Internal News

• Olympics this past Monday went really well! We had +400 chaperones and kids come out to Anacostia Park for a beautiful day of sports, games, service, and art. Thank you to ALL our providers, staff, interns, and volunteers for helping to make it such a success!
• We’re hammering out our summer camp schedule– I know Dave said this in an earlier email, but please email us to let us know your availability (full-time, part-time, spot-work, etc) for summer!
• Amy Santis has started running The Big Idea at City Springs Middle School every Thursday; congratulations Amy! We know you’ll help the kids come up with great ways to help their community!
• We’re starting TWO new programs with our new partners, DC Prep– Rachael will be teaching the Big Idea and Jonathan will be running an Olympiad program. We know they’ll do awesome work and make us proud

Upcoming events

• Leveling the Playing Field: Saturday, April 18th, 2:00-5:00pm | 9170 Brookville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910– We’re looking for some excited volunteers to come out to help our long-time partner, Leveling the Playing Field, in sorting donated sports equipment at their Silver Spring warehouse!  This is a great opportunity for families with young kids to come out for a couple hours and do some good service.
• Community Forum: Female Youth Empowerment Forum: Saturday, April 18th, 2:00-4:00pm | The Anacostia Community Museum– Documentary filmmakers, Donna and Tony Fair will show excerpts from their film, Don’t Hate Me, which explores the internal struggles of girl’s self-esteem and how girls can receive guidance and support from mentors. An interactive panel discussion will take place at intervals during the screening with various community mentors and leaders. This is a wonderful learning/enrichment opportunity; no registration is necessary, and we’d love to see any interested volunteers and students in attendance!
• Maryland Jubilee Association fundraiser: Monday, April 20th, 3:30-10:30pm | North Bethesda Marriott: 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda MD 20852— The Jubilee Association of Maryland is looking for ten volunteers to help them out at their annual fundraising event, a toast of Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen! Volunteers are needed from 3:30-10:30pm (or any time therein) for unpacking cars, setting up the room, interacting with guests and clients, and then cleaning up at the end of the night. The Jubilee Association of Maryland is a long-time partner of So What Else and we always have a great time at their service events. They’re looking for TEN volunteers, so if you’re free and want to help make their event a success, contact us for more information!
• Leveling the Playing Field: Saturday, April 25th, all day| Baltimore MD (exact location TBD)– Leveling the Playing Field is having an all-day collection in Baltimore, MD and is looking for volunteers to help out at their event! They’re especially looking for volunteers who would be able to transport equipment to/from Baltimore.
• Plant the Town: Saturday, April 25th, 8:00AM – 1:00PM | 8916 Chesapeake Avenue, North Beach, MD 20714– Join us for the 8th Annual Plant the Town clean-up.  Volunteers will be doing beach and marsh cleanup and overlook park, town streets, and curb side cleanup. Lunch IS included! Meet time is 8am to register and get assignments, then spend the morning beautifying North Beach!
• Pitch, Hit, and Run in Takoma Park: Sunday, May 3rd, 12:30-5:30pm
  Ed Wilhelm Field | 2 Darwin Avenue, Takoma Park, MD– This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills.  This event will give the competition a “creative flavor” by providing free art activities for youth that will include screen-printing of team logos, bracelet making from old baseballs and baseball inspired art making! Volunteers are needed to help support the various athletic activities, art projects, and set-up/break-down.  The event lasts from 2-5pm but volunteers are needed from 12:30-5:30.
• KaBOOM! Playground Build: Tuesday, May 20, 7:45AM-3:00PM
  KaBOOM! is a non-profit dedicated to making sure children from all walks of life are given the opportunity to have safe and fun places to play. The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) needs 75 volunteers to participate in a “one day build” to build a KaBOOM! playground for the Seneca Heights Apartments, where 17 formerly homeless families and 40 single adults live.  They require 75 volunteers on Wednesday, and we hope to supplement the volunteers they bring to the table to get them to 75!