Social Justice

Social justice can be defined as the equal distribution of opportunities and privilege throughout a society.

By going to Washington D.C. we were able to serve with community partners to minimize the damage done from poverty, an effect of economic disparity. We visited a few different areas of D.C. and observed different ways the communities were affected by injustice within the city. Our team has seen economic disparity firsthand within CCNV, the shelter we stayed in, around the city, and through our service with Bread for the City, City Blossoms, and A Wider Circle. These programs have been put into place to counteract the effects of economic disparity.

Statistics

Because we are only 4 months into the 2018 year, we resorted to including past demographics that still hold the unchanging trend of people in D.C.

To view the following, please click on the link below:

https://create.piktochart.com/output/29234985-new-piktochart

Causes of Injustice

Throughout the entirety of this trip we stayed with the Center for Creative Non-Violence shelter. This gave us insight into a part of the community that has been greatly impacted by poverty.

Living in a large city like D.C. is extremely expensive. Donald, the volunteer coordinator for the Center for Creative Non-Violence shelter, gave us one of the leading causes for community members going into shelters: cost of living. Most community members weren't able to afford housing even with full-time employment. Other factors causing members to go into shelters may include disabilities, conviction, or unemployment.

Donald was not allowed to disclose any personal records of anyone staying in the shelter, so we do not have demographics of any of these members. General information as to why community members may have come to the shelter was given, making it easier to imagine the underlying problems of housing inequality.

Community Partners

We worked with Bread for the City, City Blossoms, and A Wider Circle, all non profit organizations dedicated to reducing the impact of poverty in lives within the D.C. community.

Bread for the City

Bread for the City provides food, clothing, advocacy, health care, legal and social services for those who cannot afford to do so on their own. Prior to what we know today as Bread for the City, it was actually a compilation of various D.C. social services that worked together to provide for the commonality. Our group of 16 was divided into two groups of 8 to go to different Bread for the City buildings. The Bread for the City located on the north side of D.C. provides food, health care, advocacy, legal and social services, while the southeast location only provides food and clothing services. This is most likely due to the difference in building sizes. The creators of this page were located in the southeast Bread for the City. We were individually split up, with some of us working in the food department and others working in the clothing department.

Within the food department of the building, we were instructed to separate bulks of food and create individual packaging with equal amounts of food. In the clothing department, things were a bit more hectic. We were tasked with sorting clothes in a congested space, as well as organizing the clothes on racks and counters to give the space a visually appealing look. When the doors opened, the customers had 15 minutes to find 20 articles of clothing and 2 pairs of shoes to take home with them. While serving, it felt like a race in time; assisting the clients while finding suitable clothing became increasingly difficult, but ultimately rewarding.

Bread for the City provides many basic need services which positively impact the lives of many D.C. residents. The organization acknowledges the issues behind economic disparity and pushes for change to eliminate the negative consequences that many of its clients face.

City Blossoms

City Blossoms is dedicated to creating and implementing green initiatives throughout the District of Columbia community. The organization gives children the opportunity to learn about environmental science by providing gardening spaces and information sessions, creating a better understanding in a relatively urban area. Access to environmentally friendly practices to underrepresented children is one of City Blossoms' missions.

Our collaboration with City Blossoms was unexpected; it was planned on Wednesday morning and executed that same afternoon after a sudden cancellation from another organization. Our visit to a dual language elementary school included providing different gardening services. After our time was over, the organization was kind enough to offer us fresh produce to take back to the shelter we were staying at.

A WIDER CIRCLE

A Wider Circle is another nonprofit organization, created by former American University professor Dr. Mark Begel, with a mission to combat poverty within the D.C. area. The organization offers basic needs services that include providing furniture, clothing, and many other items stationed around the warehouse. In addition, they provide workforce development services to help disadvantaged families attain professional jobs. Underrepresented communities are justly served through the help of A Wider Circle.

Our team was assigned different tasks which included organizing children's toys and kitchenware, as well as moving and assembling furniture. Some of us even had the chance to interact with the clients and learn more about their backgrounds.

We were only scheduled to volunteer at A Wider Circle on Monday, but an unexpected cancellation from another organization caused us to return the following day. Despite the sudden change, our team managed to make a meaningful difference whether it was behind the scenes or on full display.

Created by Jasmine Montgomery, Shatiana Cooper and Juan Malagon

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