Blog / In the Community

D.C. citizens returning to their communities from prison face an “incredibly complex” path to re-entry, according to a new report from the Council for Court Excellence (CCE).

This is a letter penned by DC Fair Budget Coalition (signed by Bread for the City) and sent to Mayor Bowser and the Council of The District of Columbia asking them to keep DC a safe sanctuary city.

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order banning all refugees from entering the country for 120 days — or even indefinitely, in the case of Syria — while barring citizens of a select group of predominantly Muslim nations from traveling to the U.S. for 90 days.

In spring 2015, Kathleen Stephan, Community Resource and Quality Assurance Coordinator, began looking into why so many Bread for the City clients were suddenly struggling to obtain an ID. This blog series explores how the system disadvantages people of color living in poverty, and proposes possible improvements to policies that are currently preventing many DC residents from obtaining identification documents.

For the last few years, Bread for the City has been hosting a crochet group that meets every Monday in the medical waiting area. Clients use the time to socialize, share their skills, and enjoy a mutual hobby. Yesterday, our group went on an outing to the Phillips Collection to see the Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and other related works. The collection focused on the mass exodus of the black community from the rural south to the urban north between the world wars. The exodus, which was prompted by wartime shortages and oppressive conditions, was the largest population shift of African-Americans since the time of slavery. Lawrence’s collection features 60 panels of the African-American migration and is open until January 8, 2017.

Things are not getting worse, they are just getting uncovered. We must hold each other tight and continue to pull back the veil. -Adrienne Maree Brown

America is in crisis, and more visibly so than it has been in at least a generation.

They come in all shapes and sizes, from all corners of the metro area, and all walks of life. They are lawyers, business owners, retirees, students, and everything in between. Above all, they are selfless and committed to being of service to their community. Luckily for us, Bread for the City is a part of that community!

On October 1st, Bread for the City clients, community members, and allies rallied outside DC General and DC Jail to demand that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District’s City Council invest more in housing than they do in police and prisons. In its current FY17 budget, DC is spending about $700 million on jails and police, compared to only $235 million on housing programs – a 3:1 ratio.