Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

“Dear PoP,

In college every year my sorority would always do an “angel tree” fundraiser type thing around christmas where we would have the opportunity to sort of adopt children and adults from different families and fulfill their christmas wishlists. I remember one year I had an elderly woman who asked for things like slippers, and a warm blanket, and then another year I had a brother and sister who asked for small toy gifts as well as socks and things like that…Is there anything like that in the district, a little more personal than the toys for tots drives, etc.?”

We had a similar question in early Nov. about adopting a family and some good recommendations were left here. If anyone has other recommendations/suggestions please leave contact info in the comments here.



Photo by PoPville Flickr user Jess J

“Dear PoP,

I work for MAG (Mines Advisory Group), a non-profit organization that clears landmines and destroys weapons in conflict-affected countries around the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Vietnam. This Friday December 10, Town Tavern (2323 18th St, NW) in Adams Morgan is offering drink specials to benefit MAG’s life-saving work from 6-11PM. For a $5 donation at the door you can enjoy $2 domestic beers and mixed rail drinks from 6-9pm and $3 domestic beers and mixed rail drinks from 9-11pm. All of the proceeds will benefit MAG’s work and make life safer for people recovering from the devastating impact of war.”

Cheap Art Sale
Benefit for Girls Rock! DC
Saturday, December 11th
1-5pm
at La Casa (3166 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC)

Contact: Bekka Barker, [email protected]

Washington, DC—On Saturday, December 11th the third annual Cheap Art Sale will
host artists from across the city who will show and sell original works of art, and donate
half or more of all the proceeds to the nonprofit Girls Rock! DC. All art will be priced
at $50 or less. The Cheap Art Sale is an opportunity for shoppers to purchase unique
holiday gifts and one-of-a-kind items. Participating artists include Leslie Andrus, Lely
Constantinople, Mike Ferguson, Sha Grogan-Brown, Floyd Knight, Tom LeGro, Gina
Matchitt, Les Telusan, Lisa Marie Thalhammer, Frank Turner and others. Artwork sold
will include paintings, screen printed goods, lots of photography and more.

With a base in music education, Girls Rock! DC aims to create a supportive, inclusive
and creative space for girls to develop their self-confidence, build community, stand up
and rock out! Following in the footsteps of girls rock camps across the United States,
Girls Rock! DC was founded in October 2007 by an all volunteer collective of DC Metro
Area musicians, teachers, artists and community organizers. In August 2008, over 100
volunteers built upon their diverse musical backgrounds, connections to local youth and
approaches to grassroots organizing to create a week-long day camp for Washington
DC area girls ages 8-18. The camp has taken place yearly. During the week, campers
receive small group instruction on electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, turntables
or vocals, form bands, collaborate to write an original song and ROCK out the stage.
Campers learn about the history of women in rock, gender and cultural identity, band
merchandise and promotion, conflict resolution and other skills young women need to
take over the world of rock!


“The school is having a craft/yard/bake sale this Saturday at 3600 Georgia Ave. NW from 10am – 2pm”

“You are cordially invited to the BULB BASH AND SPOON EXTRRAVAAGANZAA!!!!, a marvelous celebration of bulbed plants AND the autumn issue of your favorite food zine, The Runcible Spoon.

It takes place Saturday, November 20, from 12-3PM, at the Marion Street Garden (on Marion St. between P & Q Streets, NW). There will be cooking and planting demonstrations, glorious bulb-themed food, face-painting (for the kids, not for you) and zines up the wazoo. Come meet the writers from the issue and help us brainstorm story ideas for the winter issue!”



Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

THANKSGIVING BAKE SALE : BAKE SALE to raise money for the DC State Fair)12- 15 local food bloggers and bakers are baking for you: Bakalava, Cookies, Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ a Pumpkin Pie Spice Buttercream Frosting, Apple Spice Cupcakes filled and topped with a Cream Cheese Frosting, Pumpkin Pie Bars,Pumpkin Spice Balls Covered in White Chocolate, Double Decker Pumpkin Bread (Pumpkin bread stuffed with cream cheese filling), Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, mini pumpkin pies, holiday cookies–oatmeal coconut-cranberry, brownies, Rice Krispy Treats, Ginger Snap Cookies, Apple Pies, etc.

Saturday is the LAST MARKET of 20010 and we will be chock full of great foods for your Thanksgiving tables–and to stock up your freezers and larders.

14&U FM
Saturday
9-1

Bundle Up. It will be cool but sunny. So, come say goodbye to your favorite farmers (who get up at 4 am when it is REALLY cold), and come buy your Thanksgiving goodies.

We will have some FREE HOT CIDER at the market table to warm you up if it is cold.

And please contribute a vegetable to our Martha’s Table basket so that they can make hearty soups for those 1700 homeless, cold people they feed every single day.

Continues after the jump. (more…)



Photo courtesy of City Gate

“Dear PoP,

Caught in red tape, a local nonprofit is in financial trouble through no fault of its own. What’s at stake? A safe place to go after school for some of D.C.’s neediest children.

City Gate, a nonprofit, faith-based organization, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary of bringing aid to some of the District’s neediest citizens. But what they’re not celebrating is that they’ve never been paid for the day camp they ran this summer that gave Ward 8 kids a safe place to go during summer vacation. They’d been promised a $60,000 grant from city money, but now they’re being told that the grant won’t come through due to a bureaucratic issue that doesn’t involve City Gate.

Now they’re struggling to pay staff salaries, and may have to cut their programs for children in Ward 7 and 8. Read more at Change.org. You can sign a petition to Marion Barry and Vince Gray, asking them to take care of this issue.”


From an email:

“A Night of Wine to Benefit the Children’s Law Center

* Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 • 6:00pm
* Hosted by Jess Waters
* AM Wine Shoppe
* 2122 18th St NW
* Washington DC 20009

AM Wine Shoppe in Adams Morgan, has generously agreed to partner with Children’s Law Center’s Lawyers for Children Campaign ( http://www.childrenslawcenter.org/) and host a private wine tasting to benefit the CLC on Tuesday November 16th from 6-9pm.

The $40 ticket ($70 per couple) will get you a night of tasting fabulous wines–open bar and snacks (and the satisfaction of knowing you are helping the District’s kids). A portion of both the ticket cost and any wine you buy will go directly to the CLC (the perfect time to stock up on holiday wines!).”


From an email:

” I wanted to tip you all off to a special group that is getting organized here in the District. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Capitol Chapter, has organized a dynamic group of young professionals to host events and parties that will raise funds to support the local chapter. This new group is specifically aimed at getting young folks involved, with the added incentive of some fabulous happy hour opportunities! As you have helped me get the word out about some of the starter events for this organization, I was hoping you might help me again to get the word out to individuals who would want to support a good cause with some beverage imbibing! As a Columbia Heights resident myself, I know you’re blog is definitely a good resource for fun times!

The event will be WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10th. We have rented out the main room of Old Dominion (1219 9th Street NW; Gallery Place/Chinatown) from 5pm to 8pm. ALL ATTENDEES will get great happy hour specials including:

$5 Absolut signature cocktails
$4.75 Draft Beer
$5 Apps

In addition to these fabulous specials, we will be holding two raffles; one for a prize of CASH MONEY and the second for a pair of CAPITOLS TICKETS!”

“Carl Jung’s “Red Book” will be presented by Dr. Janice Quinn, Jungian analyst and head of the Jungian Analysts of Washington Association (JAWA)

Dr Quinn will discuss Jung’s personal journal and sketch book composed during his breakdown just before World War I.

Time: Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 7:00 pm
Place: Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Neighborhood Library 1630 7th Street, NW

Lower Level Floor Meeting Room, call 202 727 1288″



Photo by PoPville flickr user Wayan Vota

“Dear PoPville,

We recently moved to DC and would like to continue our Christmas tradition, but need a little help from our DC neighbors out there in PoPville. Instead of buying each other presents, we “adopt” a family in need and buy presents they’ve requested on a wish list. This ranges from the very simple (socks, t-shirts) to the fun (games for kids, etc.). We love doing this and would like to find a reputable charity here in DC to participate with. Does anyone out there know of a program that we could join?!

Thanks in advance for your help and Happy Holidays to everyone!”

Sounds like a great idea. Does anyone have good contact info for a program like this?

Speaking of good programs like this – another reader brings our attention to a great group helping teachers:

“Dear PoP,

I teach at Imagine Hope Community Charter School–Lamond Campus, located at N. Capitol and Kansas Ave. These are the projects I have posted to Donorschoose.org. It’s a really cool site allowing public and charter school teachers to post things they need for their classroom. People donate to the projects and once the project is fully funded, donorschoose.org purchases the items and sends them directly to the school. Donors receive thank you notes and pictures of the children using whatever was bought. I would really appreciate the support of the PoP community with the following projects:

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=466267&challengeid=93003

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=467169&challengeid=93003


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