Community Service Day with a Wider Circle
October 25, 2018
LGW’s latest Community Service Day focused on the effects of poverty and what members can do to help those in their communities.
LGW partnered with non-profit, A Wider Circle. Under the leadership of Mark Bergel (’16), Founder & Executive Director, A Wider Circle seeks to end poverty by inspiring, fostering, and measuring individual and community change. A Wider Circle’s efforts focus on the provision of basic need items, workforce development, wraparound support, and neighborhood revitalization.
The day of service began with an overview from Mark Bergel who shared stories about the community impact of A Wider Circle. After Mark’s overview, we took a tour of A Wider Circle’s warehouse with Rachael, who leads their volunteer program. LGW members were divided into groups to help sort and move donated items that would be placed in a showroom for families who are clients. The work of A Wider Circle includes the following:
Partnership to Independence
A Wider Circle’s newest initiative is a comprehensive, multi-year, family support program aimed at financial self-sufficiency. Through individualized planning, direct interventions, and tailored workshops, participants build skills, access services and gain a support network to move to a life beyond poverty.
Neighborhood Partnerships
This program works to end poverty from directly within low-income neighborhoods. The program utilizes a collaborative model that focuses on economic opportunity, safety and stability, quality of life, and community empowerment.
Essential Support
Each year, A Wider Circle furnishes the homes of more than 16,000 children and adults across the Greater Washington region and provides an additional 2,200 men and women with professional attire and accessories. A Wider Circle provides everything free-of-charge. The average income of those we serve is $12,000 per year, and the average family size is four.
LGW members commented on how much they enjoyed their day of service and wanted to do more to help the cause.
Thank you to the outstanding team at A Wider Circle for sharing their mission with us and the LGW Members who helped carry out that mission.
