(Washington, DC) – February 2, 2021 – Mayor Muriel Bowser and Events DC, Washington DC’s official convention and sports authority, launched Phase 2 of the DC CARES Program this week, which will provide over $8 million in relief funding to eligible excluded workers in the District of Columbia. The program is intended to serve residents that have been omitted from federal stimulus efforts and are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional aid comes from the District of Columbia’s budget and supplements the $5 million in relief for Phase 1 of the program provided by Events DC in June.
“In funding this initiative for excluded workers, Mayor Bowser and her partners on the DC Council are proud to collaborate with Events DC to make this investment in our DC values of hope, love, diversity and inclusiveness,” said John Falcicchio, deputy mayor for planning and economic development.
DC CARES is a continuing partnership among Events DC, the Executive Office of the Mayor, the Greater Washington Community Foundation and key partnering community-based organizations (CBOs). To implement Phase 2 Events DC has provided the Greater Washington Community Foundation with $8.1 million to purchase pre-paid debit cards of $1,000 per card. In collaboration with the Executive Office of the Mayor, the Community Foundation will facilitate the outreach, processing and distribution of the pre-paid debit cards through the CBOs.
“This program remains a core part of our mission to serve and give back to our communities which will help to continue to propel our city forward,” stated Greg A. O’Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC. “We’re excited to see the overwhelming response to the program so far. We thank Mayor Bowser, the DC City Council, the Community Foundation and our partnering organizations for their tireless efforts in supporting the excluded worker community during this critical time of need. ”
The identified community-based organizations will issue the pre-paid debit cards to eligible workers based on certain criteria. The relief funding will be targeted to those families who live in the District, have experienced loss of income due to the public health emergency, and are ineligible for unemployment insurance or federal COVID-19 relief, to include returning citizens and cash economy workers.
The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that manages hundreds of charitable giving funds on behalf of generous individuals, families, and businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. The community-based organization currently designated to help implement the DC CARES program include the following:
Applicants who may be eligible for the program can access it through the centralized intake process at www.DCCARES2021.org or 202-332-1264. Any applicant who believes they may be eligible is encouraged to apply.
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