Giving Thanks

District of Columbia sent this bulletin at 11/21/2019 11:00 AM EST

NOVEMBER 2019

There is so much to be grateful for this season, and here at Sustainable DC, there’s a lot of great news! First, Ana the Shad definitely helped the Nats to World Series victory! (Oh, did you miss it? Check it out!)

This fall, the Anacostia Watershed Society crossed the 10,000 mussel mark with a 91% survival rate. Mussels help filter the water and consume E. coli. On land, Mayor Bowser released a Housing Equity Report that offers a plan for a #FairShot at housing for DC residents across the city by ward and helps paint the picture of how we’ll achieve our Sustainable DC goals for affordable housing. Last but not least, the DC Green Bank is on track to meet the Sustainable DC goal of operations by 2020! It has a Board of Directors and is hiring for a CEO (details below and more here)! This is just a tiny snapshot of the efforts we are grateful for every day in the Sustainable DC team.

This is also a great time of year to give back. Join over 8,000 folks to support So Others May Eat at the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot for Hunger. On Thanksgiving - and the days leading up to it - you can also volunteer with Food and Friends to deliver Thanksgiving meals to 3,500 clients! There are opportunities to volunteer to feed the hungry every day of the week, and volunteers are needed even more during non-holidays! Check out DC Central Kitchen, So Others May Eat, Martha’s Table and Miriam’s Kitchen, as well as many smaller organizations in your neighborhood. You can also fundraise this season for Bread for the City’s Holiday Helpings campaign to get holiday meals onto every table. You can volunteer with Food Rescue every day to move food from restaurants and supermarkets, where it would go to waste, to locations in the city that serve the hungry. Do you know or manage a restaurant that could donate?

AMERICA RECYCLES
#ZEROWASTEDC

Since it’s also America Recycles Day this month, we’re extra grateful for a lot of waste management wins this month. DPW’s “Feet on the Street” campaign left “Oops” tags on recycling bins that also contained non-recyclables. This reduced contamination by 20 percent in just six weeks! WUSA’s Verify Team did a great piece on what actually happens with the 5 cent bag fee, covering the work done by DOEE’s community partners with bag fee funds. You can read more and watch the coverage here. eCYCLE and Samsung have collected 22,000 pounds of e-waste throughout collections in 2019 at DC Public Libraries. The two remaining 2019 pickups are on Saturday, December 7 at Bellevue Lockridge Library (115 Atlantic St SW) and Saturday, December 14 at Takoma Park Library (416 Cedar St NW).

FOOD WASTE DROP-OFFS YEAR-ROUND

The Department of Public Works’ Food Waste Drop-off points have collected over 15,000 pounds of food waste. Over 7,500 pounds of pumpkins were collected in November alone: jack-o-lanterns were composted, and uncarved pumpkins went to food pantries through Pumpkins for the People. Thank you for helping to “squash” food waste after Halloween and turn pumpkins into something good! While several of the markets are closing this month, you still have a few more weeks (until 12/14) for the Brookland Farmers’ Market (716 Monroe St NE, Sat 9a-1p) and three market drop-off sites are open year-round: Dupont Circle Farmers’ Market (1500 20^th St NW, Sun 8:30a-1:30p), Columbia Heights (14^th and Kenyon St NW, Sat 9a-1p), and Eastern Market (635 N Carolina Ave SE, Sat 9a-1p). You can also register for your Community Compost Cooperative with DPR to drop food waste off at a community garden near you.

#OPTOUTSIDE ON BLACK FRIDAY AND SHOP SMALL ON SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

It’s easy to get caught up in the deals and promotions of fast fashion and overconsumption during Black Friday! Consider some other ways to engage, whether that’s Opting Outside on Black Friday to explore one of our city’s amazing parks or green spaces, or supporting our District’s makers on Small Business Saturday. Sustainable DC’s goal of doubling small business in our city is only possible if we support these businesses which in turn contribute to local tax revenue and local jobs. Find more information about #MadeInDC businesses.

JOBS

DC Green Bank Executive Director/CEO
The DC Green Bank seeks its inaugural Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to launch this cutting‐edge, mission‐driven organization that will use public capital to increase access to funding for energy efficiency improvements and clean energy installation. The Board of Directors welcomes applications from visionary, experienced, and resourceful leaders ready to roll up their sleeves and build an organization from the ground up. The deadline for application is January 10. Learn more and apply here.

US Department of Energy (DOE), Solar Energy Innovators Program, Fellowships
These positions enable participants to work on hands-on research on innovative solutions to energy challenges that support the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Program of DOE. Positions are available for students, postgraduates and established scientists.
Learn more here.

DC Central Kitchen (DCCK), Healthy Corners Internship
This intern will support DCCK’s Food Access and Education programs, specifically the Healthy Corners program, which delivers fresh produce and nutritious snacks to small retailers, and community outreach and education around nutrition, SNAP/EBT incentive programs, and culinary skills. Learn more here .

C&O Canal Trust, 2 Openings: Director of Programs & Partnerships and Development Associate
The C&O Canal is one of our city’s National Parks, and the C&O Canal Trust protects, restores, and promotes the C&O Canal. The Director of Programs & Partnerships is a mid-career position, while the Development Associate is a great opportunity for an early-career professional interested in professional fundraising. Learn more here.

VOLUNTEER

UDC Thanksgiving Gleaning
Date: Saturday, November 23, 10 am – 1 pm
Location: UDC Firebird Farm, 12001 Old Baltimore Road, Beltsville MD 20705

Join UDC CAUSES at Firebird Research Farm, as they harvest all of the plants in the fields. Volunteers will receive one FREE bag of produce. The remainder of the produce will be donated to underserved communities. Register Here.

ThriveDC Coat Drive
Dates: Many opportunities between December 2 and December 13
Location: Banks Place Northeast & 61st Street Northeast (follow path west for 50 ft)

Every winter, ThriveDC clients experiencing homelessness or poverty struggle to stay warm, and gently-worn coats, scarves, gloves, hats, blankets and sleeping bags donated from the community can help. ThriveDC is looking for folks to volunteer with sorting and setting up for the December 13 distribution day, as well as folks to host a Coat Drive at work or where you live. Find more information here.

EVENTS

Weed Warrior Training: Non-Native Plant Removal 101
Time: Saturday, November 23, 2019 9 am – 1 pm
Location: Rock Creek Park Maintenance Yard, Maintenance Road Northwest, Washington, DC, 20015

Rock Creek Park, Rock Creek Conservancy and The National Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management are organizing a training session to learn about non-native, invasive plants and how they are threatening our native landscapes. This training session will involve indoor plant identification and hands-on invasives removal, and it is a requirement to become a volunteer Weed Warrior for Rock Creek Park. Learn more and register here.

Small Business Saturday Markets Saturday, November 30, 2019 9 am – 6 pm

The Potters House Small Business Saturday Market, 9a-6p, 1658 Columbia Rd NW. In support of small businesses across DC, The Potter’s House has brought local artisans and vendors together to offer the surrounding communities one-of-a-kind, affordable gifts that your loved ones are sure to cherish! Register and learn more here.

DC Brau Holiday Market, 1-5p, 3178 Bladensburg Rd NE. In partnership with Think Local First DC, DC Brau is bringing together unique wares from more than 40 local artists and artisans in a unique indoor setting, along with live music, games and food trucks. Register and learn more here.

Shop Made in DC, 1710 Connecticut Ave NW | 1242 Washington Ave NW | 10 District Square SW. Shop Made in DC is all #MadeInDC goods, from food to art to jewelry to candles, every day of the week. Visit one of the three locations on Small Business Saturday for specials or order online here. Find more of the Made in DC makers here.

Small Business Saturday Specials, There are more Small Business Saturday specials at many local businesses. Follow us @SustainDC and follow DSLBD @SmallBizDC on Twitter to stay up to date!