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Spotlight on Our Supporters: MOI

DASH is grateful for its network of supporters, and will be featuring interviews with those companies, foundations and businesses. Today, the spotlight is on MOI, a full service furniture dealership, and an interview with Jennifer Ives.

1. How did MOI first find out about DASH and how did you decide to become such a strong corporate partner?

We first learned about DASH from a previous team member, Carolyn Franco. Carolyn and I discussed doing an Art show to raise funds for DASH and to show off our industry artistic talents. MOI has always been involved in the community. This year we are moving to a more structured Corporate Social Responsibility.

2. What has it been like working with DASH so far?

It’s been wonderful. MOI and DASH have built a strong relationship. The passion that the team at DASH have for the mission has driven engagement from MOI’s team – the grass roots enthusiasm has been shown through the gifts and donations we were able to collect during the holidays.

3. Does MOI have a history of other community partnerships?

Yes, through both financial and in-kind donations. We also have a history of employees donating their time and effort through collective ventures like the Real Estate game for JDRF and Habitat for Humanity. We frequently team our efforts with manufacturing partners for donations.

4. What were some of the values you wanted to bring from your company in this partnership?

MOI’s core values expressed with our mission statement; Agility, Accountability, Growth, Excellence, and Commitment. We believe DASH supports and drives these for their clients, making it a natural partnership.

5. What would you like DASH residents to experience when they come to stay?

We would like the new DASH residents to feel safety, peace of mind and hope for the future.
6. What would you hope other businesses and corporations would do to invest in safe housing for the District?
MOI hopes for awareness followed by action.
7. What are you looking forward to in your relationship with DASH coming up?

We are looking forward to building awareness and support for the cause of safe housing and safe lives. We are also looking forward to increased exposure for MOI through this partnership.

Thank you so much, MOI! DASH appreciates you!

Freddie Mac Generously Supports DASH’s Empowerment Project!

DASH is honored and grateful to be a grantee of Freddie Mac in the coming program year. Freddie Mac, also known as Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), is a public government sponsored enterprise (GSE), headquartered in Tysons Corner. It was created in 1970 to expand the secondary market for mortgages in the US. This secondary mortgage market increases the supply of money available for mortgage lending and increases the money available for new home purchases.

With its dedication to community programs and affordable housing, Freddie Mac has partnered with DASH in 2012 on a $125,000 grant initiative supporting our scattered-site Empowerment Project. Participants in the project are able to sign an apartment lease that meets their familial, financial and safety needs. DASH provides the rental subsidy along with intensive support services and resources that enable the woman to become economically independent over the course of two years. This level of support allows DASH to increase the project to house an additional 10 families and help women to develop the tools to be fully financially supportive of their families and to develop real skills that ensure their economic independence.

The outcome of this grant will be that the women and their children served will have exited homelessness, secured stable homes, and be prepared to retain permanent housing through rental assistance, supportive services, and intensive education and advocacy around establishing economic self-sufficiency.
DASH partners with Wider Opportunities for Women in this work (link), an organization that helps women learn to earn, with programs emphasizing literacy, technical and nontraditional skills, the welfare-to-work transition, career development, and retirement security. Since 1964, WOW has trained more than 10,000 women for well-paid work in the DC area.

We are honored to have such generous, visionary partners in the important work to help survivors of sexual and domestic violence secure safe, long-term housing and live free from violence. We believe that DASH is a visionary organization that takes a holistic approach to serving survivors. Through research and listening we have developed a number of proven best practices we share with other organizations addressing domestic violence and homelessness. Without our corporate and organizational partners we would not be able to have the lasting impact that we do.

For more information or to pursue corporate sponsorship of the Empowerment Project, contact Peg Hacskaylo at 202/462-3274 x110.

Thank You from DASH!

DASH wants to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated to our gift drive this holiday season. Due to the incredibly generous donations we received from individual donors, groups, and organizations throughout the DC region, we were able to provide gifts to the over 50 women and 70 children in our housing programs who would otherwise receive nothing during the holiday season.

On Thursday, we held our first annual DASH Holiday Store (complete with a gift wrapping station) with all of the generous donations we received, enabling the women in our program to come and “shop” and wrap gifts for their children and pick up the gift cards and gift bags for themselves.

It was a truly wonderful day at DASH. Our residents and staff were so thankful and amazed by the generosity of all of our community partners whose donations made it all possible. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Key School, TD Bank, Metropolitan Police Department; Victoria’s Secret, United Way-National Capital Area, DuPont Governmental Affairs Office, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Red Derby, MOII, The Clearing Inc., Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Park Road Community Church, Bank of America Women’s LEAD Group, Washington Business Journal, Gifts for the Homeless, Women’s Law Society, Christian Law Society, Sports and Entertainment Law Society of UDC Law School, Hoppmann Audio Visual, Marriott Hotels, Kettler Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, andour many generous individual donors.

We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and thank you all for your continued support!

DASH Gets a Mention on MSNBC’s Morning Rundown by Celinda Lake

Celinda Lake

DASH was honored to be mentioned in a “shameless plug” Wednesday by leading Democratic political strategist/pollster Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners. At the end of a segment on the upcoming election and concerns for the Democrats, payroll tax debate and the latest on Newt Gingrich, Celinda told viewers to look up the District Alliance for Safe Housing for its work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. You can see the footage here at the eight-minute mark. Thank you so much Celinda! We are honored to have your support. Follow Celinda on Twitter @Celindalake.

DASH Recently Cited in HUD Paper

DASH is proud to report that we were recently cited in a paper from HUD about what public housing authorities across the U.S. are doing to address domestic violence. The paper, found here, notes programs and strategies in a number of different regions. The DC Public Housing Authority was mentioned. The report notes that when meeting with them, a representative of the District Alliance for Safe Housing reported on the dilemma of a public housing resident who had moved several times due to threats of domestic violence. The victim’s ex-husband managed to find her after each move, and she wanted to move to another city, but could not afford to leave public housing.

By staking a claim in the national debate on homelessness, DASH is furthering the voice of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We continue to remain interested in partnering with government officials, corporations, and the public at large to strategize about eliminating domestic and sexual violence.

DASH Now Using VRS/VRI Services for Deaf Clients

DASH is pleased to announce that we now have the capacity to do video relay interpreting (VRI) and video relay service so our Deaf participants can call other Deaf people. This helps us greatly to be able to responsibly serve our Deaf survivors. DAWN (an organization that works with Deaf survivors) has told us that DASH is the only domestic violence prevention organization in DC that has this capacity.

VRS: Video relay service allows a deaf individual to call another deaf individual and communicate using ASL via a web video. Essentially, it allows deaf individual to sign to another deaf individual over a streaming video camera.

The following explains the services:

VRI: Video relay interpreting allows a deaf individual to call a hearing individual and communicate through an ASL interpreter. A deaf individual will call an interpreter and communicate with them through a streaming video camera while the interpreter communicates with the hearing individual via phone.

When Deaf people call hearing people they typically use a video phone so that a relay service can do the talking. That’s what Deaf people use when they call DASH, and most Deaf people communicate using a video phones. When Deaf survivors come to DASH they need not worry about not having a video phone because we now have the technology, along with the ability to have third party interpreting at a moment’s notice.

DASH can also receive calls from Deaf clients. We are including a screensaver shot so you can get a feel for what it looks like. All DASH has to do is click on the green bar that says “start interpreting session” and an interpreter will pop up (like skype) and interpret for us while we’re working with a Deaf participant.

DuPont and Pricewaterhouse Coopers Day of Service at DASH through United Way

On Monday, December 5, volunteers from DuPont and Pricewaterhouse Coopers teamed up for a United Way Day of Service to beautify Cornerstone’s outdoor space and assist in some heavy lifting around the building. Staff and residents were overwhelmed by the incredible work that they accomplished. From moving the contents of three programming rooms in only a half an hour to weeding, pruning, and even mulching the building’s front and side lawn, the volunteers exceeded all expectations and made Cornerstone an even more welcoming place for its residents. Thank you to our partners at United Way, DuPont, and Pricewaterhouse Coopers for your phenomenal contribution to DASH!

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