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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)

As the largest provider of safe housing in the District of Columbia, we cannot stay home – our services are essential to survivors in need and survivors currently in our care.

Help ensure every survivor and child living at DASH receives consistent, wrap-around, high-quality care during these unprecedented times.

How you can make a difference for your community:

• Make a Donation. A financial gift to DASH provides the greatest support to respond to urgent needs for survivors and children, to continue to welcome new families fleeing violence during this crisis, and the flexibility for where its needed most as this evolves.

• Donate Goods. An in-kind donation of daily basic needs and health care supplies is critical to support survivors and children in our care. Shop and ship through our Target Charity Wish List.

• Share this page with your peers, raise awareness on social media, and invite your peers to join you in supporting survivors and families during COVID-19.

Together, we are united as a community. Thank you for your support and wishing you, our DASH family, peace, safety, and health during this time.

Announcing an Exciting New Partnership between The P&rtners of Compass and DASH

We are excited to celebrate Women’s History Month by announcing a new partnership with a company owned and run by women!

The P&rtners of Compass is a real estate team of women specializing in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. With four generations represented on their team, they boast more than 46-years of combined experience in the real estate industry.

The team announced that as part of their Compass Cares initiative, they will donate a portion of ALL their 2020 commissions to DASH. They will also invite their own clients and partners to support DASH’s work through events and other opportunities.  

There’s no better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than a company of women supporting a organization founded and run by women. Together, we are all committed to safe housing for women, children, and all survivors of domestic violence. You can learn more about The P&rtners at Compass at thepartnersdc.com.

How can YOU get involved with DASH and Women’s History Month?

You can follow along and get involved with our celebration on the following platforms:

Facebook – @DistrictAllianceforSafeHousing
Twitter – @DashDC
Instagram – @dash_dc
LinkedIn – @District Alliance for Safe Housing (DASH)

Make a donation to DASH in honor of your favorite woman – current or historical – and help us support survivors of domestic violence.

Want to do even more? Consider joining our Empowerment Circle as a monthly donor. Your monthly gift will sustain our programs year-round allowing us to meet the most pressing needs of the survivors and families we serve. Pledge your support!

At DASH, we are working diligently to help keep our community – survivors, staff, volunteers, and supporters – healthy and safe.

DASH remains on the front lines to ensure every survivor and child still receives our care during COVID-19. Domestic violence increases during times like this and can leave survivors especially vulnerable. Our doors are open and our amazing staff are working tirelessly to keep survivors safe.

DASH is proud to have incredible volunteers that support our mission and ensure our residents feel right at home. However, we are postponing all non-essential volunteer activities until April 1st.

DASH’s weekly walk-in clinic on Wednesday’s from 1:30pm to 3:30pm has been changed to a call-in clinic during this time. If you need assistance, please call our team at 202-290-2356 x 101.

Thank you DASH family, for your continued support. We will continue to keep you updated as this evolves and continue to ensure the safety of survivors and families in our community.

How you can help:

• Make a donation. Your support provides the flexibility to respond to urgent needs for over 150 survivors and children in our programs.
• Purchase essentials from our Wish List

NBC4/T44 – Black History Month Reception Honoring Local Community Heroes

Koube Ngaaje, Executive Director of DASH, was nominated and selected as an honoree of the event, receiving the “Working for the Community” Award, along with three other honorees.

Each honoree was selected for this recognition because of their professional presence and leadership in the non-profit sector; a firm commitment to advancing the African-American community and to making a difference in the lives of countless individuals and families in our region. Hosted by Leon Harris & Molette Green, NBC4 Washington, the evening of celebration and recognition took place Tuesday, Feb 25th @ 6:30 pm and included a vignette that highlights the work of each leader and their organizations. 

“As an immigrant who is both African and African-American, I am truly humbled to lead an organization that primarily serves people and families of color. This honor is a powerful reminder of why DASH exists and why I wake up each day, fully committed to advancing our mission by empowering survivors, strengthening communities, bridging barriers, and creating solutions to social problems.” – Koube Ngaaje, DASH Executive Director

DASH Staff and Board members were in attendance to support and congratulate DASH’s leader on this meaningful award.

Honorees

Chris Bradshaw – Founder & Executive Director, Dreaming Out Loud

Elizabeth Lindsey – Chief Executive Officer, ByteBack

Koube Ngaaje – Executive Director, District Alliance for Safe Housing, Inc (DASH)

Jeffrey Tribble – Executive Director, The MusicianShip

Learn more about Koube’s work at DASH and how you can get involved!

What is TDAVM?  

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month – TDVAM. This month is dedicated to a national effort to raise awareness to teen dating violence. Dating violence or abuse can look different in different relationships, but at its core, it is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner.  

Why is TDVAM important?  

Like domestic violence, dating violence is all too common. One in three teens in the United States will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with. And nearly half (43%) of college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors. Dating violence is so pervasive that it’s imperative to promote awareness and educate to prevent it from happening in the first place. 

#1Thing  

Loveisrespect.org is the hub of resources around empowering youth and preventing dating violence. This year, their theme for TDVAM is #1Thing – what is one thing you can do to get involved and help raise awareness about teen dating violence and stop the cycles of power and control? Visit their website to learn more! 

We are thrilled to announce the release of the NowThis video. The video features the band Bon Iver and their 2 A Billion Campaign and an interview with DASH as one of its partners! 

The Bon Iver team reached out to DASH to become one of their non-profit partners on their 2 A Billion Campaign back in the summer of 2019. They explained that the campaign – an effort “to raise support, awareness, and person-to-person connections in an effort to end gender inequality, domestic violence, and sexual abuse” – is close to the band’s heart.  

We were proud to be one of the feature non-profits while Bon Iver went on tour and at their performance at The Anthem in DC. This opportunity allowed us to put DASH and the work we do at the intersection of domestic violence and homelessness on the radar of 6,000 concert-goers.

This video has an even broader reach to help elevate DASH’s platform to national and international levels, and most importantly the awareness that this campaign brings to end gender inequality, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.  

DASH is grateful to be a part of such an important campaign and can’t wait to see how it grows! Learn more by watching the video and checking out the campaign here: https://2abillion.org/ 

Stalking is a prevalent crime that often co-occurs with domestic violence. Stalking is a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that causes fear. Stalking can be an extension of power and control in an abusive relationship, and many abusers stalk their partners both during the relationship and after the relationship has ended.

On average, intimate partner stalkers are the 3 most persistent and dangerous to their victims. Stalking is a terrifying and psychologically harmful crime in its own right as well as a predictor of lethality: in 85% of cases where an intimate partner attempted to murder his partner, stalking occurred the year prior to the attack.

Though millions of men and women are stalked every year in the United States – with a frequent co-occurrence of domestic violence — the crime of stalking is often misunderstood, minimized and/or ignored.

We all have a role to play in identifying stalking and supporting victims and survivors. Learn more at www.stalkingawareness.org about stalking and how you can help stop it!

In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Mary Kay Foundation awarded $2 million in grants to 100 domestic violence shelters across the country.

With more than 1,100 domestic violence shelters from across the country applying for The Mary Kay Foundation shelter grants this year, DASH has been named a 2019 recipient!

DASH will receive a $20,000 unrestricted grant to further the organization’s efforts to combat domestic violence and provide services throughout Washington, DCthat will allow DASH to continue its transformational work throughout the region.

The Mary Kay Foundation was established in 1996 with the overarching purpose of supporting issues impacting women. In 2000, The Foundation expanded to include ending domestic violence as part of its mission. The Foundation is committed to funding the life-saving work of women’s shelters, and the annual shelter grant program has helped finance critical needs including emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling and legal aid. All of these resources support women and children as they seek refuge and relief on their journey to an abuse-free life.