Get Involved
Ways to Give
Monetary Donations
Our work is possible because of generous donors and partners like you. We can never overstate the ripple effect that one donation can have on the lives of our clients. Whether you give $1 or $10,000, the strength of our circle lies in all who are a part of it. Support at every level makes us feel proud to have you in our community and fortunate to have a generous circle of friends with a shared vision — a society where all of our neighbors have the resources they need to thrive.
We value our donors and take seriously the responsibility to use donations in the best way possible to achieve impact — supporting our neighbors to attain financial self-sufficiency and a pathway out of poverty.
Donations can be made online, or by sending a check to:
10325 Kensington Parkway, #70
Kensington, MD 20895
Checks should be made out to “A Wider Circle”
Donate Items
Thank you for thinking of us for your donation! Our goal is to help families start anew with dignity and hope. We accept donations that are in dignity condition: free of rips, stains, or excessive wear, and ready to use. Imagine giving the intended donation to a friend or neighbor – if you would be proud to share it with them, then please share it with us.
Donation Drop-Off
We accept drop-off donations Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. Appointments are not needed for drop-off donations.
To prioritize service to our clients on these days, we have modified our schedule for donation drop-offs at our Center and no longer accept donations on Mondays and Thursdays. Thank you for your understanding as we work to better serve our neighbors.
Donation Pick-Up
To focus our efforts and resources on securing the items our families need most, we are now offering our pick-up service exclusively for furniture donations that either:
- Include one of our 4 most requested items (mattress and/or boxspring, sofa or upholstered living room chair, dresser, or dining table and/or set of dining chairs).
- Include at least 3 other pieces of furniture, if they do not include one of the four items listed above.
Click here for more information on these new guidelines.
To schedule a pick-up, click the button below to fill out our donation pick-up request form.
If you would like to get in touch with a member of our donations team, please email furnish@awidercircle.org.



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Volunteer
Thank you for your interest in volunteering! We look forward to quickly getting you involved in the work that we do.
From the day A Wider Circle was founded, volunteers have been at the heart of our efforts. Every day a person volunteers here translates into more families having the opportunity to create stability and independence.
A Wider Circle is an open and welcoming environment for everyone. We welcome volunteers who need to complete SSL hours, we welcome volunteers who need to complete court-ordered hours, and we welcome volunteers who are looking for episodic and long-term volunteer opportunities.
To begin volunteering with us, we ask that you take the following steps:
- Pick a volunteer opportunity from the menu below.
- Complete a volunteer interest form.
- Sign-up for orientation and training. The link to sign-up for orientation training will be included in the confirmation message after you complete the volunteer interest form.
In the orientation session, volunteers will learn about the history, and mission of A Wider Circle and its volunteer program. In addition, volunteers will learn the policies and procedures of A Wider Circle and its volunteer program and about the different volunteer opportunities that are available. This will take about 1 hour.
Following the orientation session, volunteers who be serving in our Essential Support program will begin their volunteer service with hands-on training serving alongside an experienced volunteer or staff member. This will take about 2 hours. Volunteers who will be serving in other roles will not have to stay for this part of the orientation and training. They will be connected with their volunteer supervisor to schedule their first day of service and ongoing training.


Episodic and Short-Term Opportunities (18+ over)
Episodic volunteer opportunities are a great way for volunteers to serve when their schedule allows or for a short period of time.
Available Opportunities
Essential Support Volunteer
This program focuses on providing basic needs items for the home to our neighbors seeking to rise out of poverty. The donations we receive include household furniture,
linens, kitchen items, toys, and professional clothing and accessories. Volunteers help us to sort donations and stock the showrooms where our clients select their items. With the help of volunteers like you, A Wider Circle
is able to furnish 10-20 homes free of charge each day for our neighbors in need. Volunteer shifts that are available for this opportunity are at least 3 hours long.
Volunteer FAQs
All in-person volunteers and staff are required to be fully vaccinated and practice social distancing. Wearing a mask is encouraged, but optional.
All volunteers and other visitors also complete a health questionnaire prior to entering our premises, which screens for any symptoms of COVID-19 or any contact with potential carriers of the illness.
A Wider Circle can provide SSL hours for youth looking to complete their school-related volunteer requirements. Students will track their own hours and should speak to a staff member on the day of their volunteering about this process. The volunteer engagements that have been approved for SSL hours are noted above.
All volunteers serving at our Center for Community Service or Professional Development Center should report to 9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. We do not have on-site parking for volunteers, other than for those with mobility concerns. Please email volunteer@awidercircle.org or call 301-608-3504 for our convenient parking directions just offsite!
In order to serve our clients with dignity and respect, we ask all our volunteers to dress in a professional manner.
Professional attire includes:
- Family-friendly and non-political messaging on clothing
- Jeans, t-shirts (shoulders covered), or shorts
- Sneakers or other comfortable footwear that is closed-toed
Attire that is not considered professional includes:
- Tank-tops or mid-rise shirts
- Shorts that are too short, leggings worn as pants, sweatpants/pants that are too baggy to stay up.
- Clothes with excessive holes
- Non-family friendly messaging or political messaging on clothing
If a volunteer is not dressed professionally, unfortunately, we may have to ask them to return at a later time/date with appropriate attire.