“On Friday, a domestic violence program in DC called Survivors and Advocates For Empowerment with an intake center just blocks from the Capitol announced that it needed to raise $19,000 in a week in order to provide shelter, emergency lock changes at victims’ homes, staff for the hotline and court advocates during the shutdown.” Domestic Violence Shelters Struggle to Stay Open During Shutdown (The Nation)

“The Latin American Youth Center in Columbia Heights is furloughing 75 workers and reducing operations to essential services beginning Wednesday. The staff will volunteer until Congress restores funding. Job training, counseling and education programs are being scaled back.” Some DC charities reduce services, furlough workers as funding runs out due to shutdown (The Washington Post)

“Boykin spent her childhood in countless schools in Mississippi and Missouri as her single mother struggled to raise her and her younger siblings–often living dependent upon homeless shelters and at times, sleeping in cars. She later became the first of her family to graduate from high school, and earned acceptance to Columbia University.” Once homeless, student thrives in the Ivy League (MSNBC)

“Last week, Picture the Homeless, a Bronx nonprofit, opened what advocates say is the first library for the homeless in the United States.”  A Library for Homeless People in the Bronx (Reporting NYC)