"I'm so sorry I'm not old enough to work"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/29/AR2009032902177.html

This article, written by Donna St. George, showcases the downward spiral of the recession, and hopefully stands to remind everyone how lucky they are just to have a part-time job. Every little thing we can do at this point will certainly help, so please, help

A case of the Tuesdays

I have seen better days at work...

Tuesday was one of the tougher days I have ever had. For whatever reason, I had a lot of trouble maneuvering the truck, and had two seperate collisions. Luckily nobody (except for a taillight) was hurt, but it was still an extremely frustrating day.
Thankfully, we had awesome pick-ups. Beds, dressers, and couches all went into our warehouse on Tuesday, and its good to know that even on the worst personal days, my job is still providing furniture for wonderful people.

Otherwise, if you see me on the truck friday...RUN :)

Josh

Former Kings Rock Out

The loft was buzzing Friday night after local rock stars (ok, high schoolers) put on an awesome show at our offices Friday night. They did a great job combining their own songs along with creative covers of "Creep" and "Twist and Shout" It seemed like everyone had a great time, and I am real excited to see the next show in two Fridays

Creative and Cost-Effective Fundraising

The team mindset of our office is leading to some really exciting developments, as we continue to maximize the space we have. Starting Fri, March 20, we will be having loft concerts, with live bands performing on the loft above our warehouse. It is wild how these ideas, which are tossed around at group meetings, continue to be developed into fun and creative fundraising ideas.
In slower times, the creative mindset of our workplace is ensuring fresh donors and more people excited to join the cause

The circle of life

One of the sadder parts of this job is that we get furniture donated to us by many people whose relatives have just recently passed away. It is a bittersweet feeling every time we go into one of these homes.
Every piece of their furniture tells a different story. Perhaps they looked in the mirror on top of their dresser every morning, or sat in that chair telling stories to their kids, before rolling into that bed for another nights rest.
At the same time, its incredible to know that even after they pass, they are still making a difference in a person's life. When families come in and get new beds, chairs and dressers to make their homes feel complete, it is incredible to truly experience the wider circle.

One Month In--Observations

Although, I have been saying it from day 1, the coolest part of this internship is that I get thrust into leadership roles, and am treated with respect from everyone. I have now been given several opportunities to lead a team into the neighborhoods, an immense amount of responsibility and an incredible experience.
I am learning a lot thus far, and feel at home every time I walk into the office (Incidentally, I even have been put on the chore chart.)
As time goes on, I hope to do more and more as a member of the Wider Circle family; every day of work has been a new and exciting adventure.

Josh

Keep on Truckin

I am now a qualified truck driver.

Adding to the other awesome practical skills I am learning with this internship, I got to drive the moving truck on Friday and Saturday. Despite a few bumps and bruises, I think I did really well.
I'm starting to feel really confident, and even got to lead my own team on Saturday through Maryland. Things went well, even though Google Maps did its best to foil our plans.
Looking forward to this week, which is suprisingly exciting for someone who used to dread working.


J

Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom

Tonight we had our internship orientation. Following along the team-theme, everyone from Mark (Our director) on down was in attendance. After some basic introductions, our fundraising coordinator showed a chilling presentation on poverty.
Some important facts to be taken from it.
--Poverty line for a family of four>$21,910
--Average income of a Wider Circle family of four>$6,000
--Washington DC has one of the largest poverty rates in the nation (16.4%)

Scary Stuff, but with your help we can all work on making this better.
I'm excited for work tomorrow, they are going to teach me how to drive the truck!!

Until next time,
J

Link of the day

Marc Fisher begs for some goodwill amongst each other
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/04/AR2009020403383.html

New guy on the block

The hardest part of any internship is getting used to the little intracities arond the office. So far, aside from a few minor mess-ups, I think I am becoming quickly accustomed to the quirks of the office.
The team here at A Wider Circle is great at making me feel a part of the team. Group meetings involve everyone, as do chores. Nobody, from the executive director down, is exempt from sweeping, washing, and cleaning.
I feel really fortunate to be in such a unique situation. Within a few hours of my first day, I was not the new guy, but another member of the team.

Until Next Time,

J

Welcome!

Hi all,

As an introduction, My name is Josh and I am a second semester senior interning at A Wider Circle. For those who don't know, A wider Circle is a non-profit organization whose goal is to fight poverty in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding areas. As an intern for the neighbor-to-neighbor program I move furniture out of wealthy donor's homes and help clients when they come to our warehouse to pick up furniture for their homes. Over the next 12 weeks, I will write a blog covering my time as an intern. Check back daily as I will also try to link articles regarding important issues in Washington relating to poverty.
Until Next Time,

J