DC Charity Spotlight: Sarah's Circle

WISH LIST $100: 40 community meals for low income seniors; $1,000: 2 months of program-enriched affordable housing for 1 senior; $5,000: much-needed refurbishing of the Wellness Center.

Of the more than 73,000 seniors residing in DC, nearly 20%–that’s 14,600–live in abject poverty, with incomes defined by HUD as “low,” “very low,” and “extremely low." In Ward I, which has more than 9,910 seniors, the figure is 22% (2,180). Most have raised families and worked all their lives, but the “golden years” have become a struggle for survival. Forced to spend 80-90% of their income on rent, many have less than $30 a week for food, utilities, and medications.

The triple jeopardy here is poverty, declining health … and loneliness. So Sarah’s Circle steps in, providing affordable housing, a hot daily lunch in a community setting, a Wellness Center for residents and other neighborhood seniors, and creative programs and services – exercise, nutrition, and preventive health classes; recreational, educational, and artistic programming; and basic case management. Winner of the 2001 Excellence in Affordable Housing award from the Met Life/Enterprise Foundations, Sarah’s Circle offers housing, community, companionship, and dignity to seniors. Your compassionate philanthropy makes a world of difference here.

2551 17th Street NW, Suite 103 Washington, DC 20009 202-332-1400 ext 26 www.sarahscircle.org