BFC In the News

Behind the brains and innovation of DC tech is a community that rallies for those in need. Here’s a smattering of their good deeds.

Company unveils initiatives including support for Bread for the City

President Obama wished Americans a happy Thanksgiving on Thursday, extending his gratitude to military members and charity volunteers for their service and explaining what he loves most about the holiday.

President Obama, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, his daughters and mother-in-law, marked the day before Thanksgiving by helping feed the hungry in Washington. The Obamas traveled to Bread for the City in southeast Washington to distribute food, with the president handing out bags of sweet potatoes.

Karl Racine (D): As Attorney General, my first duty would be to uphold the law and represent the District of Columbia and its people.

Filling out the paperwork to apply for subsidized housing can be a pain. And there’s another hurdle for prospective residents with little tech know-how: tracking available properties. So local community organization Bread for the City devised a plan to reach its clients as soon as a listing’s wait list opened up: with a texting app.

The group continues to welcome new members to its twice-a-month meetings. We check in on how it all got started — and what Code for DC hackers have been working on recently.

Although parking spaces are easier to find in Shaw than in nearby Chinatown, “gentrification” is a word bandied about by longtime residents as luxury apartments go up here. One thing’s for sure: The area is in the midst of a commercial revival, yielding an eclectic mix of decades-old institutions sharing sidewalks with fledgling bars and eateries.