Let there be work, bread, water, and salt for all. --Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa

HUMAN SERVICES

Economically speaking, Greater Washington is a paradox. With a median household income over $70,000, the region is one of the wealthiest in the nation; with over 16% of residents living in poverty—earning $11,483 or less per year—it is also one of the neediest. The charities we highlight here work to meet the need. When school lets out for the day, they provide children—57% of whom come from single-parent families—with a place to go for homework help, arts, sports, and nutritious snacks. When recent immigrants—in the seventh largest immigrant gateway in the US—feel lost in their new country, charities help them find culturally sensitive services in their own language. When individuals are forced to live in sub-standard conditions, or in no conditions at all--skyrocketing costs have made housing unaffordable for 26% of DC families, a subject of significant concern for residents and Catalogue charities this year--someone is there to provide shelter, seek affordable housing, and advocate for change. In recent years, growing demand and higher costs for increasingly complex services have not been matched by a growth in resources, so your philanthropy really matters here. Let us be known as a community that takes care of our own--for our common good.