Tidbits from the Table

Men's Clothing Needed

2010-07-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

Our Community Thrift Store, Martha's Outfitters is running desperately low on men’s clothing, especially men’s pants. Martha's Table is reaching out to all of you to ask you to spread the word among friends and family to see if we can generate some donations. As you may know, in addition to selling clothes at the store, we have folks in need who are referred to Martha’s Outfitters who can receive clothes for free. Because they often travel from distant corners of the city, it is very important that we have an inventory of clothes for them.

If you’ve donated clothes before, you probably know that we accept clean clothes that are on hangers or neatly folded in paper bags or boxes. If you would like a copy of our donation policy, please email klyons@marthastable.org

Thanks in advance for your help.

Friday's Heroes: Martha's Table

2010-07-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the staff, volunteers and Martha's Table kids and teens that made this segment so great!

Hats Off to Proper Topper!

2010-07-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

July 11th - July 25th

Proper Topper is lending Martha’s Table a hand by collecting men’s and women’s clothing for Martha’s Outfitters! Proper Topper is a charming little shop that collects and sells a beautiful collection of gifts, accessories, clothing, jewelry, children’s items, and, of course, hats!

They are hosting this event at the Georgetown shop, located on the corner of Wisconsin Ave. and P St.

Check out their site for more information:

http://www.propertopper.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page170.html

and their blog:

http://www.propertopper.com/wordpress/

So stop by Proper Topper’s Georgetown Shop, drop off your no-longer-needed items and gently worn clothes, and get some quality shopping done at their Patio Sale!

On behalf of Martha's Outfitters and all those we serve, we thank you, Proper Topper!

The Infant Classrooms Head Out for a Field Trip!

2010-06-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

The infant classrooms prepared to head to the aquarium today, smartly dressed in brand-new Martha's Table t-shirts! Staff, volunteers, and parents prepared the infants for their big trip, and we were lucky enough to capture some cute pics before they headed to the metro! Enjoy!

Community Champion Award

2010-06-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Please join us in congratulating Demetrius Recachinas, who is receiving the Community Champions Award from the Washington Mystics Woman's Basketball Team and Chevy Chase Bank. He will be honored at halftime of tonight’s game.

Chevy Chase Bank is one of The Mystics sponsors, and with them the Mystics look to honor individuals for giving back to their community through community service, promoting awareness, and helping others.

Meet Ed Groark

2010-06-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ed Groark is Martha's Table's Sears Chef Challenge participant. He chose Martha's Table as the charity he would like to support for the Sears Chef Challenge. I asked Ed why he chose Martha's Table. View Ed Groark Sears page here.

Why I am drawn to Martha’s Table

My experiences with Martha’s Table go back many years to when I escorted groups of suburban school kids to work in the food preparation area where they performed the magic of turning donated food into meals for low-income and homeless families and individuals. I’ve always been so impressed by how Martha’s Table is able to do so much with so little. They do this with the help of 10,000 volunteers each year through their never-ending commitment to continually find new sources of donated food and to stay open 365 days a year.

When I was selected as one of 24 chefs in the U.S. by Sears to compete in their ‘best chef’ Sears Chef Challenge competition and I learned we could win cash awards for a food charity of our choice, I knew there was only one organization I wanted to compete for. In the first elimination round going on now, I have the opportunity to win $5,000 for Martha’s Table, and if I go all the way to the top, I can win as much as $20,000 for Martha’s Table. Wouldn’t you like to help me and help Martha’s Table?

My involvement with Martha’s Table has another dimension as well. This month Michelle Obama kicked off her ‘Chefs Move to Schools’ program asking chefs to adopt a school to go into their classrooms to talk to children about healthy eating and making good food choices. I am one of 1,000 chefs who signed up, and of course my adopted school is Martha’s Table, where there are over 300 children from pre-school through high school who receive at least one meal a day. I will be working with the Martha’s Table team (who know a great deal about healthy eating) to develop a program that teaches kids where food comes from, what healthy foods they didn’t know they liked, and how to make healthy snacks for themselves. I can’t wait share my skills and experiences with these promising young children. It’s a win – win all around.

Sears Chef Challenge

2010-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

ABOUT THE SEARS CHALLENGE

4 Cities. 24 Chefs. 300 Million Americans. One Deserving Charity.

The Sears Chef Challenge aims to find the nation's next up and coming chef while raising money for the nation's food banks (Martha's Table!). And we need YOUR help to find America's next great chef.

A total of 24 chefs in four cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C will compete by completing a variety of culinary challenges, culminating in the Sears Chef Challenge Championship Finals at the Kenmore Live Studio in Chicago. The chefs who progress toward the crucial semi-final stage will be decided by YOU, the online voters.

In addition, each chef will be paired with a food bank or food related charity in their home cities and given the opportunity to raise money for their communities.

Each chef will complete his or her challenge at special live events at Sears stores in their home towns; each chef will post their challenge videos, recipes, and more to the Chef Challenge site as well as their respective Facebook and Twitter pages to help you decide which chef you'd like to see in the Semi-Finals. (See Martha's Table Chef, Ed Groark at the link below).

The competition will consist of two rounds, each with a quarter-final and semi-final stage.

Round 1 voting begins JUNE 26th

Meet our participating chef online at ED GROARK, and then vote online starting JUNE 26th. The chef with the most votes from each city wins $5,000 for their chosen food pantry or food related charity and moves on to the live semi-finals in Chicago!

Ed Groark's Sears Chef Challenge Page

Martha’s Table Daycare Achieves National Accreditation

2010-06-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that Martha’s Table just received word from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) granting accreditation status to our Child Development Center. Added to our existing national accreditation for our school-age programs, we are very excited to receive this confirmation of the high quality continuum of care we are providing to our children and their families. Especially because of the many challenges our children and families face, we believe they deserve the best. In addition, accreditation will bring additional opportunities to our daycare and will help us sustain this excellence.

Achieving accreditation has been a four-year, organization-wide effort that has required dedication and hard work from all of Martha’s Table. Please join me in congratulating the staff at Martha’s Table, especially Simone Johnson, Director of the Child Development Center and her staff, for what their efforts have produced. The Daycare staff in particular had to make significant personal commitments to this goal. For many of them, it

meant a return to college or going to college for the first time to achieve the requisite expertise to teach in an accredited dayc

are. I also have been incredibly impressed by the teamwork and willingness to pitch in displayed by all the other departments at Martha’s Table.

Martha’s Table could not have done this without a tremendous amount of support from the community. Volunteers, donors, partner agencies, and the families we serve all worked together to make accreditation possible. On behalf of all of us at Martha’s Table, we thank you.

Lindsey Buss, President & CEO

Building A Partnership

2010-05-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table has a new partnership with Pathways to Housing.

Pathways to Housing
Seeks to transform individual lives by ending homelessness and supporting recovery for those with psychiatric disabilities. They believe housing is a basic human right, and aspire to change the practice of homeless services by:
Providing immediate access to permanent independent apartments, without preconditions.
Setting the standard for services driven by consumer choice that support recovery and community integration.
Conducting research to find innovative solutions and best practices for those who suffer from mental illness and homelessness.

How Martha's Table Helps
Martha's Table provides grocery baskets and clothing once a month to Pathways clients to help with their immediate needs of food and clothing. Providing these items as a part of Pathways permanent supportive housing is an effort to be a part of the solution of homelessness, one person at a time. This partnership is still young, initially we started by giving away about 47 grocery baskets a month within the first 2 months that number has almost doubled to our current 82 baskets a month. Pathways to Housing, Housing First Program services over 700 people. With the support of donors and volunteers we could eventually work to provide grocery bags to all Pathways Housing First clients.

Please visit their website to find out more about Pathways to Housing

A Night Out With the Obama's

2010-05-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

It was such an honor to be invited to the White House for the Mexico State Dinner. I was incredibly impressed and appreciative that the First Lady made such a public expression of her message of inclusion. To include the nonprofit community at such a high profile event speaks volumes about her commitment to our work. What a privilege to be there with Maria from Mary’s Center and Scott from Miriam’s Kitchen.

I also am grateful to the incredible work of our families, clients, staff, volunteers, donors and other supporters whose success made the invitation possible.

The event itself was nothing short of magical. While waiting in the receiving line for President Obama and Mrs. Obama and President Calderon and Mrs. Zavala, we got to have a very nice chat with the couple in front of us, the Pelossi’s. Our dinner table included Gail King, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Transportation Secretary LaHood and his wife. Everybody was incredibly nice and warm. My favorite part of dinner was the ceviche. My wife liked the dessert the best.

As we went into the tent for the entertainment portion, you could only say, “Wow.” The decorations of butterflies and massive hanging flower plants were incredible. Along the way, we got the chance to meet Attorney General Eric Holder and his wife, Sharon Malone. At our table for the performances, we were excited to meet and thank Luis Moreno, the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, one of Martha’s Table’s funders! The performances continued to take the night to another level. If you have not heard of the guitarist duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, make your way quickly to ITunes. Beyonce was beyond words. She is a larger than life singer and performer and with her 15-piece band and laser show, she was over the top.

As I try to come down from the amazing evening, I am very grateful to Mrs. Obama for thinking of inviting the nonprofit community and for inviting Martha’s Table. Of course, what she does with her enthusiasm and energy on the issues that are so important to us, children, youth, hunger, nutrition, community service, is immeasurable. As I told her at the White House, she makes our jobs easier.

I also want to thank, once again, the incredible family at Martha’s Table that has created the type of place that would receive such an honor.

Lindsey Buss

President and CEO, Martha's Table

Photos of the event are above.

Martha's Table at State Dinner!

2010-05-19T10:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight, Martha's Table President, Lindsey Buss will attend the White House state dinner as a special guest of First Lady Michelle Obama. On Monday, The Washington Post came to Martha's Table to get the inside scoop on the special invitees. Please read the article below.

First Lady Invites Special Guest to White House State Dinner

Giving Them Strength By: Alex Morrison

2010-05-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Giving Them Strength: A Healthier Course for Martha's Table from Alex Morrison on Vimeo.

Martha's Table Happy Hour

2010-05-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hello,
You have been directed here by mistake. I entered the wrong link on the email blast about our upcoming Happy Hour at Cork Wine Bar. To purchase tickets please click on this link below and purchase tickets through Network for Good.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=521186071

Martha's Table Video - featuring Ms. Louise!

2010-04-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

This was a video done by a journalism student in December of 2008, it touches on the fantasstic story of Ms. Louise.

Feeding Hope on Main Street: Martha's Table from Tom Lyons on Vimeo.

Volcanoes are still exploding!

2010-04-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last April I blogged about the after-school programs 1st Annual Science Fair. This past week the children in our elementary and middle school programs were at it again. I was a judge for about 16 projects and found that the kids had really gotten into the experiments again this year. Some of the projects that stood out were

5 year olds explaining the idea of density!
Finding out the science behind cleaning up oil spills
"Fungus on the Rise" - describing where and why fungus grows.

All of the children did a fantastic job and spent a lot of time learning about there experiments and creating artistic displays. There was even a volcano with fake grass growing all around the base.

Great job again this year. I am so proud of how much time and energy the kids put into their experiments.

Save the Date Volunteers!!

2010-03-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Please register,
www.mtvolunteerday.eventbrite.com

City Paper: Best Of Poll

2010-02-26T06:20:00.001-08:00

Every year the City Paper does a Best Of 2010 Poll. With over 10,000 volunteers, several driverse volunteer opportunities and a Presidential visit, I think Martha's Table may be the best place to volunteer in DC.

Now we have to prove it to City Paper readers.

Click on this Link- City Paper: Best of Poll and scroll down to "People and Places" only a few options are available but if you click on the "34 more", you will see "Best Place to Volunteer"
Vote for Martha's Table today!

Martha's Table in the News

2010-02-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

Martha's Table staff has been featured in a few article recently. Please click on the following links.

Martha's Table: Cooking for a Cause - Washington Post

The 3 minute Interview: Lindsey Buss - The Washington Examiner

Neighborhood braves blizzards to help Martha's Table stay open

2010-02-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

(U Street)

Martha’s Table stayed open during the historic blizzards that shut the city down last week due to the committed efforts of many people. We are grateful to them all. Even when the storms were at their worst, people were coming to Martha’s Table in need and, each and every day, there were staff and volunteers here to welcome and serve them. In addition, on most days the food vans went out, the clothing room was open, and we distributed food, hot tea, sweaters, gloves, hats, warm socks, long johns, and blankets. We also provided hot tea to a city warming center. This all was being done while simultaneously clearing our sidewalk and alley of snow to ensure our clients could get to us and we could get our vans out to provide services. It is hard to say thank you to everyone who kept Martha’s Table going over the last 10 days, but I want to try.

One advantage of having people living in the community working and volunteering at Martha’s Table was demonstrated as staff like Roseinia, Martha, and Demetri and volunteers like Jimmy, Blue, Duan, Jamaal and Greg were here on the heaviest days of the storms. Other volunteers who helped us prepare and serve food and work in the clothing room when no one else could get in included Marie, Laura, James, Muriel, Robin, Sandra, Connie, Marnie, Mila and Ghazal. A lot of different van crews were cobbled together and they included Kris, John, James, Carol, and Bill, Larry and Keith from the Louie Clark Group. Additional staff onsite were Jimmy, Fred, Robert, Mr. Perez, Mr. Torres, Monet, Inge, Twanda, Kim, Desiree, and Inge. Snowed-in staff also helped us by coordinating things from afar, including Zarinah, Valerie and Ann. Some of the most impressive work surrounded our crew of snow shovelers. This included several youth from the neighborhood, like Duan, Jamaal and James, a new neighbor Greg, an old neighbor, Jerome, and Americorps and Citiyear volunteers who responded to the request we posted on Facebook. We are especially grateful for the response we received almost a year ago to a request on our wishlist.

Last Spring, for the first time in our 30 years, Martha’s Table received a snow blower as a donation. The timing of that gift could not have been better.

I am truly in awe of the dedication to service displayed by our volunteers and staff. Great job everyone, and thank you very much.

Lindsey Buss, President & CEO of Martha's Table

"Do You Grow Pizza Here?"

2010-01-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Martha's Table's Elementary program's kids have been a part of Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline.
The article explains...

"For the last few months these kids have been slicing, baking, touching and smelling all kinds of new foods and recipes. They're learning as part of an afterschool program that's up and running in cities around the country. It was started by Share Our Strength, a non-profit leader in fighting hunger and poor nutrition. Teaming up with volunteer chefs, in what the group dubs "Operation Frontline," the group has enrolled more than 288,000 children in nutrition-education classes. In Washington, D.C., a partner organization, the Capital Area Food Bank, organizes and staffs the class with registered dietitians. A big part of the program is teaching kids how to use good ingredients to make simple, healthy food — all while staying within a budget."

Recently, the children were able to visit the White House garden as a part Operation Frontline. Please listen or read the story here. Note the great photos of our kids.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121611755

Martha's Outfitters Film by Jon Haas

2009-12-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

The Teen Program Gets a Face Lift

2009-12-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

Today, the Teen Program began a 2 day painting project to bring in the New Year with a fresh new look. They chose the colors and design, and are now hard at work making over the space.
Finished product coming soon!

The Holiday Season at Martha's Table

2009-12-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season is a very special time of year at Martha's Table. The community is focused on helping those in need over the holidays. Even in these rough economic times, we have had an overwhelming amount of support with people contacting us to volunteer and donate in unique ways.
Local neighbors and businesses have helped in many different ways this year and holiday season. 1000's of volunteers have volunteered their time. Staff from PricewaterhouseCoopers volunteer at Martha's Table every Thursday and really helped out during our Winter Holiday Community Dinner and Pantry Thursday's this year. Many individuals have energized their offices to coordinate food drives for Martha's Table's emergency food services. Schools and churches have been collecting hats, gloves, scarves and coats for our clothing distribution center, Martha's Outfitters. Many families are volunteering in their homes by making peanut butter & jelly sandwiches or meat & cheese sandwiches and bringing them into Martha's Table.

Our Children's programs are also celebrating this holiday season. Just last night they performed a play, Christmas Around the World, for their Christmas Pageant.

Recently, Office of Human Resources Management, Benefits, Medical and Worklife Division came to Martha's Table with gifts for all the children in our Daycare program. Pictured above, the children are having an early Christmas thanks to all the generous staff.

The Washington Post put out an article today, highlighting corporations that stepped up to help the neediest in a rough 2009. Note the photo: a longtime volunteer, Linda, sorts linens in Martha's Outfitters.
The Washington Post

We thank everyone who has participated in helping the community this year. Even though so many have generously donated we still need help. We are always in need of non-perishable food items. There is a list posted on our website in the wishlist section. wwwmarthastable.org

We are also in need of volunteer drivers for McKenna's Wagon. Every evening, McKenna's Wagon rolls out to 3 different locations around DC. We could not do this without the help of our dedicated volunteer drivers. Drivers must make a 6 month commitment and have a valid drivers license. The vans leave at 5pm and return around 6:30.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer driver, please contact:
Kimberly Lyons
Development and Volunteer Manager
Martha's Table
202.328.6608 x 232
klyons@marthastable.org

Former Member of Our Teen Program Makes it BIG!

2009-12-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

The nominations for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards were announced late November, and among the nominees in the category Best Musical Album for Children is Banjo to Beatbox Cathy & Marcy with Special Guest Christylez Bacon.

We at Martha’s Table know Chris well. He participated in our Teen Program in 2004 and 2005, and has come back to Martha’s Table to work with the teens on various aspects of music production during the past several summers. Banjo to Beatbox, a collaboration with Chris, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxner, is described as “beatbox (mouth drums) meets the banjo, nursery rhyme meets hip-hop fractured fairy tale and traditional folk song meets a whole new sound!”

All of us at Martha’s Table will be rooting for Chris come Grammy time next February. Chris already has the votes from one group of fans. Simone Johnson, the Director of our Child Development Center tells us that the toddlers and pre-schoolers in the program have been listening to the CD and have been dancing up a storm.

To hear snippets of the songs and to buy a copy of the CD, please visit http://www.cathymarcy.com/store/.

Listen to this!

Video: Obamas Distributes Thanksgiving Items

2009-11-30T11:38:00.001-08:00

President Obama and family distribute Thanksgiving items to the children and families in Martha's Table's programs.

The Obama's Thanksgiving Visit to Martha's Table

2009-11-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday, the parents of the children in our programs were pleasantly surprised when the First Family handed them the ingredients to make a Thanksgiving feast. The First Family and 40 of their closest family members volunteered at Martha's Table. They helped pass out turkeys and pies, create Thanksgiving art work with our after-school program and read to the children in the daycare.

Thank you to all the staff members that worked so hard to make this special experience for the first family and their family.

Martha's Table wishes everyone a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving.

photo from Reuters/Jason Reed http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/11/after-the-pardon-obamas-give-o.html

Other Links -
NBC News
LIFE
CNN
White House Website Photo of the Day

Martha's Table in the News!

2009-11-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post featured Martha's Table in their discussion about how charities are affected by and coping with the consequences of the economic downturn.

"A year after the global economy teetered on the verge of collapse, a recession -- a lingering and unwelcome guest -- has settled in at dinner tables across the land.

And while plates are empty at some homes, the lines grow long at organizations like Martha's Table, a nonprofit in the District where a record number of people wait each day for a bit of something -- food or clothing or educational programs -- to see them through.

"It can be a swelling river with all the different tributaries feeding into it," said Lindsey Buss, president and chief executive of Martha's Table. "And the rain isn't stopping."

Please see the article here and be sure to check out the online photo gallery, Martha's Table: Rising to the challenges presented by the recession.

The WAMU also gives credit to Martha's Table in their discussion of non-profit organizations in difficult economic times. Please check out this article!

Martha's Table Gives Thanks

2009-11-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Martha's Table's community dinner for Thanksgiving. Normally, we serve our food through our mobile soup kitchen, McKenna's Wagon, which brings sandwiches, soup, and desserts to three stops in Washington, DC. Yesterday was a little different. We transformed our playground and food prep areas into large dining spaces, hosting a sit-down community dinner.

Our dinner was well-attended - we served over 1,000 meals. Thanksgiving is typically our largest community dinner of the three we serve each year, and our average number of meals served in past years has been significantly lower - around 750. This year, guests showed up in big numbers, and the line began at 10:30 am for the delicious holiday dinner. The menu featured roasted turkey, stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes, homemade sweet potatoes/yams, and green beans. Martha's Table's kitchen began early yesterday morning, and the smells throughout the day were delicious! Music filled the rooms, as musicians volunteered their time to serenade our guests with classic songs and uplifting music.

We had over 150 volunteers throughout the weekend, and we are enormously thankful for all of their help - setting up the rooms, chopping vegetables, preparing the plates and take-out dinners, serving the meals, and even helping in the clean-up! The dinner would not have been possible without all of their help!

New Statistics Reveal the Growing Problem of Food Insecurity in America

2009-11-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post published an article with newly-released reports from the USDA revealing statistics about food insecurity that confirm what Martha's Table has been noticing - longer lines at food pantry days, more people coming to Martha's Table for emergency food, and longer lines for our McKenna's Wagon mobile soup kitchen.

According to the Washington Post article (found here): "The data show that dependable access to adequate food has especially deteriorated among families with children. In 2008, nearly 17 million children, or 22.5 percent, lived in households in which food at times was scarce -- 4 million children more than the year before. And the number of youngsters who sometimes were outright hungry rose from nearly 700,000 to almost 1.1 million."

The report also stressed a particular struggle for single mothers. Over one in three women raising children alone confirmed that they struggled for food, and more than one out of seven expressed concern that someone in their home had been hungry, dramatically larger than in any other type of household.

These reports reaffirm the need for Martha's Table's programs - both the Food Programs and the Children's Programs, as we provide consistent, nutritious, well-balanced meals to approximately 300 children Monday through Friday in addition to the 1200 sandwiches, 65 gallons of soup and desserts that go out nightly in McKenna's Wagon, our mobile soup kitchen. We have so far met the increased demand with help from the community - through large and small food drives and individual donors. Thank you for helping us in our fight against hunger!

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of Our New Reading Corner!

2009-11-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is a follow-up to Friday's post about our brand new reading corner! (See the previous post here)

Friday afternoon and evening marked the grand ribbon ceremony and the unveiling of our fabulous new reading room to the many children in our programs.

The absolute joy and excitement on the faces of the children must have made all the long hours of hard work well worth it for the Howard student volunteers, the Heart of America staff and interns, and the contractors and painters. The children were told to close their eyes and enter the room, and after they opened them, incredulous expressions filled their faces as they took in the new sight of brand-new books on beautiful (real!) bookshelves, a puppet show, brightly-colored bean bag chairs, a welcoming environment and bright, inspiring artwork on the walls.

The younger children from our Child Development Center were treated to story time from an education student from Howard University. The older children examined the young adult section of the library, and loved the bean bag chairs. Some impromptu puppet shows entertained children and adults alike.

Martha's Table is so grateful for all of the dedication and hard work that so many people put into this project, especially the Heart of America Crew, the Howard University student volunteers, and Life Pieces to Masterpieces for their donation of inspiring artwork. The children happily thanked everyone at the ceremony with hugs and aprons!

Extreme Makeover - Martha's Table Library Edition

2009-11-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Heart of America Foundation has completely transformed the Martha's Table Children's Program Library in the past week. To give you an idea of where we started, the before picture above shows our previous "bookshelves," made out of milk crates. The Heart of America Foundation generously donated many hours of hard work this week, and the change they have enacted is astounding.

The more than 275 low-income children aged 3 months to 18 years who participate in Martha's Table's education and enrichment programs now have a wonderful new reading room with freshly painted walls covered with inspiring quotations, filled with more than 1,500 books, organized in numerous (real) bookcases, comfortable reading chairs, and decorated with original artwork by Disney artist Ceilia Washington.

In addition, each child at Martha's Table will receive 3 brand new books to add to his or her own home library!

This transformation occurred with the help of several members of Leadership Greater Washington. Lindsey Buss, the President of Martha's Table, worked together with three other members of Leadership Greater Washington to create the new reading room. The Dean of Education at Howard University, Dr. Leslie Fenwick, enlisted the help of Howard students in working diligently all week, painting, building, and organizing the new room. Mary Brown, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Life Pieces to Masterpieces, coordinated the donation of the artwork for the walls. Last but certainly not least, Angie Halamandaris, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Heart of America made the entire project possible.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 4:15 pm to celebrate this truly wonderful, exciting new room!

Trick or Eat?

2009-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

One donor turned her night of trick-or-treating into a meaningful experience and took the opportunity to help out Martha's Table and the many people who come to us for emergency food each month. Ilanna Star organized her neighborhood and school and encouraged her friends and neighbors to ask for canned food donations instead of candy while trick-or-treating.

Ilanna handed out bags to friends, with a sign on the bags saying, "For some people Halloween can be a fun holiday with cute costumes and candy for kids; for those people who do not celebrate on October 31st, it can be a day to help hungry people and do a mitzvah!"

And Ilanna chose to help out many hungry people, donating carloads of non-perishable goods (one carload is pictured above), and that food will be enjoyed by many! Thanks, Ilanna!

2009-11-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

Martha's Table statistics show that demand for canned and non-perishable food has increased from about 80 baskets a month in 2008 to 322 baskets a month in 2009. Demand seems to grow monthly. Food drives are needed (apart from Thanksgiving and Christmas). Information about donating food and conducting food drives can be found on our website www.marthastable.org

Halloween at Martha’s Table!

2009-11-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

The children at Martha’s Table celebrated Halloween with all sorts of traditional fun. Girl scouts came into the Elementary Program and led a day of activities that included bobbing for apples, eating donuts hanging from a string, decorating candy bags, and much more. The children in the Child Development Center celebrated with the help of some UMD students, who led a face-painting booth, arts and crafts, and harvest fun on the playground. Please enjoy the slideshow!

WHAT WE DID TODAY!

2009-10-23T12:16:00.001-07:00

2009 Martha's Table Daycare Mini-Walk

Thanks Seth!

2009-10-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

At the tail end of the summer Seth Rubin came to Martha's Table a took some fantastic photos of the children in our Daycare and After-School Elementary Program. He was gracious enough to create a slide show and share all of his photos with us. Please visit Shrubin Photography a check out Seth's photos.

Follow the link below and enjoy!
http://www.shrubin.com/marthastable/video.html

Sheets and Stuff for Squirts!

2009-10-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table has been lucky to have the assistance of a new volunteer this past summer. Erin Norcross completed the requirements of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project with Martha's Table.

Erin provided valuable service to the Martha’s Table Child Development Center. She organized a group of volunteers to help her sew much-needed sheets for a new classroom in our Center. These sheets would have cost Martha’s Table hundreds of dollars, and the staff of our Child Development Center commented that the sheets made by Erin and her volunteers fit the cots better, and looked nicer than the other (professionally made and ordered) sheets!

Erin also organized a very successful drive for arts and crafts supplies and reading materials, and donated many wonderful books and art supplies to the classrooms.

Today, Erin was volunteering in the Child Development Center to see the fruits of her labor. She worked with Classroom A as they learned all about the parts of the trees outsides - the branches, the roots, the leaves, and the bark - of course getting their hands-on experience outdoors with the dirt. The above picture is Erin (on the left), along with some kids in Classroom A, and Miss. Camilla.

Thanks for all your help, Erin!

KICKBALLL!!

2009-10-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

The summer C.O.O.L Kickball season ended with a little recognition. Please click on the NonProfit Times link below and read how kickball boosts the morale of non-profits in these hard economic times.

http://www.nptimes.com/09Oct/npt-091001-3.html#

GO Martha's Table TERMINATORS!!

President of Martha's Table receives exciting award.

2009-10-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

Lindsey Buss, President of Martha’s Table, Receives 2009 Exponent Award

Martha’s Table is pleased to announce that its President and CEO, Lindsey Buss, has been chosen by the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation as a recipient of the Foundation’s 2009 Exponent Award, which includes a $100,000 grant to be used for leadership development at Martha's Table.

The Exponent Award was created to support and sustain the most capable nonprofit leaders in the Greater Washington region. In addition to entrepreneurial leadership, the Foundation considered each nominee’s success at increasing the impact of their organization’s work, instituting sound financial management and serving as a collaborative community leader.

“We are delighted that Lindsey is receiving this great honor,” says Cathy Sulzberger, Martha’s Table Board Chair. “Lindsey has been extremely effective in increasing Martha’s Table’s capacity to help the many homeless and low-income people it serves by ensuring that the infrastructure was in place to provide a range of programs of a very high quality. These include a nationally accredited after-school program, a food program that ensures that fresh fruits and vegetables are distributed to those who need them most, and a popular thrift store that distributes free and low cost clothing to thousands in the community each year.” Sulzberger continues, “Lindsey also expanded the reach and scope of Martha’s Table’s work by developing partnerships with 80 other non-profits by providing them with food and clothing necessary to help them fulfill their missions.”

Upon learning that he was receiving a 2009 Exponent award, Mr. Buss said “I share this honor with all of the members of the amazing community that exists at Martha’s Table. Our resilient children, youth and families, our resourceful staff, our energetic volunteers, our creative partners, and all of our dedicated supporters combine to create opportunities and generate success on a daily basis. Their commitment and the results they collectively achieve are an inspiration.”

To find out more about Martha’s Table, please visit www.marthastable.org.

To learn more about the Meyer Foundation and the Exponent Award, please visit www.meyerfdn.org

or http://www.meyerfoundation.org/exponent09/buss

The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation is one of the Washington, DCWashington as a community by supporting capable, community-based nonprofit organizations that foster the well-being of all people in the region. region's oldest and most experienced private grant making foundations.

"Go and Change the World"

2009-09-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

When Ms. Ernestine and I made it to the "Senior Luncheon" on September 25th, hosted by RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), we were in awe over 2 things. One, the beautiful dining room that was rented out at the NDW Catering and Conference Center in the Washington Navy Yard and two, the saying which greeted us at the door. While we were being shown to our seats, a voice rang out throughout the room, "Now let's go change the world" which is a famous quote from President Barack Obama. I was preoccupied with my table seating and also wondering where this came from. I directed my attention to the front of the room to the Mistress of Ceremonies, Sandra Bears. When I finally sat down, she once again quoted the President.

This quote was the theme of the luncheon. The second time she delivered these cool words from her mouth, she followed it up by making a very strong point to tie all the ears in the room together. Ms. Bears said, "The change that we seek, doesn't only start with the current or upcoming generations, but those who were leading before them and who build the path in which we all now walk on" This was said in reference to the Civil Rights Movement and the strong family ties that once existed but have now become a dying breed. So now that this generation of bra-burning feminists, non-violent protesters and civil rights leaders has aged...they are still a VERY huge part of social change in America. She then addressed the approximately 200 men and women in the room by simply giving thanks and showing her appreciation for what they do daily to impact their communities through RSVP.

I was proud to be in that room to witness, chat and dine with these elegant men and women but also rejuvenated by the light that still burns bright in their eyes. It was refreshing to see, that after a lifetime of "fighting" for causes that they believe in, nothing has taken the "fight" from their spirits. I could only think to myself that, hopefully one day I could be in that exact place that they are and be able to inspire someone much younger than me, with that same sparkling light in my eyes.

This year was the 33rd Annual Recognition Luncheon, and even though the food was awesome, the speakers and entertainment were even better. The speakers included Azora Irby-Muntasir from Family Matters of Greater Washington, Rosetta Busby from DC Corporation for National and Community Service, and Ms. Senior DC 2009, Shirley Rivens Smith. There was entertainment provided by MC Steppers and a beautiful girl named Lynise Wellington who sang an inspiring gospel song. There were also two tributes to Micheal Jackson through the MC Steppers to honor the former Pop Idol's talents and his lifetime of service to global social change.

The event ended, with a lot of smiling faces, an invitation to the 34th Annual Senior Luncheon in 2010, and a plethora of opportunities to stay involved with RSVP and other organizations that focus on seniors staying active in their communities and non-profit organizations. There were also prize giveaways and a jazz band that played as we exited the building to, "Go and Change the World."

This Saturday, First Ever U St. Festival

2009-09-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

The festival will include performances by tons of artist, press conference with Jim Graham, rededication of 14th and V St. to Langston Hughes Way, Food Vendors from U St area businesses, and a Children's Festival at Harrison Recreation Center.

Martha's Table will be a part of this festive event on 14th and V St this Saturday, September 19th, from 12:30 to 5 pm.

The teens have created several photo albums capturing varying aspects of the U Street scene: fashion, black businesses, architecture, art and style.
Also, they created several art pieces in celebration of the festival including graphic designs and original paintings. The teen program anticipates setting up a display festival to show our works during Saturday's proceedings.

Our Elementary program will be performing on Langston Hughes Way (14th and V St. NW) between 4:15 and 4:30.

Hope to see you there. We are also very proud of the 6o plus Martha's Table volunteers that will be working hard during the festival. Let a volutneer know they are doing a good job, they will be easy to spot in their Martha's Table aprons.

Remember and Serve

2009-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Today is 9/11, the nation observes this day in remembrance of the victims of 9/11 and also honors this day with service. Thank you to all of the volunteers who serve Martha's Table and our community, today and everyday.

Martha's Table Class of 2009

2009-08-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

On August 20th, Martha's Table celebrated the accomplishments of the youngest members of our Children's Programs with a graduation ceremony. The afternoon was kicked off by a greeting from the assistant teachers of the 4 classrooms - they expressed their thanks to the children and their parents. Lindsey Buss, our president, said a few words of thanks to the teachers and the parents for making a difference in Martha's Table's children's lives. The children then put on a performance conducted by lead teacher, Camilla Swann. They sang Hello/Hola, I Feel Good Today and Where Are We Going?

Congratulations to all the children, parents and teachers. We are so proud of you!

Summer MTTP Open House

2009-08-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

This past week the Martha's Table teens highlighted their summer accomplishments at a Open House hosted at Club Jin on 14th St. The teens showcased there talents in a variety of different ways. They created Martha's Table magazine, Modern Teen and expressed themselves through different mediums such as; abstract art, PSA announcements, mock newscasts, play writing and acting, fashion and t-shirt design. Below are some photos but really the night had a great energy that was not caught on camera. Please come out to the next Open House and support the teens in all their accomplishments. They worked so hard this summer and it really showed during the fantastic open house last Monday.

Some of the teens were showing their art work and others were featured on a PSA Announcement. Below Ron Allen, the Teen program Community Outreach Coordinator, is explaining the writing and acting workshop, the teens are behind him on stage getting ready for their performance.

Picking Peppers!

2009-08-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Demetri and some of the kids from the Elementary program picked some peppers from the garden. They were ripe for the picking and Demetri explained just how it should be done. The boys also cut off some mint that will be used to spice up the soup. Thanks for helping boys, good job! Please see all of the fantastic photos in the photos stream on the side bar titled "Planting and Picking in the Garden".

Citations Handed Out to Martha's Table Employees

2009-08-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table employees were issued citations by our Pre-School Police this afternoon. They caught all of the troublemakers and covered all the usual hot spots, the cooks in the kitchen for making meals for the children everyday. They caught Debbie and Simone at the front desk for reading to the kids in classroom C. Our President and CEO, Lindsey Buss, was caught by his daughter for working hard in his office. The fine for all...a cookie!

Martha’s Table Kids are PBS kids!

2009-07-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

For the past year, volunteers from Howard University Television, one of DC’s local PBS stations (WHUT) have been working with the children in our Child Development Center on a variety of projects that are all geared towards helping them learn the basics of reading and writing so that they are ready for school. And now the pre-school kids are helping the WHUT volunteers by trying out a website linked to a new show slated to start in September on PBS stations. The children are testing the website for ease of use and navigation—and they get to be the first kids to experience the PBS show: Dinotrain!

Father's Day in July!

2009-07-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right?

Our Child Development Center hosted a Father's/Male Caregivers Backyard Barbeque Celebration last Friday. The classroom was beautifully decorated by Ms. Benita with the help of the National Cathedral Scholars, and the food was delicious! The event was a big success, and fathers (and a few mothers) enjoyed the special day.

Yoga for the Young

2009-07-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Our 3-5 year old children in our preschool had the opportunity today to explore the world of yoga!

Every Wednesday, Ms. Blakely comes to Martha's Table to teach yoga in our Child Development Center through an arrangement with Flow Yoga.

The kids had a blast doing different yoga poses - downward dog, swan, snake, and turtle, and they also calmed down and focused on breathing with a four-count breathing pattern. They showed off their dragon breath and even enjoyed chanting some "ohhhmmmms." It was far from your typical yoga class!

Enjoy the following pics!

Growth in the Garden!

2009-07-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

An update on our school yard garden:

The rains of the past few weeks have allowed our garden to take root, and with the children in our programs carefully tending to the budding plants, the garden has really grown!

Please check out the following pictures and feel free to stop by and see the garden in person!

Congratulations, Debbie!! 20 Years at Martha's Table!

2009-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today marked the 20th anniversary of Debbie Cooper working at Martha's Table. She is the welcoming face behind the receptionist desk and for many, she is the face of Martha's Table, always willing to lend a helping hand.

Congratulations, Debbie! And here's to 20 more!

Martha's Table School Yard Garden

2009-06-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

This past week Martha's Table volunteers and kids have been hard at work making sure our school yard garden is under way for this years harvest season.

As you see in the two slide-shows below, our volunteers are making sure all of the garden plots are put together with care. After all, these gardens will help feed the children in our programs as well as folks that receive food from our mobile soup kitchen, McKenna's Wagon.

The best part is that the kids from our daycare program got their hands dirty. Children from our pre-school classrooms helped our volunteer and garden engineer, Bobby, plant:

Marigolds - they act as a natural bug repelant
Tomato vines
Russian kale
Red bell peppers
and the very speical bean sprouts that started as seeds and planted in plastic cups by the children in our pre-school (please see previous post in May, Planting Seeds!)

Enjoy the photos and feel free to stop by anytime to see the garden in the Martha's Table school yard.

Let's kick it up a notch!

2009-06-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Bam! Martha's Table! Bam! Clagett Farm! Bam! Emeril!

That's what I call a recipe for success!

Clagett Farm is a working farm, owned and operated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. They grow vegetables for their Community Supported Agriculture program, raise grass fed cattle and have a native tree nursery on more than 285 acres.

At Clagett Farm, the ultimate goal is to use farming methods that are truly sustainable—both economically and environmentally.Check them out at http://www.clagettfarm.org/ and http://cbf.typepad.com/clagett_farm/

Clagett Farm supports Martha's Table with a vegetable production project called "From the Ground Up." Started in 1992 as a collaboration between Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, almost half of the produce is distributed free or at reduced prices to under-served communities in

Washington D.C., including Martha's Table.

We were scheduled to pick up some produce on Monday afternoon, and we decided to thoroughly check it out and spend some time volunteering there. Emeril Lagasse, the famous chef, happened to be there filming for his show. We met Emeril, watched a little bit of the taping of his show, harvested garlic scapes, and packed up fresh produce to bring back to Martha's

Table. A successful day on the farm - all in a day's work!

"writing takes the boring out of Sundays"

2009-05-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Friday was the First Annual Career Day for the Elementary and Bridge Programs at Martha's Table. We had guests from all different types of careers from a lawyer, a banker, a writer to firefighters. I met with a 3 children from the Elementary and Bridge Program to discuss their favorite part of career day. Pictured is Alexander, Bryan and Liliana, here Liliana is describing her story Ghost Haunting.

They all expressed that they love to write, so I asked them a simple question...
Why do you write?

"I write to encourage myself to be the best I can be and to express my feelings. I also write to inspire people to do good things. I write when I am lonely and have nothing to do. Also the reason I write is to make people laugh".

- Alexander Perkins, age 9, 3rd grade. Author of the story, The Enormous Monster.

"The reason I write is to express my feelings. Many of my stories are based on true stories. My stories are a memory of my great-grandmother, elderly people talk about their experiences. I tell stories in honor of them. The ghost stories are very fast to write, and the story forms in my head as if it was waiting for me. In my way I think that writing takes the boring out of Sundays. Novels are my way of taking time to create many characters that are my inventions."

- Liliana Campos, age 10, 4th grade. Author of the story, Ghost Haunting.

The children were also very excited about seeing the firetruck and meeting firefighters.

Thanks to all the professionals that took time out of their busy schedule to show the children their potential.

This is for all the Mother's out there!

2009-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table honored our Daycare and After-School program mothers this past Friday. The celebration included skits, songs and poems.
Here is a song that Classroom A (pre-school) performed for the mothers.

Liliana Campos in our bridge program recited this poem to all the mothers during our luncheon.

Someone

By: Elizabeth Jones
Someone meets me every day when I com in from school or play
Someone smiles and hugs me tight
Someone prays with me at night
Someone has a great big jar where all the nicest cookies are
Someone hears when call
Someone helps me when I fall
Someone always has a kiss -
Now who could be as nice as this?

Who could it be? I am sure you know
It is my mother who loves me so.

Here's to New Friends of Martha's Table, Cheers!

2009-05-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last night, new friends of Martha's Table let loose and participated in a silent volunteer mock auction (m-auction) while supporting a great cause. Ulah Bristro's great drink prices kept everyone happy as they perused the various volunteer opportunities Martha's Table had to offer. Guests signed up to volunteer on McKenna's Wagon, host a party with a purpose, work with Martha's Table staff to create a strategic communications plan, and much more! We were ecstatic with the enthusiastic response, and are looking forward to building these relationships.

We were lucky enough to have Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) speak to issues of Hunger and Homelessness and the ways in which this administration and Martha's Table are trying to alleviate hunger. Congressman McGovern is Co-Chair of the Congressional Hunger Caucus and a longstanding leader in the fight to end hunger. Last May, Congressman McGovern organized a “Food Stamp Challenge” where he and other Members of Congress lived for one week on a food stamp budget, or about $3/day.

Martha's Table is very grateful to all those who supported us and celebration of volunteerism last night.

Cheers!

Healthy Schools Campaign

2009-05-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

Today Martha's Table was full with a fury of activity. Students from a high school in Chicago won a cooking competition, to create the healthiest and most liked dish for over 40,000 student lunches around the country. These lunch will be served in cities like DC, New York and Chicago. The students created and prepared the meal, with the help from White House Chef, Sam Kass. The "Healthy Schools Campaign" was presented to the press, government and school officials in DC today at Martha's Table. Martha's Table was gracious enough to turn the Elementary program classrooms in to a press and dining room. Martha's Table's cooks, who cook meals for vulnerable populations 365 days a year, also helped prepared the meal today for all of the attendees. Thank you to Martha's Table lending their space and staff to help educate schools and children about the importance of healthy food. This is a video of Sam Kass and some our cooks, Ms. Twanda and Ms. Louise discussing the work that they do and the importance of helping those less fortunate with basic necessities, such as food. (p.s. - it is really quiet, sorry)

Planting Seeds!

2009-05-01T08:18:00.001-07:00

The pre-school and toddler classrooms have been learning about planting and growing seeds. They even created craft representations of what their bean sprouts plants would look like after they grow. Please check out the slide show above.

Vote for DC and Martha's Table

2009-04-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

To coincide with Mother's Day, Colgate-Palmolive launched a campaign, 'Share Mom's Love', that features an online contest to support summer feeding programs (http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/CommunityPrograms/share-moms-love.cvsp) in select cities in the U.S. Colgate-Palmolive and Share Our Strength identified one site in ten different cities that have the chance to receive funding to support their work - Martha's Table is the selected site in Washington, DC!

The three cities with the most votes will receive generous funding from Colgate-Palmolive. I know you are aware of all the work we do at Martha's Table, but there are summer feeding programs around that country that also help to ensure that at-risk children who receive lunch through federal, school-based feeding programs during the school year continue to receive free, nutritious meals when school is out.

We are asking that you go online to VOTE by May 10th to ensure that we are one of the top three cities chosen - and thus recipients of much needed additional funding for our work! You will also have a chance to win a trip for two plus dinner with Colgate-Palmolive personalities. You can vote more than once.

We are delighted to be a part of a partnership between Share Our Strength® and Colgate-Palmolive, that is working to increase funding for summer feeding sites around the country.

This Mother's Day, help end childhood hunger.

101 Dalmatians

2009-04-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday our pre-school went on a field trip to the National Presbyterian Church to watch the play, 101 Dalmatians. Sequoya, our pre-school lead teacher, was very impressed, "I was shocked that the performance was by the children from the church, they did an amazing job"

National Volunteer Week - Thank You Volunteers!

2009-04-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Our volunteer program is the backbone of Martha's Table. In the early years, almost 30 years ago, Martha's Table was run entirely by volunteers. Now, they are still a very large part of what we do here at Martha's Table everyday, and are essential to allowing our programs to run smoothly.

Our Food program provides 1200 meals daily on McKenna's Wagon. This is possible through dedicated schools, churches, businesses and community members that come to Martha's Table every morning at 10am. The volunteers help prepare peanut butter and jelly and meat and cheese sandwiches, and they chop vegetables for the soup, all to go out on McKenna's Wagon. In the evening, a new set of volunteers gear up to go out on McKenna's Wagon's vans, and serve over 1200 meals, 65 gallons of soup and hot tea. In 2008, volunteers helped prepare and serve over 500,000 sandwiches for McKenna's Wagon!

Martha's Outfitters, our community thrift store and clothing distribution center relies heavily on committed volunteers. They help take in donations and sort clothing for the store. Every Wednesday and Friday, volunteers help referrals from partner shelters and organizations find things that they need for free. They often go the extra mile - recently a volunteer created a data system to check in referrals more efficiently and track relationships with partner organizations more effectively.

Our Child Development Center is a great place for volunteers to come and spend quality time with our kids ranging in age from 4 months to 4 years old. Volunteers often enjoy reading to the kids, helping them with arts & crafts, going on field trips, helping the teachers feed them lunch, etc.

Volunteering for Martha's Table is not just about service and helping those in need, it is also about education. Martha's Table takes pride in educating our volunteers about poverty, hunger, homelessness and education. These are issues that Martha's Table faces everyday. Our volunteers understand what Martha's Table does and the difference their service makes. Martha's Table volunteers become our greatest advocates and help us build a stronger community. Over 10,000 volunteers served their community through Martha's Table in 2008!

Thank you, volunteers, for helping us make Washington, DC a better place for at-risk children, youth and families.

Hunting for Easter Eggs and Basketballs

2009-04-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Daycare staged a great Easter Egg hunt all around Martha's Table Daycare area and the playground area. Children from the toddler and pre-school classrooms scoured the grounds searching for little brightly colored plastic eggs filled with surprises.

Some children stayed dedicated and hunted eggs for a full 1/2 hour... others... well, others thought they were on an Easter Basketball Hunt.

A big thank you to the volunteers on Spring Break from upstate New York that helped our daycare find the eggs and place them in their baskets!

Martha's Table Hearts Community Dinners

2009-04-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table held our 29^th Annual Easter Community Dinner this past Sunday and was met with gorgeous weather, eager diners and hard-working volunteers. On Saturday afternoon, we converted our regular food preparation work space and our Daycare playground into festive dining rooms where folks could enjoy their homemade dinner.

All of the food was homemade; on the menu was:
o baked chicken,
o ham,
o macaroni and cheese,
o sweet potatoes,
o mashed potatoes,
o green beans and salad,
o and an assortment of cakes and pies (whew!).

Everyone enjoyed their dinner and ate their fill; there were many requests for second and thirds!

A BIG “Thank You!” to all of our amazing donors and volunteers who enthusiastically answered our calls for support and help.

We hope to see you at the next Community Dinner!

Rubber eggs, moldy bread, exploding volcanoes, crystals and more!

2009-04-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about working at Martha's Table is the fact that I never know what the day will bring. Tuesday, I happened to be a judge for our 1st Annual Science Fair here at Martha's Table. As a judge for the science fair I evaluated over 16 science projects and found that the kids had outdone themselves. All of them had hypothesized, researched, tested and concluded their own project. They were willing and excited to explain their experiments to us and that was the best part. At each project they were waiting patiently to explain exactly how they had come to their conclusion.

Some projects stood out:

There was the Lemon Battery, apparently lemons can power a light bulb for 5 days! I found out that the secret ingredient was citrus.
Ellese was very proud of her "Amazing Egg". Now I know that if you submerge an egg in vinegar it will pop from the acid and when submerged in oil, it turns into rubber!
One student explained that the fizz in soda had to do with the amount of phosphoric acid. Cola's fizz more than Ginger Ale.

Please check out the slide show above to see photos of this event. I am so proud of the Children and Bridge programs for researching and displaying their projects so well.

Good Job!

Kim

Not Eating Candy Has a Sweet Reward!

2009-03-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Martha’s Table received a letter from one of our youngest donors yesterday – seven-year-old Andrew Kaleigh was donating some hard-earned money. He participated in the Candy Challenge 2008, giving up eating candy for an entire year! He made a deal with his parents, and earned money for each day that he did not eat candy. This ties right in with our healthier initiative for McKenna’s Wagon! At the end of the year, Andrew divided the money he received equally among savings, spending money, and a charity of his choice. We are very honored that he chose Martha’s Table!

In his own words:

"I chose Martha’s Table for the charity that I would like to help. My little brother and I have visited Martha’s Table before when we dropped off sandwiches and bagged lunches that we have made with my family and sometimes with my neighbors. I think that Martha’s Table is a good place for kids. You help a lot of people and I think it’s a good thing to do. I hope that the boys and girls who come to Martha’s Table before and after school will like what we brought."
Thank you, Andrew, for all your help!

Puppet Show!!

2009-03-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today the Children and Bridge Program enjoyed a special guest from the Blue Sky Puppet Theatre. Here are some pics and clips from this afternoon.

Teen Program Open House

2009-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Martha's Table's Teen Program hosted an open house this past Friday to highlight the completion of projects they have been working on. The Teen Program provides life skills, career skills and personal growth workshops to 37 teens from our community.

Debates
February was Black History Month, and for a final project, the teens focused on the topic "Is a Minority President Enough?" The teens debated using philosophies and history they had studied such as past black liberation struggles, the history of Martin Luther King, and Black Nationalsim.

Art and Media
Some of the teens focused on creating a "Debut Album" and built a story behind their album. They worked in our IBM Lab to create unique cover albums using graphic design. Who knows maybe they will be designing for Jay-Z's next album

When the Cops Come a Knockin'

2009-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

The children in our after-school programs are on spring break! That means all day programming at Martha's Table. Today the kids put their dancing shoes on and rocked out to the DC Police Department band "When the Cops Come a Knockin'"
Check out some of the dance moves below

"I Know I Can Change"

2009-03-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last month the Elementary and Bridge After-School Programs put on a Black History Month Performance. We captured the kids from the Elementary program perform a step routine in honor of the first our 44th President, Barack Obama.

This week at Martha's Outfitters

2009-03-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Caitlin Welch, our dedicated intern from The Washington Center helps out with the referral process @ Martha's Outfitters twice a week. Martha's Outfitters opens its doors to clients from partner organizations on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-12pm. These individuals receive free assistance from Martha's Outfitters, which could include clothing for an upcoming job interview, blankets for their new born baby, or household items. Caitlin shares her story below.

"While helping out with referrals one day at Martha's Outfitters, I happened to notice that a woman had been wondering around the store for about an hour and was struggling to find clothing. I asked if she needed help and she gladly accepted my offer. She described what kinds of items she was looking for and as we discussed her desires, I got to know a little bit about who she was as a person. The woman had just gotten out of prison and in order to get back on her feet, needed an outfit for a job interview. She explained how she had searched and searched, but wasn't sure what kinds of items looked nice together. I found a skirt and professional, yet feminine jacket that I thought would suit her well. After she tried on the outfit and looked at herself in the mirror, a huge smile came across her face along with a sigh of relief because it was exactly what she was looking for. The woman was so grateful to have her new and well fitting job-interview outfit that she gave me a big hug and thanked me for helping her."