Grants That Make a Difference
Every month, "Grants that Make a Difference" highlights grants given to Washington, DC area organizations that have helped make a difference in people's lives. "Grants That Make a Difference" profiles these important community success stories.
February 1, 2008
Grant amount: $15,000
Who got the grant:
Our Place, DC
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Suite 460
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202/548-2400
Fax: 202/548-2403
E-mail: ourplace@ourplacedc.org
Web site: http://www.ourplacedc.org
Who gave the grant:
Butler Family Fund
1301 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/463-8288
Fax: 202/463-8294
E-mail: info@butlerfamilyfund.org
Web site: http://www.butlerfamilyfund.org
Purpose of the grant:
In support of work to reduce homelessness in women returning from prison.
Impact:
Our Place, DC offers women who are DC residents and who have been incarcerated the opportunity to create individual plans for reintegration by identifying the resources they feel they need to succeed. Staff at Our Place assists them in achieving their goals by providing them with the resources they need - either by offering it onsite or linking women to other organizations that do.
Through its work, Our Place has recognized that women identify housing and employment as the two factors of most concern to them as they set out to begin the reintegration process. A host of other concerns quickly emerge, and Our Place has created a range of programs and services to address those needs. These programs and services include:
- Camille's Place to provide emergency shelter for women who are homeless upon their release from jail or prison.
- Clothing Boutique to provide women with new and gently used clothing, as well as basic household items.
- Counseling Services to provide mental health support to women returning home from incarceration and/or their families.
- Employment Services to link women with employment opportunities in the DC area; to equip them with the skills needed to obtain and maintain employment.
- Housing Referral to assist women who would otherwise have no safe place to return to in finding transitional housing immediately upon their release from prison.
- Legal Services to assist women currently involved with the criminal justice system in their navigation of different political, organizational, and community structures; to provide advocacy on behalf of these women; to educate them about their rights.
- Our Kids program to provide support for children whose mothers are or have been incarcerated by presenting them with opportunities to interact with children in like circumstances, to encourage their involvement with the community and broaden their horizons for the future, and to provide respite for their caretakers.
Mission:
The mission of Our Place, DC is to support women who are or have been in the criminal justice system by providing the resources they need to maintain connections with the community, resettle after incarceration, and reconcile with their families. Our Place helps women remain drug- and alcohol-free, obtain decent housing and jobs, gain access to education, secure resources for their children, and maintain physical and emotional health.
"Grants that Make a Difference" is a rotating
feature profiling grants awarded to 501(c)3 nonprofit
organizations in the Metropolitan Washington,
DC area ONLY (the grantmaker doesn't necessarily
have to be local). The selection of grants for
"Grants That Make a Difference" is based on criteria
such as programmatic interests, geographic focus,
and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation
of the region's nonprofit sector.
If you'd like to see a grant awarded to your NPO
featured here, e-mail a detailed description of
the grant (following the format below), to dclibrary@foundationcenter.org,
with "Grants Submission" in the subject line.
We welcome press releases in addition to, or as
a substitute for the description.
Here is what you need to include:
- Name of your funded program
- The amount of the grant (indicate if multi-year)
- Who received the grant - Your organization's name, contact person's name (if applicable), address, telephone and Web site (if applicable).
- Who gave the grant - Name of the grantmaker
- Community impact: A brief (250 words maximum) explanation of how this program is making a difference in the community.
- Your organization's mission and how it relates to this funded project.
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