The Calvary Connection

July 2020

Employment during COVID-19

“I lost my job because of COVID-19. I regained employment and a sense of peace because of Calvary."

Among the women at Calvary who were working at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, 56% have lost their jobs. A majority of those women worked in the service industry.

Now, as our city begins to reopen, we are focusing on relaunching some of our programs that were running at limited capacity. This includes our STEP UP DC (SUDC) Employment Program.

Since beginning our relaunch of SUDC in June, we have had three women, who had previously lost their jobs due to COVID-19, secure employment with an average wage of $15/hour!

This is wonderful start, but it is just the beginning. We will work tirelessly to support each woman looking for employment during this trying time. Women will receive one-on-one support, employment resources, interview skills, resume building techniques, and necessary funds for travel to interviews and the first month of work until they receive their first paycheck.

We are committed to lessening the burden this pandemic has placed on the women we serve. We know that for many women this begins with regaining employment. Read more about our STEP UP DC program below.

STEP UP DC PROGRAM

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE - SIGN UP TODAY!

LEARN MORE & SIGN UP

SPA DAY AT CALVARY

Thanks to our wonderful volunteer, Sharnikya Howard, the women at Calvary had a relaxing and rejuvenating day. Sharnikya and her dedicated team of Spa Day volunteers have been doing Spa Day at Calvary since 2013.

Elaine Johnson, who is in charge of Calvary's LEAP program, said " I was certain this would be the first year that Spa Day wouldn't happen. But I should not have doubted Sharnikya and her team. It was such a joy to see how they worked it out to make sure women had a day of self-care."

All of the materials were delivered to Calvary beforehand and tutorials were done over Zoom to ensure everyone's safety. The Spa Day included a facial tutorial, hair and nails, and make-up tips. A special thank you to Zen in a Jar for their donations and to Tata Harper for their wonderful facial tutorial and product donations.

One of the women who participated in Spa Day shared, "It was such a special time. I was able to ask questions and share experiences with the other women while taking time for myself. I felt so much lighter after."

Urgent Needs Wish List

In order to continue our life-saving work, we need your help. We have updated our Urgent Needs Wish List and are looking for donations of the following items:

Antibacterial gel by the gallon
Disinfecting wipes
Medical paper face masks
Bottled Water
New sports bras, sizes S to 5X

New flip flops, sizes 8 to 12
New underwear, sizes M to 4X
Long robes
Medium canvas bags
Razors

You can find these items on our Amazon Urgent Needs Wish List HERE .

LEARN MORE

Partners for Tomorrow

At the end of June, we launched our Partners for Tomorrow Campaign. Partners for Tomorrow are a group of dedicated donors who support Calvary's work by giving recurring monthly donations. Through this campaign, our goal is to grow our Partners for Tomorrow program by 50 new donors by July 26.

We are already more than half way to our goal and still have plenty of time left to reach it! That's not the only good news. Since we announced our campaign we have received support from generous sponsors who have decided to give a matching donation if we reach our goal.

Friends at New Media Firm will match $1,000, City First Bank has committed to $2,000 and longtime Major Donors Paula and John Millian have graciously sponsored a matching gift of $2,500. We are beyond grateful for their support of this campaign and are eager to reach our goal so we can unlock these additional funds!

Paula and John shared why they were so eager to sponsor a matching gift. They said, “We are pleased to be able to support Calvary’s Partners for Tomorrow campaign. As long time supporters of Calvary and it’s mission we have always believed that they put the needs of the city’s most under-served women first. These are women who need stability during this difficult time and without Calvary’s support are at risk of losing their hard fought gains. So join us and Partner for Tomorrow.”

MORE INFORMATION

Volunteer Spotlight: Meals Volunteer Extraordinaire

Elizabeth Workman not only drops off meals for the women at Calvary, she also coordinates with others in her network to drop meals off.

In addition to being a meals volunteer extraordinaire, Elizabeth recently surprised front-line Calvary staff with gift bags and personalized notes. The staff members were beyond thrilled to receive their gifts! Even though you can't see their smiles in the picture, you can tell they feel loved and appreciated. It's volunteers like Elizabeth that make this difficult time so much easier to bear. Thank you Elizabeth!!

5 Ways to Help and Stay Involved

Calvary Women’s Services has kept our doors open for more than 35 years with the help of volunteers and donors like you. With your support, women have found a safe and caring home with Calvary Women’s Services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this is no different.

Here are the top five ways you can make a difference right now.

Make a donation to our Urgent Needs Fund
Make a gift to our Giving Catalog
Raise critically needed funds for Calvary
Raise awareness of Calvary's important, life-saving work with family, friends and colleagues
Sign up to prepare a meal for the women at Calvary in August or September. Contact Stacia Frederick at sfrederick@calvaryservices.org

For more information about all of these ways to help, please click the button below.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

DONATE TODAY

Calvary Women's Services

202-678-2341

info@calvaryservices.org

https://www.calvaryservices.org/