First Fridays | September 2025

A Note From Amy

Dear neighbors,

Neighbor to Neighbor Night, our annual evening of celebration and community impact, is right around the corner! We hope you can join us on Thursday, October 9, for a “Sneaker Soirée” honoring the strength and generosity of our community.

I’m excited to share that this year’s 2025 Circle of Community Champions Honorees: Comptroller of Maryland, Brooke Liermann, and Bozzuto! Plus, NBC 4’s Tommy McFly will be joining us as the evening’s emcee!

It’s sure to be a great night for neighbors, partners, and friends to come together to celebrate community and fuel the work that creates stability for thousands of our neighbors each year.

If you haven’t secured your ticket yet, don’t wait — Early Bird tickets are available only through September 9. I hope you’ll join us for an unforgettable evening!

With Gratitude,

Amy Javaid
President & CEO

In This First Friday:

• Neighbor to Neighbor Night: Sneaker Soirée
• Investing in Local Leaders: 2025 Microgrants
• CFC: Funding at Risk of Elimination
• Fill the Need: September
• Circling Back
• August at AWC

Ever heard of the CFC? Are you a Federal employee or retiree?

We want to share some important news — and invite you to stand with us at a critical moment for A Wider Circle and many nonprofits across the country.

We’ve recently learned that the 2025 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the federal government’s longstanding workplace giving program, is at serious risk of being discontinued.

While this is deeply concerning, we see it as a moment for collective advocacy and action.

The CFC has been an incredible source of support, providing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to A Wider Circle. But its value goes far beyond dollars — it’s a chance for us to connect directly with generous federal employees, many of whom have become dedicated donors of both dollars and in-kind items, volunteers, and passionate ambassadors for our mission.

We are still hopeful, because we know the strength of this community.

• Federal employee or retiree? Keep your impact going if the CFC is eliminated — join us as a recurring donor today on our secure giving platform!
• Not with the government? You can still make a difference — your gift helps fill the gap and supports neighbors in need.
• Advocate! If you feel moved, take 2 minutes to call your elected officials to ask them “to advocate for the continuation of the Combined Federal Campaign, which is at risk of being eliminated”. Contact information can be found here.

Thank you for being such a vital part of A Wider Circle. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it with determination, partnership, and a shared commitment to uplifting our community.

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:

1. Drop It Off: We cannot seem to keep the shelves full at the pantries at our Silver Spring Center and Ward 8 Hub, so this month, we are asking once again for non-perishable food donations. Consider hosting a canned food drive in your neighborhood to help fill this need! Donation drop-off hours for our Silver Spring Center can be found here, and questions about hosting a food drive can be directed to our In-Kind Donations scheduling team at furnish@awidercircle.org.
   
   
2. 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 Body Wipes, a highly requested item from our unhoused neighbors.
   
   
3. 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, we’re asking you to donate a ticket to Neighbor to Neighbor Night, allowing neighbors we serve to join us as we celebrate our community. Simply visit our ticket purchasing page, and select the last option, “donate a ticket” to support this effort.
   

With your support, we can provide our neighbors with exactly what they need, when they need it most.