A Note From Amy
I’ve now seen enough first-day-of-school photos to know the genre well. Backpacks twice their size. That very specific face — equal parts excitement and betrayal. Someone should study the ratio of smiles to tears in these. Ask me how I know.
Photos are great like that — they just don’t show everything. They don’t show the kid who slept on a couch instead of a real bed, or the one doing homework balanced on a knee because there’s no desk. They definitely don’t show what happens once it gets dark and there’s no lamp to read by. We happen to have a way to fix exactly that. If you’ve got any of these items collecting dust, we know a kid nearby who’d put it to good use. Here’s where to start.
That’s the part of back-to-school worth noticing. Also worth noticing: it’s a long weekend, and nobody’s asking you for homework help (yet). Enjoy it.
Talk soon,
Amy Javaid
President & CEO
Fill the Need
In every issue of First Friday, Fill the Need highlights three specific ways you can help make an immediate impact. Whether you choose to Drop It Off, Ship It, or Fund It, your support makes it easy to fill our most urgent needs.
Here’s how you can Fill the Need this September:
With your support, we can provide our neighbors with exactly what they need, when they need it most.
August at a Glance
homes furnished
furniture, home goods, and professional clothing items contributed
parents received baby items for their new arrivals
visits to our Ward 8 Hub
families in Southeast DC received market bags containing cleaning and personal care products
job seekers supported on their journey to finding meaningful employment
job seekers received professional clothing
volunteers joined us to serve
Thank you to the following volunteer groups who joined us in August:
American University Center for Leadership & Community Engagement, College Park Media Scholars (UMD), Collegiate Directions Inc, DRT, Family Nursing Care, FOCI at Georgetown University, Gamma Epsilon Chapter Of La Unidad Latina, George Washington University Welcome Day of Service, Giving Together, Glenstone Museum, Northlane Capital Partners, and Temple Sinai Men’s Club
UNIQLO @ AWC
UNIQLO’s Global Director of Sustainability got a behind-the-scenes look at how clothing donations turn into meaningful impact. We were glad to be a stop on the route.
Since July 2025, the DC Department of Human Services and UNIQLO have sent dozens of pallets of new clothing to A Wider Circle. That has meant our first-ever winter attire distribution, two large-scale clothing events, thousands of winter coats last fall, and a steady stream of professional attire for clients preparing for job interviews and fresh starts.
Demand got strong enough that we built a dedicated UNIQLO Nook inside our Clothing Boutique.
Thank you to the team at the DC Department of Human Services, and to UNIQLO for all of their contributions.
On The Horizon
October 8: Neighbor to Neighbor Night
Save the date! On Thursday, October 8, we’ll celebrate 25 years of A Wider Circle at our annual gala, Neighbor to Neighbor Night. Sponsorship opportunities available! Learn more.
October 23: Paddle for a Purpose
Join B.F. Saul Insurance’s fourth annual Paddle for a Purpose Charity Pickleball Tournament, an afternoon of fun and friendly competition in support of A Wider Circle. Register and learn more here.
