Dear Neighbors,

Part of what makes our Ward 4 community so strong is that it is made up kind, committed people who look after one another. By checking in on our neighbors, volunteering, being civically active, and living out our values, we create welcoming, inclusive neighborhoods and help address systemic inequities and unmet needs across Ward 4.  

Today I’m excited to announce a new initiative that doubles down on that neighborly spirit: Ward 4 CARE Days of community outreach. Throughout 2022, we will be visiting every neighborhood in Ward 4 to knock on doors and check in with neighbors about issues they’re experiencing, connect them with DC services, and meet people where they are. Our first Ward 4 CARE day will be next Thursday, March 10 in Shepherd Park!

Community Access, Resource & Engagement (CARE) Days will encourage resident-centered conversations to equip Ward 4 residents with resources to directly engage DC agencies and community organizations about issues they face. In some cases this will look like helping your neighbor submit a 311 requests for longstanding issues on their block. In other cases, it might mean connecting them to a community group that can help them address a problem, such as food insecurity. Or it could just be meeting a neighbor for the first time and making them feel connected to our community.

These outreach events will include myself, my team, community leaders, volunteers, and any neighbor who would like to join. We’ll also invite DC agency representatives to bring government services directly to the people and help solve issues on people’s doorsteps. We’ll also be leaving materials with neighbors so they know how to contact our Council office and important government services – everything from the DC shelter hotline number, the Office of the Tenant Advocate, DC’s COVID Call Center, our mental health helpline, and more.

We spent a good deal of these past two years in our homes or masked up to keep each other safe, so we weren’t able to do this kind of engagement as a community. Now there’s an opportunity to get out of our homes and do the relationship-building that wasn’t possible during the heights of the pandemic. It’ll be great to leave behind our screens and be out in our community sharing resources with neighbors.

Without further ado, here is the full schedule of Ward 4 CARE Days and the links to sign up for any community outreach event you would like to join. We’ll be in touch leading up to the event to confirm the details and make sure you have everything you need to join. Don’t hesitate to share this with your neighbors in case they would like to be part of it too.

Even if you’re not able to join us for your neighborhood’s Ward 4 CARE event, I encourage you to find a separate time to check in on your neighbors that week. That could look like so many things: perhaps you could gather your own group of neighbors and walk the block together; perhaps you could help identify senior citizens and residents with limited mobility in your neighborhood to support them during emergencies or inclement weather days; or maybe you could plan a clean up on your block or nearby park for your Ward 4 CARE day.

A core purpose of this initiative is to bring our community closer and make sure neighbors feel connected, so I’m grateful for any step you’re willing to take towards that end. We’ll be amplifying photos on social media with the #Ward4CARES hashtag and will be looking forward to hearing about your experiences doing outreach.

Thank you, and see you out in our community for Ward 4 CARE Days!

Yours in Community,
—Janeese