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Friend --
This week brought news of an extended Stay-At-Home order by the
Mayor. If you’ve been following the data and updates on DC’s testing
and infection rates, this likely didn’t come as a surprise. But I also
know that many neighbors were looking for an update by the Mayor on
schools, summer camps, and more this week. Like you, my own household
is trying to figure out the next few months for our kids. I’ve talked
with the Mayor’s team and they are planning to provide a summer
planning update next week - so stay tuned!
One item that doesn’t seem to be getting as much attention as it
should be are the new requirements about masks or face coverings. By
now, everyone should know that if you’re running to the grocery store
or grabbing food at a restaurant to carry out, you are required to
wear a face covering. But those requirements were expanded this week
to include any time you’re on Metro and essentially, any time you’re
in proximity to other people. If you’re not doing this already, please
keep a mask on you at all times. It’s best just to keep it on and wear
it when outside. I’ve got more details below, but this is not just for
your own protection, but the mask is crucial to helping slow the
spread if you happen to be infected and aren’t showing symptoms.
Next week, we should also begin to see more information shared
about the work of the Mayor’s committees mapping out reopening
criteria and recommendations. This will cover everything from schools
and childcare to parks and playgrounds to local businesses,
workplaces, transit, and much more. But I want to strongly caution
against people relaxing right now. We need to plan for our recovery
and how we restart our economy, but we’ve also seen around the country
and around the globe that even talking about reopening starts to relax
people’s habits in following the Stay-At-Home order. For most people
who aren’t the essential employees keeping everything else in our city
going, this is day 63 or 64 of being at home. I know it’s hard for
you. It is for me, too. I know with warmer weather, we’re yearning for
something more normal. But we can’t let the sacrifices of the last two
months be wasted if we relax too early. We are not ready to reopen yet
- and every public health official will echo that fact. You’ve all
done a great job of looking after one another, of taking this
seriously, of flattening the curve... and I believe it has saved
lives. But we can and we will do this a little bit longer. Because we
have to.
Quick Links: Stay-At-Home Order
Extended | New Face Covering Requirements |
FY21 Proposed Budget Release on Monday | Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety
Facebook Town Hall | Free Counseling "Warm
Line" | | How to Vote By Mail | Ward 6 Hits 56.4% in Census | Volunteer With Neighborhood Groups | Diapers Help | Groceries
Help | Important
Dates
 Stay-At-Home Order Extended To June
8 On Wednesday, Mayor Bowser announced that the existing
Stay-At-Home order has been extended through June 8. The
Mayor’s Order can be found here. As Mayors and Governors around
the country begin to evaluate how to safely reopen without a vaccine,
DC government has established several criteria that the District must
meet before beginning a phased reopening, including a 14-day decline
in new COVID-19 cases, increased testing capacity, adequate health
care system capacity, and a strong contract tracing program. The new
Mayor's Order also authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation
to evaluate opening outdoor facilities, including athletic fields and
dog parks, but not playgrounds, for allowable recreational
activity.
Face Coverings Now Required In More Settings: If You Can't
Social Distance, Wear A Mask! The Mayor’s Order also requires
the use of masks or face coverings for all individuals in the District
while engaging in business operations if others are present and
essential travel if social distancing isn't possible. As of Monday,
face coverings will be required on Metro, including in all stations,
trains, buses, and MetroAccess vehicles. Face coverings are not
required for children under nine years old (although parents are
strongly encouraged to have their children between two and nine years
old wear a mask), individuals experiencing homelessness, and
individuals who cannot wear a mask or face covering due to a medical
condition or disability. Some useful guidance from the CDC on how to
make and wear face coverings can be found here.
Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Release Delayed Until
Monday We had previously been expecting the release of the
Mayor's proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget earlier this week, but it has
been rescheduled for Monday. Hearings scheduled for this week have
been moved later in the month or to early June. Check here for more information about the upcoming
budget process and schedule. As I mentioned before, the economic
impact of COVID is severe and significant. Almost overnight, we’ve
seen huge drops in revenue to the city and huge increases in needed
expenditures. To put it simply, the state of our budget is nothing
like what it was just three months ago. This will be the most
difficult budget we’ve gone through in several years - with many areas
needing investment and support, and with fewer resources available to
meet them. To be sure, there will be difficult decisions and cuts to
be made. But I also don’t believe we should simply look to an
austerity-style budget to address the shortfall. In the coming weeks,
we’ll have to work together to meet this challenge, especially to
support those that are being hit so hard by the impacts of this
pandemic.
 Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety
Facebook Town Hall As we begin a difficult budget
season at the DC Council, I want to hear from you! As Chair of the
Council's Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I'm hosting a
virtual Committee Budget Town Hall on Thursday, May
21, to share details about the proposed budget for
agencies under the Committee's oversight, and to hear your priorities
and questions. (We've rescheduled our annual Ward 6 Budget Town Hall
for June 4 -- more details coming soon.) For a full list
of the Committee's agencies, click here.
And due to the changes in this year's budget process that mean we
can't gather in person, we're also expanding the many
ways you can provide public testimony on the budget. Send us a video!
Leave us a voicemail! Submit questions for our hearings! Find all the
details here: http://www.charlesallenward6.com/committee.
 Feeling Stressed, Anxious, And Need to
Talk? Talk with a clinician anytime in DC by calling
1-888-7WE-HELP (1-888-793-4397). It's hard right now. Even if you're
staying in and working, it's hard. If you've lost a loved one or a
friend or a job, it's hard. Talking it out helps. Here's information
on how you can reach someone. This is a free service, considered a
"warm line," meaning it's available just to help with stuff that might
not rise to the level of an emergency, but it's certainly bothering
you. It's okay to call and talk with someone who can offer a
sympathetic ear and sound advice.
 Ballots Are Being Mailed Out for June 2. Have
you Requested Yours? The District has a Presidential and
Local Primary Election coming up on June 2. We've dramatically shifted
how DC residents can still vote. Over 55,000 voters have already
requested their ballot by mail. Have you? You can request a mail-in
ballot and vote from your couch! There have been a few glitches that
the Board of Elections is working to fix, but I'll flag them here so
you know:
- Most people are not receiving an email confirmation after
requesting an absentee ballot. Your request has still been received. I
recommend taking a screenshot of the confirmation page that does pop
up after submitting your request.
- The Vote 4 DC App works much better on iPhones than Android
phones. Unfortunately, I don't think that's something that will be
fixed in time for this Primary Election.
- The Track My Ballot feature generally works, but it often takes a
week or longer before it is updated with new requests.
- The Board of Elections has repeatedly assured residents their
applications are being received.
- Did I mention that ballots are being mailed out? You could be
voting soon from your kitchen table!
- You must be a registered voter to receive a mail-in ballot. Here's
where you can register: https://www.vote4dc.com/ApplyInstructions/Register
- If you have an issue, there are a few ways to engage BOE. On
Twitter, tag @Vote4DC.
Over phone, you can call 202-741-5283. Over email, send a note to [email protected]. Of
course, let me and my team know if you're having issues.
Ward 6 Is Now at 56.4% Census Response: This is
good news! We're seeing more and more folks participate in the US
Census. Some of our biggest increases were in Southwest at Greenleaf
and The Wharf. But there's still work to be done -- our goal for this
week is 57% and the national rate is 58.6%. Next week, we need to see
higher participation rates from the Capital Riverfront/ Navy Yard
neighborhood, and Truxton Circle and the northeastern parts of
Shaw. Here's
how you can fill out the Census, which only takes about 10
minutes, from your home.
 COVID-19 Resources in Ward 6: My staff and
I are keeping a running list of resources available for Ward 6
residents on my website. That includes information on free daily meals
for students and senior residents, free groceries and diapers, how to
volunteer, how to get tested if you are symptomatic, and more. If
there's something you'd like to see added or corrected, reach out to
Laura Marks on my team ([email protected]): http://www.charlesallenward6.com/covid_19_info
Here's Who To Support Financially or By
Volunteering: I know many folks are looking for ways to be
helpful during these hard times. If you find yourself with a lot of
time and you are healthy and able to volunteer, these are groups that
can put you to work. I cannot emphasize enough, however, that if you
are not feeling well at all, please do not volunteer. And if you are
fortunate enough to be in a position to make donations, these are
organizations helping put food on the table and meet other needs for
your neighbors right here in Ward 6 and across the District:
-
Table
Church DC (via Ward 6 neighbors): Started by Ward 6
neighbor Allison McGill, this is a great effort pairing volunteers
with residents who need help with a range of needs, including just
someone to run to the store for them.
-
Ward
6 Mutual Aid Network: Started by Ward 6 neighbor Maurice
Cook and Serve Your City, this is a group collecting and
redistributing food and other essential items for neighbors.
-
World
Central Kitchen: Chef José Andres' nonprofit kitchen has
set up shop at Nationals Park and has been serving up hundreds of
meals to Ward 6 seniors. If you can chip in to keep their work going,
know it is helping your neighbors.
-
DC
Medical Reserve Corps: Organized by the DC Government,
here's a way to help out as our medical response scales up.
-
DC Public Schools: In need of volunteers
to help keep running their many meal sites for kids in DC during
school closures! Please fill out the linked survey.
-
Capital Area Food Bank: In
critical need of volunteers to help sort and pack food in their
warehouse and assist at their offsite food distributions
-
Food and Friends DC: In urgent
need of extra volunteers throughout the coming weeks. There are two
volunteer opportunities, food preparation and packaging and meal and
grocery delivery
-
Food Rescue US: Volunteers with
vehicles needed to pick up and deliver food from businesses to DC
residents in need
-
Grace’s Table: Looking for
volunteers to help feed the homeless each Saturday
-
Martha’s Table: Volunteers needed
to help prepare and bag food for their emergency food sites across the
city
-
We Are Family: Volunteer to
deliver groceries to seniors.
-
Food for All DC: Volunteer to drive
groceries to seniors, immunocompromised, and other DC neighbors who
are homebound. Volunteer here.
-
Aunt Bertha: Aunt Bertha’s network
connects people seeking help and verified social care providers that
serve them by zip code. Contact your local shelter to see what help
and/or items may be needed
Free diapers:
Free groceries for residents:
-
Ten DC School Sites Distributing Free Groceries Each Week:
I mentioned this above, but sharing here as well. Ten DCPS
meal locations are now distributing groceries as well as student
meals. Every Monday is Eastern High School's day to distribute in
Ward.
-
Martha's Table: Daily grocery distribution at 2nd and
H Street, from 5:15-5:45 pm. Donate here to support their work: https://marthastable.networkforgood.com/projects/95536-martha-s-table-martha-s-table-expanded-programs-covid-19
-
Capital Area Food Bank: Behind many good nonprofits
is the CAFB, supplying many groceries from bulk purchasing to food
pantries across the region. Help them today: https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/donate/
-
Father McKenna Center Grocery Pantry Now Open: One of
the programs partnering with the Capital Area Food Bank is the Father
McKenna Center at 900 North Capitol St., NW. Information
on how to support or receive groceries here.
-
H Street Food Drive for Ward 5-6 Neighbors:
Contactless food/groceries available for neighbors who need some extra
assistance. They also offer contactless food delivery for anyone in
the area that needs it, especially elderly, single parents, those with
special needs. Drop off or Send Non-Perishable Food Deliveries To: @maketto1351 |
Attention: H ST. NE FOOD DRIVE | 1351 H ST. NE, Washington, D.C.
20002. Send all monetary donations To: PayPal: PayPal.me/CHRiSCARDi
| Venmo: @ChrisCardi
-
Pick up at Maketto: 1351 H Street, NE
Monday – Saturday:
7:30am – 9:30pm
Sunday: 7:30am -5pm
- If in need of delivery assistance text 202-681-3532
Important Dates:
Charles Allen
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