The organizations listed below are part of the 2022 Guide to Giving. Return to the guide’s homepage by clicking here.

Ayuda (ayuda.com) provides legal, social and language access services to help low-income immigrants access justice and transform their lives. Ayuda’s expert and dedicated professionals help immigrants navigate the immigration and justice systems and access the social safety net. Ayuda staff provides holistic, culturally appropriate and client-centered services to more than 8,000 clients annually, with over 400 in Montgomery County.

Headquartered: Washington, D.C.

Serves: Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland

What a donation buys:

  • $150 covers the cost of a legal consultation.
  • $1,000 provides three interpretation sessions so clients can access services in languages they use to communicate.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Ongoing: Deliver food and supplies; organize Ayuda’s food pantry and diaper bank; attend outreach events; distribute hygiene kits; and participate in supply drives.
  • SSL
  • Internships

A Wider Circle (awidercircle.org) seeks to end poverty with a holistic approach integrating on-the-ground services for the creation of stable homes, workforce development and neighborhood revitalization. The organization also seeks to develop large-scale solutions that incorporate greater awareness and engagement by the community.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

  • $50 covers the cost of a complete bedding set.
  • $500 provides one-on-one career coaching for two job seekers.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • One day: Organize furniture in the showroom, sort clothing or receive donations from community members.
  • Weekly: Serve as a workforce volunteer, including a subject matter expert, provide resume-writing support, or provide administrative support in the offices.
  • SSL
  • Internships

Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) (adoptionsupport.org) envisions a world where every child and family connected to adoption, foster and kinship care thrives, embracing our individual and collective diversity. CASE improves the well-being and permanence of children and their families by delivering adoption competent mental health services, training a national network of professionals, and informing the field through research and advocacy. CASE is a trusted resource for individual, family and group therapy, case management, support groups and education.

Headquartered: Burtonsville

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

  • $175 provides case management for a family struggling with their child’s mental health challenges.
  • $925 supports five family therapy sessions for a child who joined their family through adoption.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Ongoing: Support special events.

Community Reach of Montgomery County (cmrocks.org) works to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable county residents by providing a health clinic for the low-income uninsured and those insured with MD Medicaid or Medicare; home care assistance for seniors aging in place; financial assistance to stop eviction and utility termination; English language and citizenship classes for immigrants; and supportive housing for the formerly homeless working toward self-sufficiency. 

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

  • $250 provides five ESL students with tuition and books
  • $1,000 keeps a family facing eviction in their home. 

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • One day: Do yard work at the home of a senior. 
  • Weekly: Serve as an intake coordinator for the Rockville Emergency Assistance Program. 
  • SSL

Interfaith Works  (iworksmc.org), founded in 1972, has a mission to support neighbors in need by providing vital services and a pathway to greater stability. IW’s 130 staff and 7,000 volunteers provide emergency shelter, supportive housing, essential needs and employment programs to more than 35,000 Montgomery County residents each year.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

  • $100 provides job-specific clothing, including uniforms, steel-toed boots and slip-resistant shoes, for a recently employed client.
  • $1,000 helps two families avoid being evicted from their homes.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Ongoing: Sort/organize donated clothes and goods; gardening/landscaping; organize/deliver meals to shelter clients; provide administrative support.
  • SSL
  • Internships

Sheppard Pratt (sheppardpratt.org) provides support programs to more than 70,000 people annually throughout Maryland. Its local office, formerly known as Family Services, offers programs aimed to improve the quality of life for families: special education services, child development programs, preventative and early interventions, emergency assistance, mental health and substance abuse services, and support for domestic violence survivors.

Headquartered: Towson

Serves:  Maryland, including Montgomery and Prince George’s counties

What a donation buys:

  • $500 provides aid and shelter to a woman and her children fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking.
  • $1,000 provides safe environments for youths to prevent gang involvement and support recovery from substance abuse.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • One time: Volunteer at a special event.
  • SSL
  • Internships

The Arc Montgomery County (thearcmontgomerycounty.org) provides support services to over 1,100 children, youths, adults and seniors, with and without disabilities, and their families. The Arc offers inclusive child care, youth programming, work skills training, community living support and respite coordination, and has proudly supported Montgomery County residents for over 60 years.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves:  Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

  • $100 provides an art instructor for a class at a local rec center for adult students with and without disabilities.
  • $1,000 provides a refresh of art materials and equipment, supplies for outdoor water play, dramatic play outfits, and other classroom resources at KFICCC, their inclusive child care program. 

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • One time/ongoing: Volunteer with the Teen Program, Child Care Program or Urban Thrift Store
  • SSL

Voices for Children Montgomery (voicesforchildrenmontgomery.org) supports abused and neglected children by providing them with trained court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) to ensure their best interests are represented in the legal and social service systems. CASAs work with nearly 300 children each year.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves:  Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

  • $250 covers recruiting/training for four new child-advocate volunteers.
  • $1,000 provides ongoing support and supervision for volunteer advocates to serve three children for one year.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • One day: Donate household items to support older youths transitioning out of foster care.
  • Weekly: Train to become an advocate (must be 21 or older).
  • SSL
  • Internships