborative, comprehensive and integrated approach to social services, economic empowerment, and youth development, the Perry Center's mission is to eradicate poverty, its causes and its consequences, resulting in positive outcomes for youth, adults and families, within its defined service area.
The Perry Center service area encompasses 9 census tracts in the North Capitol Street area (bounded by 7th Street NW on the west, Florida and Rhode Island Avenues on the north, 2nd Street NE and the railroad tracks on the east, and Louisiana, Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues on the south) with a year 2000 population of approximately 20,000 people, 5,100 of whom were 19 and under.
For more information, please visit www.perryschool.org |
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The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
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The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Race Series is the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, with well over 1 million participants since 2005. The Komen Race for the Cure raises significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates breast cancer survivorship, and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.
A minimum of twenty-five percent of the net income from each domestic Affiliate Race supports Komen for the Cure Award and Research Grant Programs, which fund groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards, and educational and scientific conferences around the world. Up to seventy-five percent of the net income from each domestic Affiliate Race stays in the local community to fund breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects.
This means a minimum of $1 million of the funds raised through the Race will remain in the Washington, D.C., community - including metro-area counties in Virginia and Maryland - to fund outreach programs and initiatives that address the specific unmet breast health needs of the area. Washington, D.C., has the highest breast cancer mortality rate in the United States.
For additional information on the Komen National Race for the Cure, go to www.nationalraceforthecure.org or www.komen.org. |
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The Carl M. Freeman Foundation
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It is with great sadness that we report that Joshua Freeman, Chair of the Board of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, died in a tragic accident on Thursday, December 14, 2006. Josh was a passenger in a fatal helicopter accident Thursday evening near Dagsboro, DE. He was traveling to a business event in the Washington metro area and had just left an annual company celebration with business associates and employees. Josh will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to experience his tremendous generosity, leadership, and friendship. Josh is survived by his adoring wife Michelle and three children, as well as his mother, Virginia Freeman and three sisters.
Along with his father and his family, Josh had a longstanding history of philanthropy and giving to others. He continued and expanded the legacy of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which donates generously to nonprofit organizations in the communities in which the Company does business. In keeping with his desires, donations may be made in his memory online at www.freemanfoundation.org or to:
Carl M. Freeman Foundation
18330 Village Center Drive, 2nd Floor
Olney, MD 20832
Please note if your contribution is in memory of Josh Freeman. |
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Jubilee Housing
The Trevor "Birdie" Davis Water Safety Foundation
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The Trevor "Birdie" Davis Water Safety Foundation was founded June 2006 after "Birdie" accidentally drowned when he was just 26-months old. The mission of the foundation is to save innocent lives through education and awareness of water hazards for both children and adults. The foundation may also support other worthy organizations that educate, support, and save the lives of children.
Few things are as devastating as the loss of a child. "Birdie's" parents have chosen to use their sorrow to drive proactive prevention efforts. Donations can be sent to:
The Trevor "Birdie" Davis Water Safety Foundation
c/o Cardinal Bank
8270 Greensboro Drive Suite 100
McLean, VA 22102
Wire transfers may be sent; interested parties should contact Jason Hill, Assistant Branch Manager, Cardinal Bank, at 703.584.3432 or Jason.hill@cardinalbank.com.
A new web site for the foundation and to honor "Birdie's" life has been created for donors and interested parties.
Click Here to go to the new site. |
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Brain Tumor Society
The Cassidy Turley Race For Hope
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On May 7, 2006, the largest fundraiser to benefit brain tumor research in the country was held in Washington, DC. Through registration, sponsorships and generous donations from companies and individuals, the Cassidy Turley Race for Hope has raised $3 million in eight years for the Brain Tumor Society.
Many people are unaware that brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer death in children and young adults, and one of the fastest growing causes of cancer in the elderly. But, there is hope. According to researchers, developments in just the past two years have surpassed all of the work done in the previous twenty. The Brain Tumor Society is a national non-profit organization committed to finding a cure for brain tumors through research, education and support.
The 5K Run and Walk is open to all participants who seek a challenge, a runner-friendly course or just a fun way to support the Brain Tumor Society's medical research efforts. The race features a scenic start and finish down Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation's capital. Make the Cassidy Turley Race for Hope 5K an annual tradition for you, your friends and your family. It's positively inspirational!
For more information, please click http://www.curebraintumors.org. |
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Support Childhelp
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In the United States, 4 children die as a result of child abuse each day and there are over 3 million reports of child abuse annually.
To combat this troubling problem, Childhelp USA® directly serves abused and neglected children through the National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, in its residential programs, and by providing legal, advocacy and educational services. Childhelp's Washington Area Chapter, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, runs a full-service residential program in addition to prevention, intervention and treatment programs for those in our region directly affected by child abuse.
In support of GWCAR's commitment to giving back to our community, our Community Involvement Committee presents a new and exciting way to get involved. Studley's Adam Singer, one of the founders of our committee, has joined the Greater Washington Area Advisory Board for Childhelp USA and asks for your support.
There are two ways to get involved.
Childhelp USA's Washington Area Chapter is a smaller charity and every dollar has a major impact. If you would like to provide financial contributions, please send them to Adam's attention at STUDLEY, Inc., 1600 Tysons Boulevard Suite 200, McLean, VA 22102.
Secondly, the organization has an immediate need for furniture and equipment for its offices and residential facilities in Virginia. If you have any excess office furniture or equipment that you think would be suitable for donation, please contact Adam directly at (703) 827-6272 or via email at ASinger@STUDLEY.com.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Childhelp USA is one of the largest and oldest non-profits focused on the prevention, intervention and treatment of abused children. Visit the Virginia chapter online at http://childhelp.org/virginia/index.htm. |
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Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
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The mission of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research.
Juvenile diabetes strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. To stay alive, children with diabetes must take up to 6 insulin shots per day.
Diabetes is a devastating disease killing one American every three minutes-a new case is diagnosed every 40 seconds. Currently over 18 million Americans have diabetes, and taking insulin does not cure diabetes nor prevent the development of complications such as kidney failure, adult blindness, heart attack, stroke, non-traumatic amputations, and nerve damage. Diabetes accounts for more than $105 billion annually in U.S. healthcare costs.
It is only through the support of individuals, organizations, and corporations that JDRF is able to continue its very valuable research efforts in the fight against juvenile diabetes.
Currently, donations will help JDRF move life altering research out of the lab and into human clinical trials.
Please make your donation now and dramatically change the life of victims of juvenile diabetes. |
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Northern Virginia Family Service
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
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The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation--a donor-supported, nonprofit organization--is to assure the development of the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis (CF) and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.
CF is a life-threatening genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 people in the United States. For people with the disease, a defective gene causes the body to produce a faulty protein that leads to abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and can result in fatal lung infections.
CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,200 live Caucasian births (in one of every 3,500 live births of all Americans). About 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year. In addition, more than 10 million Americans are genetic carriers. Prompt, aggressive treatment of CF symptoms can extend the lives of those with the disease.
To donate, visit www.cff.org/ways_to_give |
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DC Special Olympics
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