By Malaika Karriem, Scott Bledsoe, and Witney James
DCGers with I Support the Girls
Big hearts, big smiles!
Did you know that more than a third (36%) of the U.S. homeless population is comprised of women and girls, and that number is fast growing?
This population includes many female Veterans, whose housing insecurity further complicates their transition to civilian life. These women not only lack stable housing, but also access to essential day-to-day hygiene products that so many of us take for granted.
Last month, through our Diversity and Inclusion Committee (D&I committee), DCG answered the call to address this issue by partnering with I Support the Girls (ISTG). ISTG is an international nonprofit organization that collects and distributes essential items, including bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, allowing women experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall with dignity.
DCGers write thank you notes to donors
For 30 days, our D&I committee lead us through a monetary donation drive for ISTG that resulted in more than $5,500 raised in total after DCG not only matched staff’s donations but tripled them.
To take it a step further, a team of DCGers attended an in-person volunteer event at the ISTG facility in Rockville, Maryland, where they spent time helping ISTG continue their operations in making a huge impact for women and girls around the world. The team developed nearly 400 period kits that were donated to local child advocacy organization, Treehouse, and wrote thank you notes to ISTG donors.
DCGers prepare period kits to deliver to Treehouse, a local organization
As a company, we’re proud to come together in this way and make a real difference for some of our country’s most vulnerable during these challenging times.
Not only was it a fun way to bond with colleagues after spending more than a year apart, but it also speaks to our culture as a company and our prioritization of diversity and inclusion in all facets of our work.
This is one example of the great work our D&I committee is leading. Be on the lookout for more exciting updates as they continue their work through education and training, partnerships, and programming.
DCG acts locally to make an impact globally was originally published in DCG Life on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
