Potomac resident Julie Donatelli, inspired by an October article in the Almanac on the nonprofit A Wider Circle, phoned A Wider Circle to donate a trundle bed, always a much needed item on their wish list. Upon doing so, she mentioned that she was the executive director of the nonprofit organization, Victory Youth Centers, Inc. and offered A Wider Circle the use of their recreational youth centers to distribute food and self care items to families in need.
Operation Emergency Grocery Giveaway was held Dec. 23, 2009 in the parking lot of Victory Youth Centers, Inc.’s Mary Virginia Merrick Center in Southeast Washington, D.C. More than 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food and warm accessories (e.g., blankets, gloves, scarves and hats) were distributed in 45 minutes. Volunteers from A Wider Circle and VYC passed out bags to more than 200 families, helping to ensure that more bellies would be full and more bodies would be warm this holiday season.
Though there was little advance notice of the Operation Emergency Grocery Giveaway and a large snow fall hit the Washington area just days before, by working together, both organizations were able to provide pre-Christmas joy to this Ward 8 neighborhood.
To learn more about Victory Youth Centers, Inc., 10415 Armory Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895 contact Julie Donatelli, executive director, at 301-908-1072 or jdonatelli2@verizon.net. VYC centers are located in Darnestown, Md. and Southeast Washington, DC.
To learn more about A Wider Circle, contact Dr. Mark Bergel, founder and executive director, at 301-675-7511 or mark@awidercircle.org. Its Center for Community Service is located at 9159-C Brookville Road in Silver Spring.