The Miriam’s Kitchen team utilizes a comprehensive approach to eliminating the housing crisis in Washington, D.C. Through engaging their guests with healthy, made-from-scratch meals, they connect them with personalized social services that assist them with re-building their lives. Beyond their intensive program offering, they regularly engage community leaders and elected officials who fiercely advocate on their guests’ behalf.

HIPS advances the health rights and dignity, of people and communities impacted by sex work and drug use by providing non-judgmental harm reduction services, advocacy, and community engagement led by those with lived experience.

BARCS is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization operating Maryland’s largest animal shelter and pet adoption center. They are an open admission shelter, granting refuge to every abandoned, neglected, abused, lost or surrendered animal that comes through our door. A staggering 30 or more animals are surrendered to BARCS every day. No matter what the circumstance, they do not turn away any animal in need of shelter, food, medical care and a loving touch. Yearly, this equates to more than 10,000 dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, and even wildlife and exotic animals that need care and placement.

Theater professionals experience unforeseen personal emergencies like everyone else. But unlike many others, professionals in the arts can earn wages that are rarely commensurate with their contribution to the vitality and richness of our community. And like many, they don’t have access to regular health insurance.TheatreWashington created the Taking Care Fund in 2012 to help colleagues in need. The Taking Care Fund was established to assist area theatre professionals in times of unforeseen medical hardship. Support is provided in the form of an outright gift that never needs to be repaid.