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| Ward 7 (and Friends) Neighborhood Holiday Fundraiser Host Committee |
In 2010, some neighbors got together to have a holiday party. What was initially conceived as an
opportunity for neighbors to fellowship for the holidays, blossomed into a
fundraising effort to support families in Ward 7. With a host committee of ten,
the first Ward 7 Neighborhood Holiday Fundraiser in 2010 brought out
approximately sixty neighbors and yielded $500 and provided support for two
families. In 2011, we nearly doubled the number of attendees to our annual
holiday fundraiser to over 100 and tripled the funds raised, thanks to our host
committee of twenty-two.
In the end, we provided $250 worth of
gift cards to five families served by the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative.
The Village was borne out of the idea that the collective efforts of powerful, intelligent and civic-minded residents of a
community can be harnessed to impact real change on a more local level.
Neighbors in the village seek to support their communities through
collective strength and passion, not individual motives and gains.
It is quite powerful to suggest that residents
in a community can harness their collective strengths to bridge the economic
gaps.
What is
even more powerful is through that collective effort, social ills such as
poverty, domestic violence, sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS are localized and seen
not just as worthy causes, but issues that impact the everyday lives of folks
in their community.
In December of 2010,
Thai Orchid, a new restaurant in Ward 7, was robbed. The very next day, neighbors organized a luncheon at Thai Orchid’s in
an attempt to convince the family not to pack up and leave. The event
has since morphed into a monthly community buffet, where neighbors are
encouraged to sample various Thai dishes many have never tried before. This is only one example of the power of a village.
Other events include the "Ronnie and Ronni" Fundraiser, and Capital Canvases for a Cause, a monthly happy hour
that raises funds for local non-profits. In addition to direct funds
raised, The Village has received generous donations from Smith Commons, Cupcake
Status and DC CHEW (Community, Harvest, Education, Ward 7).
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| Host Committee Members 2011 |
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| Capital Canvas For a Cause |
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| Monthly Community Dinner at Thai Orchid |
