For over 45 years, Bread for the City has provided support to residents in Washington, DC. As our city prepares for the full impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) spread and response, Bread for the City continues to closely monitor the situation with the health and safety of our clients, staff, volunteers, and larger community as our top priority. We know that not only will residents of the District be affected medically, but also economically as businesses suspend operations, workers lose tips or shifts, and some find difficulty in accessing benefits.

While we remain committed to providing core medical and food operations during this time, to minimize community and city-wide risk, beginning Monday, March 16, Bread for the City will make the following changes to ensure both consistency of care and staff/community wellbeing:

• The Northwest Medical Clinic will be open from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm for urgent patient visits only; please call 202-386-7020 for more information.
• During these times, there will be limited grocery pick-up available for medical patients.
• Rep-Payee check pick-up will be available in the Northwest Center on Monday mornings between 8:30-12:30 and Friday mornings between 8:30-12:00.
• The Southeast Center will be closed until Wednesday, April 1st.
• We will be suspending all client-facing volunteer opportunities.
• The majority of staff will be working remotely beginning Monday, March 16th.

We are also equipping our behavioral health team to provide telephonic support to Bread for the City clients and our legal team to continue representing clients in court. While our day-to-day operations will be impacted by recommendations for closures and social distancing, we are investigating creative solutions to alleviate the impact of this pandemic in our city. 

This is not a time to stand alone. Bread for the City is part of broad direct service and advocacy networks across DC. We will continue to partner with organizations across our region aiding low-income residents to provide as much assistance as we possibly can.

Please visit our website,  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information on our developing response and to keep up-to-date on hours of operation.

For those looking for a way to help, I’m reminded of something Fred Rogers once said: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” At Bread for the City, our motto is “Helping People” and that’s just what we plan to do, but, in this particular moment, we need you all the more. If you are able to give in order to help your neighbors, please visit https://breadforthecity.org/donation/givetoday/ to donate today. Together, we can mitigate the burden of this crisis on those for whom the impact will be greatest.