National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

It’s National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. So this week on the blog, we’d like to share some facts you may not have known about homelessness and hunger in the nation’s capital…

Homelessness in DC:

• One day in January 2012, 11,830 people throughout the metropolitan Washington region indicated that they were homeless.
• In D.C. alone, there are nearly 7,000 people who are homeless.
• That means… for every 1,000 people in D.C., approximately 11.6 are homeless
• Since 2008, homelessness in the District has increased 15%
• Family homelessness is growing especially rapidly – rates in the metropolitan region are up 22.9% since 2008.
• 17% of homeless single adults in the region in 2012 were employed.
• One out of every 4 of the region’s homeless individuals are chronically homeless. (source: MWCOG)

Hunger in DC:

• 12.6% of DC households were food insecure between 2009-2011 – that’s over 1 in every 10 households (USDA).

How Calvary helps:

• Over the past year, Calvary provided women with over 15,000 nights of safe housing
• Each year, our chef and volunteers served over 20,000 nutritious meals to women in our programs working to move out of homelessness.
• Our budgeting, cooking, and nutrition education classes help prepare women for better food security when they move into their own homes.
• Every five days a woman moves from Calvary to her own home.

How can you help during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week? Make a commitment to volunteer at Calvary – learn more on our website and sign up to get started. Or, donate to provide safe housing and nutritious meals for the women at our programs.