The Club in the Community

During the holidays, the Club displays a 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 Saturday School program for underserved chidlren in 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 donated gifts and deliver them to NCCF in time for the school's holiday party. In 2018, member contributions helped to make the holiday season a little brighter for 87 grateful children.

Utilizing a grant from The University Club Foundation, the Club's Community Affairs Committee 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 volunteers and friends come out to serve as career advisors, sharing their professional 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. College Bound Career Night also 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.

The Club's Community Affairs Committee raises funds to meet the critical needs of the survivors of domestic violence served by My Sister’s Place (MSP), 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. Peridically, Community Affairs Committee members and Club volunteers come together to make and serve a meal to the residents of MSP's Sanctuary Plus shelter.

Over the last twenty years, The University Club Foundation has worked closely with the D.C. Department of Recreation and Parks to fund 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). In August, the Club's Community Affairs Committee and 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 that incorporates complimentary food and beverage, arts and crafts activities, face painting, raffles, and giveaways. At this annual event, approximately 120 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 and school supplies for the upcoming school year.

The Community Affairs Committee partners with A Wider Circle and the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) to host an Annual Clothing Drive to collect new and gently used career clothing for the men and women enrolled in A Wider Circle's welfare-to-work program and casual clothing for the vulnerable children, youth, and families served by NCCF.

In partnership with the historic Metropolitan A.M.E. Church on M Street, the Club's Community Affairs Committee hosts educational/cultural field trips for families enrolled in A.M.E.’s outreach programs (e.g., the Angel Tree Project for children with one incarcerated parent; Reclamation Project, which serves ex-offenders enrolled in A.M.E.'s job training program; families served by the Sarah Allen Missionary Society Food Bank). Recent trips have included excursions to the Steven F. Udvar–Házy Air and Space Museum in Dulles, Virginia; the Baltimore Aquarium; and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Community Affairs Commitee 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, Peter Jablow, Michelle Rhee, and Robert Egger.