Spotlight On

Mission:
The mission of Bread for the City is to provide vulnerable residents of Washington, DC with comprehensive services, including food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. It recognizes that all people share a common humanity, and that all are responsible to themselves and to society as a whole. Therefore, Bread for the City promotes the mutual collaboration of clients, volunteers, donors, staff, and other community partners to alleviate the suffering caused by poverty and to rectify the conditions that perpetuate it.

Background:
Bread for the City started as two organizations: Zacchaeus Free Clinic began as a volunteer-run free medical clinic in 1974, and in 1976, Bread for the City began as a joint project of five downtown churches with a mission to provide food and clothing. Coincidentally, both agencies were located on the same block and they began to collaborate informally and refer clients back and forth. They worked this way for years, both growing and eventually hiring a few staff. In 1991, this collaboration became more formal when the two agencies started a jointly funded social services program, and soon added a legal services program.

In 1993, the agencies purchased and restored an abandoned lumber warehouse at 1525 Seventh Street, NW and achieved their joint vision of offering comprehensive services under one roof; the agencies merged formally in 1995.

To meet the great need for services East of the River, in 1999, Bread for the City purchased a vacant lot in Anacostia and built its second full service facility; the SE Center opened in 2002.

Today the agency operates the NW and SE Centers, and provides the original five services to over 10,000 low-income residents of DC each month: primary medical care, legal services, social services, food and clothing. It has a staff of 45, and continues to benefit from the outstanding work of hundreds of volunteers.

Bread for the City is proud to be a winner of The Washington Post 2004 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management.

Current Programs:
Bread for the City offers five different, free program services to clients - all under one roof.

• Food
  Last year, Bread for the City provided groceries to an average of 4,200 households each month. Each bag of groceries consists of a nutritious, three-day supply of food adjusted to suit the household size. Eligible clients, who can receive food once a month, have incomes of 125% or less of the federal food stamp income guidelines. Most food clients are elderly, disabled or families with children.

• Clothing
  Clothing for adults and children comes entirely from donations. Last year Bread for the City distributed over 176,000 articles of clothing to its clients.

• Medical
  The clinic provides primary medical care, free job physicals, medications, lab tests and referrals to uninsured children and adults residing in Washington, DC. Last year it provided 5,886 medical visits for 2,207 individuals.

• Social Services
  Bread for the City provides a wide range of counseling, referral, representative payee and case management services. Last year, social work staff conducted 6,579 intake interviews to assess client needs. They conducted 4,590 face-to-face visits, opened 651 new client cases and completed 1,573 public benefit applications with clients.

• Legal
  Bread for the City attorneys represent clients in landlord-tenant disputes, family law matters, and assist claimants who have been denied Social Security disability benefits. Last year attorneys opened 205 new cases and received 751 applications for service.

Funding Needs:
Bread for the City is seeking general operating funds which will support all of its program services.

The "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving the Metropolitan Washington, DC community. The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" 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 your NPO in the "Spotlight," e-mail a description of your organization, following the above format, to dclibrary@foundationcenter.org, with "Spotlight Submission" in the subject line.