Sarah Ford | August 6, 2012
What if D.C. made an Olympic effort to end poverty?
Many of us have been glued to the television over the past week as we watch extraordinary athletes compete in this summer’s Olympic Games. Like competitions of the past, the London Olympics are not only the result of hard work on the part of the athletes but also of remarkable community support and financial investments. I can only imagine that if the District, instead of London, had been selected 10 years ago as the site of the 2012 Games, our city would have made a similar commitment: building grand stadiums, housing and feeding thousands of athletes and putting on a show worthy of the world stage.
So here’s my question: If we were prepared as a community to mobilize the region’s resources and fund the premier athletic event in the world, why can’t we make the same commitment to house our homeless neighbors, feed hungry families and clothe young and old in our community? If our local government and the private sector were prepared to provide beds, healthy meals and showers for athletes from around the world, why do so many among us not have a bed, a healthy meal or a shower?
Consider the following costs of putting on the Olympics: Click here to read more.
(Published: August 3; The Washington Post, By Mark Bergel – Founder & Executive Director of A Wider Circle)

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox
Explore More Articles
The Time to Act is Now
The results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are in, and the findings are, in a word, heartbreaking. This assessment serves as…
Read ArticleOpen Position: Non-Profit Account Manager, Employee Assistance Funds & Scholarships (Remote – Full Time)
We are professional, agile, customer-centric and our goal is to inspire employees and organizations to support causes they care about. We help nonprofits fundraise unrestricted,…
Read ArticleEXCITING NEWS: Humane Society of The United States and Humane Society International is now HUMANE WORLD FOR ANIMALS
For over 70 years, Humane World for Animals, formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, has worked around the globe to…
Read ArticleGet Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox
Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.