Dear Ward 8 Community-Based Organizations,

My name is Evelyn Kasongo and I am the Ward 8 Neighborhood Planner with the DC Office of Planning. This message serves as an invitation to participate at the CHASE Open House and Community Resource Fair on September 21, 2013 from 9:00am-12:00pm at Savoy Elementary School (2400 Shannon Pl. SE). We would like offer your group the opportunity to occupy a booth/table at the Fair to present your organization’s information and resources to community members. As way of background, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) was awarded a $3 million community Challenge Planning grant in late 2010 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant has supported a number of initiatives and builds on existing city and federal investment in the area of Congress Heights, Anacostia, and St. Elizabeths (hence the acronym, CHASE). For the current effort, the CHASE Action Agenda, OP and DHCD are working jointly together to foster the implementation of community priorities as outlined at the Ward 8 Community Summits. Attached is a one-page summary of the CHASE Action Agenda effort.

The goal of the CHASE Action Agenda is to prioritize implementation and develop community resources to ensure that area residents and businesses realize the benefits of renewed growth and development. Our team, consisting of representatives from the Office of Planning and the Department of Housing and Community Development, has identified a number of Community Based Organizations in Ward 8 that provide resources in the areas of Jobs, Affordable Housing, Retail and Entrepreneurship/Small Business development. The purpose of the Community Resource Fair is to link residents and businesses in the CHASE area to existing programs, funding, technical assistance, training and job-placement services. While OP and DHCD will be organizing, convening and providing outreach for this event, we will be relying on the contributions of several City Agencies and your community-based organizations to provide valuable on-site expertise and information at the Resource Fair. Please see attached event outreach flyer.


Please let me know if your organization would like to participate at the Resource Fair and whether you would like to reserve a booth/table and if so, what type of resources you will provide as it relates to the topic areas mentioned above. The event is, of course, free of charge for exhibitors and participants. Exhibitors are asked to arrive at 8:30am on the day of the event to set-up their materials. Your organizations contributions are greatly appreciated and critical to the success of the event. Please RSVP to evelyn.kasongo@dc.gov or (202) 442-7613 no later than Wednesday, September 11.

Thank you again for your support of this effort and I look forward to working with you to enhance and serve the CHASE area.

Best,

Evelyn D. Kasongo
Ward 8 Neighborhood Planning Coordinator
1100 4th Street SW, Suite E650
Washington, DC 20024
(202) 442-7613
Evelyn.Kasongo@dc.gov

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