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Press & Media
A Grand Finish for 2010 Camp Moss Hollow Fund Drive
Aug 05, 2010
By John Kelly, The Washington Post
Thursday, August 5, 2010; B02
All envelopes opened. All checks deposited. All credit cards debited. All fingers crossed.
That’s how we’ve spent the past week at Send a Kid to Camp world headquarters as our annual fund drive for Camp Moss Hollow entered its final hours. Would we—and by “we” I mean “you”—be able, in this year of dispiriting economic news, to reach our goal of $500,000?
The answer, I’m delighted to say, is yes. When we uncrossed our fingers and pressed the equals sign on our calculator, the total was $551,654.93. That money goes to support the camping and youth development activities of Moss Hollow, the summer camp run by Family Matters of Greater Washington. When I gave the charity’s chief executive, Tonya Jackson Smallwood, the good news, she said: “I want to offer a personal thank you. Especially when times are hard and people are as generous as they were this year, it really inspires us to go on and do more for the people we seek to serve.”
Some special people helped us. They include an “angel” donor whose foundation promised to match reader contributions up to $100,000 during the final 10 days of the campaign. You responded wonderfully, donating even more than that. I’m so glad I didn’t have to say to the foundation, “Well, you only owe us $85,000.”
Hat’s off to Clyde’s. Once again the homegrown restaurant chain featured special menu items each week. If, over the past eight weeks, you stopped at Clyde’s or Old Ebbitt Grill on a Wednesday and ordered such treats as a BLT with local tomatoes or a slice of blackberry pie featuring Virginia berries, your appetite pushed us toward our goal. Clyde’s donated $20,136 to the cause.
This is the 13th year that residents of Marina Towers in Alexandria have supported the campaign. Recently, they passed the hat and also held a silent auction at which resident Dianne Eppler Adams donated proceeds from her book “Conscious Footsteps: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters.” The total gift was $3,210.
Here are some other generous groups: DC-MD Small Business Owner Networking Meetup ($710), Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of Washington ($125), the Catalyst Foundation ($500), AR Landsman Foundation ($200), clients of Clinton’s “Tax Babe” ($3,425).
My thanks to the staff of Family Matters and the counselors at Moss Hollow. I’m also grateful to the families who spoke to me about their camp experiences. My Post colleague Gerri Marmer kept all the digits straight with her running tally of the donations.
And of course I thank you, the readers who donated. Here’s a letter I received from Carolyn Frasier of Burke along with her donation: “As a camper at ages 14-15, I remember the great times and congratulate you for bringing these same pleasures to needy kids. Here is my 2010 contribution. If you are short making your goal this year, I’ll send more.”
Many readers expressed similar sentiments, once again reminding me how caring our community can be.
Saying goodbye to ‘Mom’
The end of the campaign is tinged with sadness this year, for on Friday, Mary Wiggins passed away in a Washington hospice. She was 81. Known to campers and counselors as “Mom,” Mary Wiggins was the cook at Moss Hollow and had been for more than 35 years. She started out at Moss Hollow’s predecessor, Camp Goodwill in Triangle, Va., then spent summers at Moss Hollow starting in 1977. She was known for her hot buttered rolls, string beans and macaroni and cheese. Every time I visited camp, I asked the kids what they thought of the food. Pretty much all of them said they loved it. So did I.
Mom Wiggins filled a lot of empty stomachs. She filled a lot of hearts, too. She understood that food can assuage more than just a physical hunger. When kids had braces, she sliced their apples and ground up coconut so they wouldn’t get caught in the metalwork. When campers needed love, she took them into her kitchen. More than one Moss Hollow camper decided on a career in food service after watching Mom Wiggins at work.
Hope Asterilla, the head of the camp, said: “Ms. Wiggins has helped to shape the lives of thousands of children over the years with a firm but loving hand. She truly embodied the spirit of the Hollow in every sense of the word and in all that she did.”
The memory of Mom Wiggins lives on in the minds of the thousands of Washington area children who were fed by her hands and nourished by her soul.
Family Matters was a featured sponsor on DC50TV in Recognition of Black History Month
Mar 01, 2010
Click on the link below to see our new commercial featured on DC50TV during Black History Month.
Family Matters of Greater Washington Commercial from LaKish Cox on Vimeo.
Child Welfare League of America’s 90th Anniversary
Feb 08, 2010
In celebration of the Child Welfare League of America’s 90th anniversary in 2010, this video was played at the organization’s national conference in January. CWLA was established in 1920, with the help of 68 founding agencies, which includes Family Matters of Greater Washington, to bring together public and nonprofit child-serving organizations across the United States.
Watch the video to learn more and see one of our campers talk about her experience at Camp Moss Hollow!
Child Welfare League of America’s 90th Anniversary from CWLA Videos on Vimeo.
Surge of new volunteers eases nonprofits’ load
Nov 22, 2009
By Robert McCartney
With the economy struggling to recover and our soldiers still battling in two wars, this Thanksgiving will be the bleakest in years in some ways…
Philanthropy, Determination Keep Area Families Afloat As Unemployment and Poverty Rates Surge
Oct 19, 2009
For 127 Years, Family Matters of Greater Washington Offers Solutions
WASHINGTON, DC. (April 16, 2009) – The global economic recession is having a negative impact on families nationwide, and increased consequences for families living in the Washington Metro Area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places the unemployment rate for Washington, D.C. at 10% vs. 8% nationwide. Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau cites the poverty rate for Washington, D.C. households at 18% vs. 13% nationwide.
Family Matters of Greater Washington (Family Matters), formerly Family and Child Services of Washington, D.C., Inc., among the oldest private social services organizations in the national capital area, has experienced a spike in need for social services ranging from foster care and adoption placement, to mental health counseling, youth camps, a home for teen mothers and senior citizen wellness programs, among others.
“For families already facing crisis, our current economic situation underscores that the need today is greater than ever for social services and care,”
said President of the Board of Trustees of Family Matters, Karen Dale.“Family Matters of Greater Washington is working diligently and tirelessly to provide high quality services and support to those children, families and seniors most impacted by today’s troubled economy.”
In 2008, Family Matters received more than 1,000 calls for assistance for social services that fulfill the needs of the entire human lifespan. As an example of its work, the organization took on 315 children for daily childcare, offering highly qualified protection of children while parents held down careers or attended school. In 2009, those numbers are projected to grow to 560 children. At the other end of the life spectrum, Family Matters managed more than 300 senior services cases in 2008, ranging from heavy house cleaning to the organization’s Alzheimer’s Respite Program. In 2009, the need for senior services is expected to grow to significantly.
On April 16, 2009, at its annual awards reception, Family Matters honored community advocates Maureen Bunyan of WJLA-TV, Alice Reid formerly of The Washington Post, Tani Lublin of Deloitte LLP, and Gerri Marmer of The Washington Post for their contributions as advocates on behalf of the greater Washington community. Family Matters also announced the launch of its new name and branding campaign.
About Family Matters of Greater Washington
Founded in 1882, Family Matters is one of the oldest private social services organization that provides a broad range of professional services to improve the lives of children, families and seniors in the D.C. metropolitan area. For additional information, please visit us on the web at http://www.familymattersdc.org or contact us at (202) 289-1510.
