In need of a haircut? Visit a local Hair Cuttery!
On February 4th and 5th, when any client (adult or child) purchases a haircut at Hair Cuttery, they will match that haircut by donating a free haircut certificate to DASH! The free certificates will be given to women and children residents at DASH. Help spread the word!
#shareahaircut
The DASH Community Room at Cornerstone on Wednesday was an explosion of dragons, bumblebees, doctors and ninjas as the DASH kids picked out their Halloween costumes. The excitement in the air was palpable as the kids dug through mountains of donated costumes. It took some kids over a half hour to choose between being a ninja, a zombie, a knight or batman for this Halloween. It’s thanks to the work of the Red Derby that they get to choose between so many wonderful options. The Red Derby donated over 70 costumes and dozens and dozens of bags of Halloween candy to DASH again this year, helping to make it special and fun for all our kids and their moms.
Tonight the kids will celebrating Halloween at a Halloween party hosted by Homeless Children’s Playtime Project. The community room has been decorated, there is green spaghetti in the fridge candy everywhere in the office. It looks like it’s going to be a fun, spooky night.
As the kids are celebrating Halloween at DASH, we will be celebrating BalderDASH at Agora bar for our annual fall fundraiser. Stop by for a chance to win the costume contest and meet some of our great staff!
On April 24th, DASH will hold its 3rd Annual Allies in Change luncheon, honoring individuals and community partners who have supported the organization’s work to provide relief to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, through emergency and long-term safe housing, and innovative homelessness prevention services. We are doing a series of interviews of our awardees beforehand to share a bit more about them. This blog focuses on The Red Derby, a local, neighborhood pub, and its wonderful and generous founder and owner, Sasha Carter. The Red Derby provides DASH with incredibly generous donations throughout the year, making sure every single DASH resident has food and gifts for every holiday, big and small, and school supplies/backpacks when the kids return to school each year. And the Derby’s generosity doesn’t end there! Two of their wonderful staff, Ann-Marie VanTassell and Beth Hansen, have also started an After School Art Group for DASH kids ( to read more about this wonderful group, click here).
Remember to buy tickets to the luncheon here.
Sasha Carter had the following commentary on The Red Derby’s iinvolvement with DASH:
D.C. has been my home since I moved here in 1988. Over five years ago, my husband and I opened the Red Derby, a local, neighborhood pub in the Petworth section of D.C. Upon opening, one of our friends, Jordan Fitzgerald, told us about DASH and asked if she could host a fundraiser at the Derby. We said, yes, of course. Remembering back to that first event, although there was a rain storm combined with an unexpected street closure, the fundraiser was a success. That was when we first started to learn about DASH. A couple of months later, with Mother’s Day on the horizon, we thought it would be a great idea to host our own fundraiser for DASH. We pulled our staff and our regulars together, and made it happen. That was the first of many fundraisers we were to give. Since we have been open, over the years we’ve focused on the following events for DASH: Halloween costumes and candy, non-perishable food for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas gifts, Easter egg baskets, mother’s day gifts, and a back-to-school drive over the summer (for back packs and school supplies). We have tremendous support from our staff and our regulars for all the DASH fundraisers we host. In fact, this February two of our staff members began a pilot after school arts class at DASH.
Why do we host a DASH fundraiser every couple of months? Because we wholeheartedly believe in and support DASH and we want to help in any way we can. With the tremendous growth D.C. has experienced over the past ten years, DASH provides an invaluable component to D.C.’s landscape; it helps make D.C. not only a vibrant world class city, but also a community that cares.
Moms and kids are the nucleus of our society. We must be a community that takes care of, protects, and helps to grow this nucleus. Domestic violence and sexual abuse are full on attacks to the safety of this nucleus. By providing safe housing for up to two years and access to a whole range of social services, including financial counseling to help restore damaged credit and regain financial footing, DASH makes sure we are that community who takes care of our own by helping our own to rebuild their lives on their terms.
As a local, neighborhood pub, that is part of the D.C. community, the Red Derby wants to support DASH to succeed in its extremely important goals and mission. We are honored to be able to help in any way possible.
On Saturday November 3rd, 2012, more than 250 volunteers from the Washington Redskins, Wells Fargo, the Salesforce Foundation, the District Alliance for Safe Children (DASH), organizers from KaBOOM! (the national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children by creating play spaces through the participation and leadership of communities), and residents of the Washington D.C. community will join forces to build a new playground at DASH’s Cornerstone Housing Facility, the District’s largest dedicated safe housing program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families.
DASH acts as a safe haven for women and their children by providing long-term safe housing and services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their families as they rebuild their lives on their own terms. We help them move toward not only safety, but also hope, independence, family, peace, and everything that “home” represents community programs. We want to be a place where people can find “help, hope and healing.”
DASH needs the community’s help to make this playground project a success for our children. You can sponsor this exciting project by volunteering on prep or build days (Nov. 1, 2, and 3), making a monetary donation, donating food and/or snacks for the 250 volunteers, or loaning/donating other needed materials such as tents, chairs, tables, coolers, heaters, etc. Please see the detailed list below to find out what is still needed and how you can be involved!
We hope you will be our partner in transforming the lives of children who need our help.
If you have any questions, please contact Dana Arneson at darneson@dashdc.wpengine.com.
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DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
You can help sponsor the playground with a monetary donation by clicking HERE and writing “playground” where it says Designation, or sending a check to P.O. Box 91730, Washington, DC 20090, or contacting Dana Arneson, DASH’s Development Director, at darneson@dashdc.wpengine.com.
You can also sponsor the playground by donating items DASH needs to gather in the next month to build this playground for our children.
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FOOD & PAPER GOODS
Prep Day 1—Thursday, November 1st
Prep Day 2 –Friday, November 2nd
Build Day—Saturday, November 3rd
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EQUIPMENT
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers do not have to be trained, skilled or have any special tools!
8:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast
8:30 AM: Kick-Off
11:30-1:30 PM: Lunch in shifts for all volunteers
2:30 PM: Ribbon-Cutting and Dedication Ceremony
We had an amazing time at Justin’s Fish Fry this past Saturday in support of DASH!
Thank you so much, Justin Schuck, for pulling together such an enjoyable and generous event to benefit the women and children in our programs.
Thanks go to Justin’s dedicated crew of friends and helpers as well! The day would not have been possible without Michele Walk, Brandon Reavis, Timothy Charles Briscoe, Violaine Orban, Stephen Joseph (from Goûter) and Matthew Rhoades & Luis Gomez from Borderstan.
Justin and team served a delicious full course meal to over 120 people! The catfish, hush puppies, greens, and fried desserts received rave reviews all around. Most importantly, they raised critical funds and donations for our residents at DASH.
What a fun party and perfect way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon! We could not be more grateful to have community partners like Justin!
Donations from Looped Yarn Works
Alison Gurley, Resident Advocate at DASH, recently lead a knitting program with DASH residents. The pictures are just a portion of the yarn that was donated by DC business Looped Yarn Works. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity! Here Alison talks about how she came to DASH and the project:
I am originally from Massachusetts, but I went to a small college out in Minnesota called St. Olaf College. I graduated in 2010 and decided that I needed to be somewhere warmer so I moved to DC. I am a resident advocate. A resident advocate at DASH does pretty much what the title suggests, we advocate for our residents and partner with them throughout their stay at our transitional housing program. During their two years here, advocates work to support residents are they work toward their goals, seek permanent housing, connect to community resources and etc. Advocates are available to share their knowledge of community organizations and resources, government programs and benefits and to generally provide a listening ear. We also plan much of the programming that occurs within our Cornerstone housing facility.
I first got involved with DASH as a full-time volunteer through Lutheran Volunteer Corps (kind of like AmeriCorps) in March 2011. I had been working at an organization doing advocacy work on federal immigration and refugee legislation, and I wanted a chance to do direct service work. DASH had an opening for a Resident Advocate so I applied to work here through Lutheran Volunteer Corps. DASH hired me as a full-time advocate outside of Lutheran Volunteer Corps in August 2011.
Resident Advocate Chanel Meadows, knitting with DASH residents
A number of residents had expressed interest in starting a knitting/crocheting group. One resident in particular was interesting in teaching crochet. For me, knitting is an important stress relieving activity, I find it wonderful and satisfying to create a tangible product. I thought it was a wonderful idea for DASH to help the women take some time for themselves and build community together. One of the founders of Looped Yarn Works used to work with a DASH staff member at Our Place, DC, so I got in touch with her to see if we could have supplies donated to make the group possible. Looped does drives quarterly to help make knitting/crochet groups possible for a number of non-profits.
As a resident advocate, my first priority is to build a relationship of mutual respect with the women I work with at DASH. The most important thing to me is that we approach the work we do together as a partnership. I want to make sure that the women have self-determination in the goals that they set for themselves and the life they build for themselves while they are in our Cornerstone program.
Donations from Looped Yarn Works
Knitting is a great way to build community. When your hands are busy, it’s amazing what will come out of your mouth! Building a strong community among the residents in our Cornerstone program is very important to DASH. Survivors are the people best equipped to help other survivors, we always want our residents to be able to turn to one another for support, as well as to staff.
On March 28th, DASH will hold its Allies in Change luncheon, honoring individuals who have supported and amplified the organization’s work to provide relief to survivors of domestic and sexual violence,through emergency and long-term safe housing, and innovative homelessness prevention services. We are doing a series of interviews of our awardees beforehand to share a bit more about them. This blog focuses on Dr. Kathleen Maloy and Heather Burns of the Live to Give Charitable Trust Fund, a philanthropic endeavor established to make strategic and catalytic gifts that support community oriented efforts focused on promoting social justice, equity and human rights. Dr. Maloy speaks to us here on behalf of Live to Give. Remember to buy your tickets to the luncheon here!
Dr. Kathleen Maloy and Heather Burns, Live to Give Charitable Trust Fund
“We learned about DASH from our good friend Jane Pittman who prepared a short film for DASH. We were so impressed during our conversation with Peg Hacskaylo, DASH founder and ED, about the DASH philosophy and programs to support women and their families leaving domestic violence. This inspired us to contribute support to DASH and to the building that can provide a safe and healing haven for women and their families.
Both Heather and I grew up in New England but have lived in DC for last two decades. We both are committed to supporting organization that contribute to creating healthier communities for vulnerable populations, especially women and their families.
We think that services like the ones that DASH offers, i.e., services that support that availability of safe and peaceful spaces where women and their families can start to recover from the experiences of domestic violence at their own pace and in accordance with their own needs are very important. Too often the deep impact of experiencing domestic violence is not understood.
Heather and Kathleen at Habitat for Humanity build in Egypt, 2010
Because of the prevalence of domestic violence, as well as the frequency of insecurity and uncertainty for women and their families, it is so important to expand programs and services that secure safety and peace for women and their families. The long-lasting impact on children mean that these program and services are key to securing the future for our country.
We love DASH and the principles that DASH stands for.”
Dr. Kathleen Maloy has worked for 30 years to improve the lives of low-income and vulnerable populations by engaging in research, policy, and advocacy focused on health equity and social justice. Her expertise include Medicaid, Medicare, healthcare financing reform, state health and mental health policy, intersection of health and public health policy, and the social determinants of health.
Heather Burns recently retired as the Senior Vice President with Booze Allen Hamilton, having successfully led the firm’s health care business. Since leaving Booze Allen, Heather and partner Kathleen Maloy have created the Live To Give Charitable Trust Fund. She is also the Executive Producer of In Your Hands, a film about two people’s journey to reintegrate into society after incarceration.
Thank you, Live to Give!
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!
This Thanksgiving, generous community members all over the Greater DC area worked to 
ensure that DASH program participants celebrated Thanksgiving to its fullest extent. Due to their efforts, every participant enjoyed a hearty Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings, allowing them to celebrate despite the hardships that they have endured. Men Can Stop Rape youth participants did fantastic work to mobilize donors.
We are grateful for the churches, schools, restaurants, and businesses whose members donated time, space, and food in order to make Thanksgiving memorable for our residents. Special thanks go out to The Red Derby and the Potomac Lighthouse Charter School for collecting an overwhelming amount of canned goods and Thanksgiving fixings for Cornerstone residents. At Potomac Lighthouse, Ms. 
Fell’s fourth grade class (pictured) collected more food than any other class, winning the first-ever Turkey Trophy!
On Thanksgiving Day, E&G Group teamed up with First New Hope Baptist Church for the second year in a row to provide a home-cooked meal to all Cornerstone residents. Located in the church’s basement, E&G’s Thanksgiving feast was a huge success, and residents enjoyed sharing the meal together with their families.
Finally, a turkey and fixings was delivered to each Empowerment Project participant. Thanks to the generosity of the Park Road Community Church, none of the families in our scattered site program had to worry about buying a Thanksgiving meal.
DASH extends its most heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to Thanksgiving celebrations. Your thoughtfulness has given our residents as well as our staff something to be truly thankful for this year!
