COMMUNITY IMPACT
TARGETED GRANT WINNERS OF 2019 By Renunda Lee
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ake a bow and tip your hat to the Targeted Grant winners of 2019: 826DC and DC SCORES. The Junior League of Washington’s (JLW) Targeted Grants and Volunteer Resources Committee (TGVR) awarded Targeted Grants to two impressive organizations that share JLW’s focus on promoting literacy in the Washington, DC, area. TGVR Committee members have the daunting task of reviewing, evaluating, and recommending recipients for the Targeted Grants, Community Partner Grants, Opportunity Grants, and Volunteer Resources each year. At the end of each JLW year, TGVR awards two Targeted Grants to organizations whose programs address at least one aspect of the JLW definition of literacy or where JLW places trained volunteers in the community. JLW defines literacy as an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak English, and to compute and problem-solve at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, achieve one’s goals, and develop one’s knowledge and potential. This expanded definition allows both traditional and less conventional literacy programs to apply for funding that aligns with the JLW Mission. As in years past, TGVR received many applications and the competition was intense. Ultimately, two extraordinary organizations were awarded Targeted Grants to promote their mission and commitment to literacy. One of the 2018–2019 Targeted Grant winners was 826DC, an organization
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Fall 2019
DC SCORES Poetry Slam! (Image taken by photographer, Aya Takeuchi).
826DC ENDEAVORS TO MAKE ITS PROGRAMS CHALLENGING AND ENJOYABLE, AIMING TO STRENGTHEN STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO EXPRESS IDEAS EFFECTIVELY, CREATIVELY, CONFIDENTLY, AND USING THEIR INDIVIDUAL VOICES.