A Note From Amy
Dear neighbors,
As we move into the second half of the year, I want to begin with a heartfelt thank you. Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our goal during June’s Matching Gifts Month! At a time of tremendous change and growing need, we are deeply honored that so many chose to invest in our mission and our community.
This summer is full of important moments. This month, we’re preparing to welcome furniture banks from across the country for a national conference, culminating in a shared Capitol Hill briefing on furniture poverty — an issue that affects millions but is too often overlooked.
Internally, we took time to pause and reflect at our staff retreat last month. We stepped back from the day-to-day to reconnect as a team: laughing, learning, and strengthening the community that drives our work forward.
Finally, we are also closely tracking the evolving federal budget landscape. Shifts across multiple jurisdictions will affect not only our own resources, but many of the programs that support the families we serve. Through it all, we remain committed to meeting the moment with compassion, clarity, and resolve.
Thank you for being with us on this journey.
With Gratitude,
Amy Javaid
President & CEO
Neighbor to Neighbor Night: Sneaker Soiree
A Wider Circle’s Neighbor to Neighbor Night 2025 will be a SNEAKER SOIRÉE!
Our annual Neighbor to Neighbor Night fundraising gala honors the strength and generosity of the community we serve. This evening highlights the importance of our work supporting families transitioning into stable, furnished homes; job seekers building their career path; and community members investing in their neighborhood.
Join us in your festive attire (and sneakers) as we Step into Stability:
Thursday, October 9, 2025
6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
The Ann & Don Brown Center for Community Service
9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Join us to celebrate shared progress and ensure ongoing support for all who seek it. The gathering is more than a celebration; it’s a reminder that lasting change begins when we stand together.
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets available now!
Fill the Need: July
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 July:
- Drop It Off: This month, we’re looking for fans to help fight the summer heat! You can help by dropping off gently-used fans at our Silver Spring Center. Donation drop-off hours for our Silver Spring Center can be found here.
- Ship It: Want to help but don’t have the item on hand? Check out our Fill the Need Wishlist to purchase a high-need item and have it shipped directly to us. This month, our Ward 8 Hub is looking for healthy non-perishable food and snacks for our food pantry, as well as coffee, creamer, and sweetener for meetings and workshops (like our weekly Job Café).
- Fund It: Some opportunities to support our work arise outside of our regular budget. Each month, we’ll share one specific item or service that your gift can help fund — something timely and meaningful that will make a real difference. This month, your donations will allow us to purchase full- and queen-sized bed frames. While we regularly receive donated mattresses in these sizes, they don’t always come in with a frame. These purchases will help ensure adults who receive beds from us have a full set, keeping their new mattress off the floor. Click here to make a gift.
With your support, we can provide our neighbors with exactly what they need, when they need it most.
Happenings at the Hub
Along with our regular programming, activities at the Hub this month included a Juneteenth celebration with the community, which featured lunch, bingo, music, and raffle prizes (pictured above: top left, bottom left, and top right).
Earlier in the month, we also hosted our first Community Cleanup day of the year (pictured above: bottom right). Together with six dedicated community members, we picked up trash in the Highlands neighborhood. In total, we filled over 10 bags of trash — a small but meaningful step toward a cleaner, healthier community.
Circling Back
Commemorating Juneteenth
In addition to our celebration at the Ward 8 Hub, we also commemorated Juneteenth at our Silver Spring Center by inviting Ms. Pat Tyson (pictured here with Amy), President of the Lyttonsville Civic Association, to share the powerful history of Lyttonsville—founded in 1853 by freed laborer Samuel Lytton.
Her words reminded us that knowing our local history helps us be better neighbors.
Styled By Jen: Senior Prom!
In this month’s Styled By Jen, Jen helped Kathy and Angie put together glamorous looks for the Washington Highlands Community Center’s annual ‘Senior Prom’ event!
Discover Lyttonsville
Starting today through next Friday, July 18, it’s Discover Lyttonsville Week! Throughout the week, you can stop by participating Lyttonsville businesses and non-profits to get a behind-the-scenes look.
As part of the week, join us Tuesday morning, July 15, from 9:30-11:30 am for Come Chill at The Circle — an open-house where you can tour our Center, learn about our work, and have a chance to win raffle prizes! Register here.
Congrats to our DSCI Service Year Fellows!
Last month, our Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation Fellows completed their service year with us.
We are so grateful for the compassion and service they brought to A Wider Circle, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things they’ll accomplish next!
June at A Wider Circle
In June at A Wider Circle:
- 223 homes were furnished
- 793 visits were made to our Ward 8 Hub
- 215 families in Southeast DC received market bags
- 33 parents received baby items for their new arrivals
- 81 job seekers were supported on their journey to finding meaningful employment
- 149 job seekers received professional clothing
- 1,327 donations of furniture, home goods, and professional clothing were contributed
- 302 volunteers joined us to serve
Thank you to the volunteer groups who joined us in June:
The Inter-American Development Bank; BC Guardian, LLC; Deloitte; Giving Together; Washington International School; Silver Spring Masonic Lodge #215; UMD – Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Temple Sinai Men’s Club; DC News Now; Marriott Global Marketing; The Nora School; and The McLean School
Thank you — we could not do this without your support.
