December 12, 2019 | Vol. 5, Issue 50
Dear Washingtonians,
Yesterday, at a Home for the Holidays event, we heard from Ms. Gonzalez, a neighbor who shared her family's experience with homelessness. She shared her story in the middle of her new apartment, surrounded by family and community.
As I reflect on the ambitious housing goals we set at the beginning of 2019, I am thinking about all the families in our community like Ms. Gonzalez's—families who are depending on all of us to work together to not just set, but reach those housing goals. We know that our goal is ambitious: 36,000 new homes by 2025. But our goals are ambitious because they don't just represent units of housing, they represent people in our community.
Across all eight wards, Washingtonians are concerned about equity. This past Saturday, neighbors came together at Wilson High School to have a conversation about equity—to learn about and share ideas for how we can work together to disrupt the historic impact of housing segregation in our city. (I encourage Washingtonians to watch the event HERE.)
Heading into 2020, let's remember: Our housing goals are bold because they represent our DC values. If we continue to have conversations and build citywide solutions based on our values, we can and will advance our collective vision of a diverse and inclusive Washington, DC. We can and will build the housing our community needs.
Learn more about our housing goals in the Housing Equity Report.
Sincerely,
 On Thursday, December 19, join Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL) for the Mayor's 21st Annual Senior Holiday Celebration! The event will feature music, food, live entertainment, and more.
For group reservations, contact your local Senior Wellness Center or call (202) 535-1372. More information can be found online HERE.
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 This Saturday, December 14, join Mayor Bowser at EdFEST 2019, DC’s annual citywide public school fair, and meet representatives from all DCPS and public charter schools (PK3 – grade 12) before the common lottery application opens on Monday, December 16. EdFEST will also feature many free services and fun activities for the whole family, including lottery application information and guidance, free boxed lunches for youth, and immunizations for youth and adults.
Interpretation will be available in American Sign Language, Spanish, Amharic, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and French. Admission and parking are free.
Learn more about EdFEST and the My School DC lottery HERE.
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 On January 1, 2020, join Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC residents at the scenic Anacostia Park for the 2020 #FITDC Fresh Start 5K!
The Mayor is inviting people of all ages to join us for this fun fitness activity. Whether you want to run, walk or just cheer folks on, this will be a fun event for all! Same-day registration and packet pickup begin at 9:00 a.m. and the Fresh Start 5K Walk/Run begins at 10:00 am.
Learn more HERE.
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This week’s District Minute features stories about the Housing Equity conversation at Wilson High School, Coach Neal Henderson Day, and the annual tree lighting ceremony at the John A. Wilson Building.
 The mission of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMS) is to preserve life and promote health and safety through excellent pre-hospital treatment and transportation, fire prevention, fire suppression and rescue activities, and homeland security awareness.
FEMS is accepting applications for the Fire & EMS Training Academy. All details regarding the application process can be found HERE.
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