September 2025 Roundup

In this monthly roundup, find:

• Volunteer opportunities

• Upcoming events

• Nonprofit shoutouts

• Job openings

Have thoughts, feedback, or something to share? Please email Amanda Liaw, Spur Local's Communications & Marketing Director, at aliaw@spurlocal.org!

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer with Langley Residential Support Services this weekend! They are partnering with HomeAid to renovate their Indigo Lane and Junior League homes. They need assistance packing and preparing their home for renovation. Sign up for shifts tomorrow, September 20, between 10am-3pm, and Sunday, September 21, between 1-4pm. This volunteer opportunity will be near George Mason University and may require heavy lifting. Staff will share the address to the volunteers signed up to assist. Sign up here!

Looking for other one-time or longer-term volunteering opportunities? Search local opportunities on Spur Local's website! If you have expertise in areas like marketing, legal, or finance, you can donate these skills, which are enormously helpful for small nonprofits. You can consider joining a nonprofit board or donate other talents to fundraise for a cause.

Upcoming Events

Join Spur Local

This year, Spur Local is once again a partner of the District Hunt, an annual city-wide treasure hunt around a social theme. On October 4-5, form a team, solve puzzles, and learn about the local community! The theme this year is "Burying the Lede." Every 25 years, symbolic objects are chosen to define the culture of Washington, DC. For generations, a trusted network has protected a rumored treasure tied to this tradition. But in 2025, something has changed. With misinformation on the rise, the protectors are wary of whom to trust and have called for help. Your team is invited to prove it’s worthy of preserving history. Learn more and sign up here!

By taking small steps together, we sustain communities for the long-term. Spur Local's nonprofit partners work in tandem to address today's challenges while building a stronger future for our region. And we each play a part. Community Changemakers is a place for you to meet your nonprofit neighbors! Throughout the evening, connect with 60+ local nonprofits about what they do, how you can get involved, and where we envision going together. Join us on Wednesday, November 5, at 6pm at Hook Hall for food, fun, drinks, and community.

Community Partner Events

September 24, 12-1:30pm, virtual (free): Register for Your Seat at the Table: Pathways to Board Service, an engaging conversation on how your passion and skills can shape the future of a cause you care about. Join the Business Women's Giving Circle's panel of seasoned board members, Jen Dalton, Cherlyln Harley LeBon, Katie Nelson, and Meera Pillai, as they share their personal journeys, practical tips, and ways to navigate a path to board service with the goal of making a lasting impact in your community. Register here.

Nonprofit Events

September 20, 12-3pm, in VA (free): Friends of Guest House warmly invites you to their annual 'Friends & Family Day' backyard barbecue. It will be a joy-filled afternoon filled with a delicious lunch provided by Mission BBQ, lawn games, a bake-off by their Board Members, a bouncy house, and more! Come together, celebrate the mission of Guest House, meet new neighbors, and strengthen ties. Their 30 residents will be in attendance, as well as their staff, volunteers, community partners, and neighbors. Learn more here.

September 25, 5-7pm, in VA (free): Join Britepaths for their Yappy Hour Fundraiser! This will be an evening of good company, food, and craft brews to raise funds for Britepaths' Food Security Program and celebrate the addition of dog and cat food to their pantry. SNAP benefits do not cover pet food, so your support fills this critical gap, helping families stay whole and keeping people and pets together. Learn more here.

September 28, 4-6pm, in DC ($50-$250): Join Anne's Place for Pages with a Purpose: A Book Talk and Signing. This will be an important and engaging conversation with Yoni Appelbaum, the author of Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. Appelbaum will offer a nuanced historical perspective on the zoning rules that have made new residential development in the United States so challenging and how they have driven the affordability crisis plaguing the nation's housing market. In the process, he will explore the links between restrictive zoning, declining economic and social mobility, and rising inequality, as well as ways to achieve a better balance between competing priorities. Learn more here.

October 7, 7-8:30pm, in DC (free): Free Minds is hosting an in-person Write Night on October 7th at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill! You're invited to connect with incarcerated poets through a mutual exchange of creativity, inspiration, and hope. At this special event, Free Minds members who are formerly incarcerated will join other Free Minds supporters and community members to share personal reflections before each participant reads and responds to poetry by our incarcerated writers. Responses will be collected and mailed to the poets following the event. RSVP here.

October 17, 6-9pm, in DC ($75): Join BEST Kids for Heart of the Matter, their annual fundraising gala—a powerful evening celebrating the people and partnerships shaping brighter, healthier futures for youth in foster care and at-risk youth across the DC area. ​Enjoy an inspiring night filled with purpose and connection, including: a silent and live auction, delicious dinner, signature cocktails, and uplifting entertainment. This year, your support helps fund their award-winning mentoring programs, including newly launched Youth Violence Prevention and Mental Health initiatives. RSVP here.

October 18, 6-9pm, in VA ($150): Join Langley Residential Support Services for their Fall Tastings & Auction Benefit - A Harvest of Hope as they create a resilient and joyful community where adults with developmental disabilities can thrive. It will be a wonderful time to gather in support of their mission with like-minded community members, Langley residents and program participants, families, and staff. Event highlights include a curated live and silent auction, catered hors d'oeuvres from St. Germain Catering, live music from classical guitarist Brian Slaymaker, an update from Langley staff, and more! RSVP here.

Nonprofit Shoutouts

Woodley House is featured as one of CNN’s 2025 “Champions for Change,” alongside seven other organizations from across the country doing trailblazing work! In their segment, CNN Anchor & Chief Political Correspondent (and former Woodley House board member) Dana Bash talks to our CEO & Executive Director Ann Chauvin about Woodley House’s history and Ann’s own journey. The video also highlights their resident Reginald, who will soon be transitioning from our Supported Independent Living program and moving into his own apartment. Learn more here.

Friends of Guest House was recently featured on the Get in the Herd podcast! Hear from Shauna Creek about how they transform women's lives with their re-entry program. Friends of Guest House helps women successfully reenter the community from incarceration. Since their founding in 1974, Guest House has helped more than 5,000 women break the vicious cycle of incarceration, reunite with their families, and reintegrate into their communities. Listen here.

Job Openings

Spur Local collates job openings from local nonprofits as a resource for our community, with the majority of these positions at nonprofit partners in the Spur Local network. For more information or to apply for the positions listed below, please reach out to the appropriate organization directly.

Full-Time Positions

Entry-Level | Development and Outreach VISTA Member | Aspire Afterschool Learning | Biweekly living allowance of $957.46, pre-tax, plus an additional $3,000 living stipend for expenses such as rent, utilities, etc. Contact Maggie McCoy at development@aspireafterschool.org.

Part-Time Positions

Entry-Level | Program Instructor | Reach, Incorporated | $18-25 per hour. Contact Amber Thomas at ambert@reachincorporated.org.

Missed last month's roundup? View more resources, ways to get involved, and opportunities from August 2025.