National Volunteer Week is April 19-25th

Volunteers are Appreciated

April 19 marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week, part of Volunteer Appreciation Month. All week long we will be celebrating our DASH volunteers and the vital role they play in furthering our mission to provide safe housing to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. 

Volunteers Are Essential

Volunteers are crucial to our work and help us accomplish our mission in a wide variety of ways. Over the past year volunteers have:

• Facilitated a weekly art group for survivors living in our Cornerstone housing
• Worked remotely to support our development and fundraising efforts, and helped us secure the financial support we need to continue functioning
• Organized onsite group activities like beautification and landscaping projects
• Donated their professional expertise pro-bono to run adult education classes and workshops for survivors.
• And much, much more…

If you volunteered with us this year, THANK YOU. Whether you gave us your time, your resources, your talents or your professional expertise; whether you worked alone, or with your friends or colleagues, remotely, or on site; whether you were there once, or once a month, or every week… we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Volunteers Are Still Needed

Because the services we provide are critical, we can’t simply close our doors and stay home during this unsettling time. We are continuing to serve survivors and their families at full capacity. Our front-line staff is working tirelessly to ensure that our Cornerstone building is staffed 24/7 to ensure that it is both clean and safe for all.

While all in-person volunteer activities at DASH have been put on hold during this time, to keep both you and us safe, there are still ways you can help us out from afar.

Here are a few different ways that you could support DASH during this challenging time:

• Donate some of the items on our urgent needs list (hand sanitizer, soap, pantry items) by purchasing these items from Target and sending them directly to DASH for our residents in need: tgt.gifts/DASHDC
• Place a collection bin outside for friends, family and neighbors to drop off items to donate.
• Host a Facebook fundraiser for DASH and share it with friends and family!
• Contact a restaurant to find out if they can donate a meal (or more!) to our front-line staff
• Have experience with WordPress? We could use your help making updates to our website!
• Have a connection to a local business or restaurant that is still operating? Ask if they would be interested in partnering to donate proceeds to DASH

One Last Simple Way to Help

During National Volunteer Week we will be celebrating ALL our volunteers on social media, including highlighting individual stories and offering you an opportunity to share your own volunteer experience and be recognized.
Follow along with our efforts on your preferred channel and help us by commenting on our posts to thank the volunteers that have given their time and talents so generously. Thank you!

Facebook – @DistrictAllianceforSafeHousing

Twitter – @DashDC

Instagram – @dash_dc

LinkedIn – District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH)