On June 11, we came together as a human service community to have essential conversations at our 2019 Annual Convening. We learned from each other and challenged ourselves to address some of the principal issues that face us today. We know that these conversations are critical building blocks to the actions we take to ensure […]

Four years ago, Mohammed AL Samawi was hoping to survive. One more hour, one more day, for a future. He was caught up in the war that was breaking out in his native Yemen. It is a war of competing interests, internal to Yemen and controlled by global powers that operate at a level divorced […]

Whenever I am in New York City, I am fascinated by the number of people gathered around corner shell games or three card monte. The game seems simple, only a matter of keeping your eye trained on the shell with the ball or the queen. But, if it is so easy, why does no one […]

Recently, Independent Sector released its annual report on the value of volunteer service. The latest value of a volunteer hour is $25.43 on a national average. In Washington, D.C. (where we are located), the value of a volunteer hour is $41.72. If a volunteer contributed 37.5 hours per week, on an annual basis the volunteer […]

It seems that most days, I am just looking for a small sign. An act of kindness. A moment of grace. A word or gesture that raises the spirit. In the chaotic and often mean-spirited world in which we live, it can be difficult to see and hear these signs. But, they are there – […]