The US Census Bureau’s most recent report provides a striking portrait of the National Capital Region: the three wealthiest counties in the US are right here, and this is the second

Browse the 2003-2008 Human Services Charities

most affluent region in the entire country. Washingtonian magazine concurs: the “net worth of nearly eight percent of Washington households is between $2 million and $10 million ... three times the national average.” But healthcare remains a major concern, with the proportion of uninsured persons rising to nearly 16%. The number of homeless persons counted by the Point-In-Time Survey climbed to 6,157. Young people are still at risk especially in the dangerous hours after school when most (75% of boys; nearly 50% of all youth 17 and under) are unsupervised. More than half the District’s crime takes place in just two of its eight wards–7 and 8–where one-third to one-half of children live in poverty The statistics are daunting – but that does not stop those who offer child development programs for kids in shelters; family wellness for the uninsured; English as a second language to immigrants making their way in the world. The organizations highlighted here, including several that first appeared in 2003 (), know that they work in one of the wealthiest regions in the US, but they also know that the need is great. Their passionate commitment and your compassionate philanthropy can make a world of difference right here where you live.