Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington - Nonprofits @ Inauguration & MLK Day

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Nonprofits @ Inauguration & MLK Day

Written by Eduardo Romero, on February 03, 2009

The Inauguration of a new president as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Day reverberated across the region and nonprofits played integral roles throughout.

Here are some examples of how nonprofits played key roles in this as well as how the new President has defined the nonprofit community in his agenda. (Updates are noted in red below.)

Sasha Bruce Youthwork welcomed Barack Obama who spoke with staff and clients and took up a paint brush, according to a press release, the Washington Post and video, as well as the White House blog, among other sources.

Academy of Hope staff was included in the Philadelphia Citypaper in an article titled, "DC was like the Big Rock Candy Mountain on Inauguration Day."

Update: My Sister's Place and Catholic Charities were open for 'business as usual' on Inauguration Day, according to the New York Times. My Sister's Place Nichelle Mitchum said, "Our crisis hot line simply can’t afford not to be there."

The American Red Cross of the National Capital Area responded to "the DC government's request to serve in a public safety capacity for the Presidential Inauguration," according to Citizen Corps. (Here's an overview as well as photos of this work.) WAMU 88.5FM ran a pre-inauguration story on their hurricane-scale preparations for the Presidential Inauguration. “A command center in Fairfax will operate around the clock with logistics and transportation specialists, experts in mass care and mass feeding.” (Good thing it wasn't needed!)

Capital Area Food Bank's Lynn Brantley accompanied the Board of Trade's Jim Dinegar for parade watching at the Bank of America, according to the Washington Business Journal (last item). CAFB also was connected to the Obamas through Feeding America, according to Roll Call, BisNow, and a press release.

DC Central Kitchen was "expected" to have Obama "stop by" according to the New York Times. The Kitchen was featured on NPR's All Things Considered and on a photo on the front page of yesterday's New York Times. The Kitchen partnered with the Wal-Mart Foundation to In lieu of donating large sums of money to a fancy Inaugural ball, according to a press release and the Washington Business Journal.

DC Scores' Poetry Slam! - whose East side winner based their performance on the incoming change with the Obama election - was included in CBS News' blog. Read the poem in East of the River.

DC Vote's work on DC voting rights is on Obama's agenda, according to a Washington Post Obama interview and a strong Post editorial endorsement. Ilir Zherka is quoted on some of the continuing challenges in Politico.

Greater DC Cares MLK Day of Service was featured on Oprah's program yesterday as well as WUSA-9; their work with six DC Public Schools was included in a Hands On Network press release.

The Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington is using Barack Obama’s inaguration as an opportunity for interfaith dialogue by placing visitors in homes of people of another faith, according to the Washington Post.

Latin American Youth Center's hosted an Obama Pajama Party, according to YouthRadio. Watch LAYC's Greater Change video.

LifeSTARTS Youth & Family Services' Curtis Watkins, "a bear of a man with a gentle voice, has toughened his message to the children since Mr. Obama's victory," according to the Wall Street Journal.

Martha's Table and DC Central Kitchen were partners Art.Food.Hope.'s eleven private dinners organized by Chez Panisse, according to the New York Times and Roll Call. (Bread for the City, Capital Area Food Bank and Hoop Dreams were also included in the Roll Call article.)

Mentors, Inc. was involved in Montgomery County's Day of Service, according to The Gazette.

Montgomery County's Yes Montgomery Can! volunteer effort featured the collaboration of many nonprofits including CASA de Maryland, Impact Silver Spring, Manna, Montgomery County Community Foundation, and Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation, among others, according to a press release.

N Street Village partnered with The People's Ball, according to NPR's Morning Edition, the Associated Press, and a press release. (See more on this Ball at Lehrer Newshour.)

Northern Virginia Community College's Bob Templin "continues to express interest" in having Jill Biden as a professor, according to the Washington Post and Community College Week. UPDATE: Professor Biden starts teaching at NVCC this Spring, according to a press release, The Alexandria Times, News Channel 8, Time,

Root Inc partnered with the Eco Green After Party, according to BisNow.

Venture Philanthropy Partner’s investors Earl and Amanda Stafford conceived and hosted The People's Ball, according to the Washington Post and several of their grantees participated in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Commemorative Luncheon – including CentroNia and Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington.

Words, Beats & Life participated in community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, removing thirty bags of garbage from the premises around Columbia Heights area, according to a press release.

Let us know what we may have missed or if you have any stories, photos, or become inpsired to submit a blog post to share about your impact during this time.