A Note From Amy
Right now, there are spreadsheets open with more tabs than anyone wants to admit. Final delivery windows are being confirmed. Someone, somewhere, is triple-checking a couch measurement (and then checking it again, just to be sure).
It’s that week — the final countdown to Home Reimagined 2026.
The one where months of planning meet real life. Where logistics turn into something much more meaningful. Where the energy starts to build because we know what’s coming next.
And this Thursday, May 7, it does.
Fifty families across our region will head out for the day as they normally would — except this time, they’ll come back to something entirely different. A bed to sleep in for the very first time. A table to gather around. A couch to land on at the end of a long day.
A home that finally feels like one.
This is Home Reimagined.
What started in 2023 as a simple but ambitious question — what if we could fully transform multiple homes in a single day? — has grown into one of the most meaningful days of our year. In just a single day, our community will come together to transform 50 empty homes into spaces of comfort, stability, and possibility.
Yes, the visual transformation is remarkable. But what lingers far beyond the day itself is harder to capture – the hope that follows families through their front doors.
Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing glimpses of this year’s Home Reimagined across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I hope you’ll follow along and see what becomes possible when a community comes together in this way.
With gratitude,
Amy Javaid
President & CEO
P.S. If you’d like to support Home Reimagined, you can make a donation here.
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 May:
With your support, we can provide our neighbors with exactly what they need, when they need it most.
Plan Ahead: Simple, Tax-Smart Ways to Support More Families in 2026
Now that the 2025 tax season is behind us, it’s a good time to look ahead and consider how your charitable giving can make an even greater impact in 2026. We want to make it easy to give in ways that maximize both your generosity and potential benefits.
Recent tax law changes have influenced how charitable giving works. For example, if you itemize, deductions may apply only to contributions exceeding 0.5% of your adjusted gross income. If you take the standard deduction, you may still qualify for a tax break on cash gifts (up to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for couples).
Here are a few tax-smart giving options to consider:
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) offer significant tax advantages, including an immediate income tax deduction for contributions, the elimination of capital gains tax on donated appreciated assets, and tax-free growth of invested funds.
Donating appreciated stock may help you avoid capital gains taxes.
Giving from your IRA (if you’re 70½ or older) can reduce taxable income and may count toward your Required Minimum Distribution.
April 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
National Volunteer Month
April was National Volunteer Month, and we were proud to celebrate the nearly 3,000 volunteers annually who give their time to support A Wider Circle. Whether it’s sorting donations, lifting heavy furniture, or making our showroom look just right, volunteers are a big part of what makes our work possible.
Thank you to the volunteer groups who joined us in April, including Capital One (pictured above), along with Alpha Phi Omega, Epsilon Mu Chapter (UMD), Bauman Consulting, Bozzuto, C.D Mote, Jr. Incentive Awards Program (UMD), Giving Together, Gonzaga High School, Junior League of Washington, Men Called to Serve: Being the Hands & Feet, Nasdaq, Norwood School, Sidwell Friends School, Silver Spring Masonic Lodge #215, Spencerville Church, Starbucks Bethesda, St. John’s University Alma Mater, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Temple Sinai Men’s Club, University of Maryland SAFE Program, Walker & Dunlop, Warner Bros. Discovery, Washington Adventist University, and Yale Alumni Association.
P2I Graduation
In April, our latest Partnership to Independence (P2I) cohort graduated, marking a major milestone in their journeys.
P2I is a commitment to walking alongside individuals as they work toward goals in employment, education, health, and connection. This graduation represents resilience, determination, and the power of sustained support.
To our graduates: we are so proud of all you’ve accomplished and honored to be part of your journey. The future is bright!
AWC on NBC4!
Last week, A Wider Circle’s Chief Inventory and Strategic Partnerships Officer, Janet Dailey, joined NBC4 to share how Capital One Arena is donating furniture from its upcoming renovation to A Wider Circle.
BLOG: Empowering Leaders to Drive Lasting Change on Poverty
In our latest blog post, Rachael Buck, Director of A Wider Circle’s Advocacy program, shares how we are working to empower young people to create lasting change in their communities through hands-on experiences and learning opportunities.
YaVonne Boyd joining DC Commission on Poverty
Last month, Director of A Wider Circle’s Ward 8 Hub, YaVonne Boyd, was appointed by the Mayor to serve as an independent member of the District of Columbia Commission on Poverty, which is charged with advising the Mayor and the DC Council on policies and programs that reduce poverty and promote economic opportunity across the District. Congratulations, YaVonne, for this great honor!
On The Horizon
Less than one week away! Home Reimagined 2026
In 2024, we transformed 10 homes.
In 2025, we jumped to 35.
And this year? We’re going big: 50 homes in one day.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 7 — our biggest Home Reimagined day yet.
Champions Circle Volunteer Events
Members of our Champions Circle are invited to visit the Ann & Don Brown Center for Community Service for an exclusive morning of connection and impact. Join us on one of three Saturday mornings (May 2, May 30, or June 6) for a light breakfast and networking with fellow supporters, a guided tour of the Center, and a hands-on volunteer activity alongside the A Wider Circle team. For more information and to sign up, please reach out to Jamal Chevis at jchevis@awidercircle.org or 301-557-9401.
