Not many neighborhoods have their own non-profit, but on the Hill we are fortunate to have an active foundation that invests in our schools and area community groups. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation raises funds through events and individual contributions, 100% of which is then given as grants to local community groups. Most recently, their expertise in raising, managing and ensuring financial accountability for charitable funds made them the central organization to maintain and account for contributions for Frager’s and their employees after this summer’s fire.
Currently, the Foundation is offering two opportunities for those interested in giving back to the Hill while having a little fun.
First is their yearly fall fundraiser, A Literary Feast. This is a series of dinners held at private homes throughout the neighborhood on the evening of October 19th. Each host’s cuisine is based on a book, and participants sign up for a dinner by choosing from the list of books. You don’t need to read the book (we’ve been for a few years and not only have we not read the book, but in most cases weren’t familiar with it before the dinner, but we have had some amazing meals!), and there are dinners that cater to particular dietary preferences (vegetarian, gluten free, etc.). After dinner, all the dinner parties meet at the Hill Center for dessert and dancing. Registration is all online this year, and closes on September 27th. We told you about the Feast when registration opened, but since it closes earlier this year than in previous years, we wanted to remind you that the deadline is coming soon.
The second program is a new site the Foundation launched recently to help connect volunteers with local organizations that have specific needs. The site, CapitolHillVolunteers.org, is a clearing house where non-profits list their needs and interested volunteers can contact them directly to learn more and participate. The site already has more than ten listings for projects ranging from tutors and mentors to photographers and food donations.
Get plugged in and have fun!