The Club in the Community

The University Club Foundation collaborates with The University Club of Washington DC's Community Affair's Committee (CAC) to provide Club members with the opportunity to participate in a variety of community outreach programs and initiatives throughout the year, including:

TURKEY TRIUMPH
Through the generous contributions of Club members, CAC continues to support the Sarah Allen Missionary Society Food Bank at the Metropolitan AME Church, which provides monthly bags of groceries to over one hundred families. Your donations – primarily through the orange “Turkey Triumph” cards that are available in the Club’s food outlets around the holidays – fund the purchase of produce for sixth months of the year and poultry and special treats around the holidays, feeding over 340 hungry people within our community. From November through April, CAC members and volunteers from the Club spend a few of hours on the last Saturday morning of each month to organize and bag groceries for distribution by the Church.      

SECRET SANTA/ANGEL TREE INITIATIVE
During the holidays, the Club displays the Secret Santa/Angel Tree in the lobby, giving members the opportunity to fulfill a holiday wish (e.g. toys, clothing) for the children enrolled in the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF)'s J. C. Nalle Community School Saturday School program in the District's Ward 7. The ornaments displayed on the tree list a child's request; Club members select an ornament and return with the item listed or make a financial contribution so the item can be purchased; Club members volunteer their time to wrap the gifts and deliver them to NCCF. In 2018, member contributions helped to make the holiday season a little brighter for over 110 grateful children.
 
COLLEGE BOUND CAREER NIGHT
Utilizing a grant from The University Club Foundation, CAC hosts this annual event in support of long-term Club partner College Bound, which mentors DC public high school students through high school graduation and the college admissions process. During Career Night, Club member volunteer facilitators and friends come out to share their expertise and insights with College Bound students in industry-specific roundtable workshops that give the students the opportunity to explore various career fields of interest. The evening includes a dinner with a keynote address, raffle prizes, and a program that provides information and guidance regarding financial aid and college admissions to the students' parents and guardians.

BRIGHTER FUTURES DRIVE
In April, CAC raises funds to meet the critical needs of the survivors of domestic violence served by My Sister’s Place, the largest and oldest non-profit agency exclusively serving battered women and their children in the District of Columbia. Member donations fund items such as bags of toiletries and essentials for new residents of MSP's Sanctuary Plus shelter and household items for clients entering MSP’s transitional housing.
 
STEAD PARK COMMUNITY  DAY
Working closely with the DC Department of Recreation and Parks, your Foundation has funded several renovation and maintenance projects for local park and recreation center, Stead Park (located on P Street between 16th and 17th, just a few blocks North of the Clubhouse), that serves at-risk kids. In August, CAC and the Proctor Dougherty Society (PDS) team up to host Stead Park Community Day, an event to engage underserved children in the community in a fun-filled day of activities and entertainment, incorporating complimentary food and beverage, arts and crafts activities, face painting, raffles, and giveaways. At this annual event, approximately 100 children from low-income families who regularly attend the summer camps facilitated by the Stead Park Recreation Center and Foundation grantee Luther Place receive backpacks at school supplies for the upcoming school year.

PROFESSIONAL & CHILDRENS' CLOTHING DRIVE
In August, CAC partners with A Wider Circle and NCCF to collect new and gently used career clothing for the men and women enrolled in A Wider Circle's welfare-to-work program and NCCF’s outreach to vulnerable children, youth, and families.

PETERSON GRANT FIELD TRIPS
In partnership with the Metropolitan AME Church, CAC provides educational/cultural field trips for families enrolled in AME’s outreach programs (e.g. the Angel Tree Project for children with one incarcerated parent; Reclamation Project, which serves ex-offenders enrolled in AME's job training program; families served by the Sarah Allen Missionary Society Food Bank). Trips have included the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum in Dulles, Virginia; campus tours and basketball games at George Mason University; the Baltimore Aquarium and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

THE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
CAC sponsors the Club’s Community Leadership Award, which is presented to a civic and/or community leader who has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the lives of the residents of Washington, DC. Past recipients have included Mayor Anthony Williams, Congressman Tom Davis, Donald E. Graham, Barbara Harrison, Father John Adams, Councilman Jack Evans, Michelle Rhee and Robert Egger. 2015 Community Leadership Award honoree, Peter A. Jablow is President & CEO of Levine Music, which provides free or subsidized music instruction to over 650 children who cannot afford it and music therapy services to those in need; Mr. Jablow has been instrumental in Levine Music’s success and community outreach.

Interested in finding out more about The University Club Foundation's outreach programs and initiatives? Please contact Krista Long, Executive Director of The University Club Foundation, at [email protected] or 202-824-1372.