For more than 20 years Foundry’s ID Ministry has worked with vulnerable neighbors to acquire vital documents critical for housing, jobs, schooling, and assistance services. We seek to honor the image of God in every ministry guest knowing that societal systems frequently diminish it. And we strive to conduct our work in the most effective way possible, so that our guests have the best chance of success.

In discussions with community partners and Foundry’s amazing ID Ministry volunteers, we have learned it will be more beneficial to guests and their case workers if Foundry switches to offering ID Ministry on Wednesday mornings instead of Friday mornings. Many agencies do their intake early in the week which we hope will help guests get to their ID appointments more consistently. Getting help earlier in the week also gives clients more time to get to Vital Records, the DMV, and other agencies before offices close on the weekend. We will continue our Saturday ID session on the first and third Saturdays of the month for those that cannot come during the week. We believe that this change in the schedule will help more guests get the documents they need more easily.

If you’ve ever wondered what volunteering with the ID Ministry would be like but the Friday schedule did not work for you, we are always looking for more volunteers! It is truly a life-changing ministry. Please email idministry@foundryumc.org for more information.

Foundry’s Sacred Resistance team has begun monthly planning meetings, the next one taking place on Tuesday, 14th at 7pm at Foundry and online. The Sacred Resistance team educates, organizes, and empowers the Foundry community for advocacy and public witness addressing various social justice issues we are facing at both the local and national levels. If you would like to join this team, email sacredresistance@foundryumc.org.

Upcoming dates to engage-

March 19 - WIN public safety teach-in

March 20- Congregation Action Network DC Cluster Meeting

March 29- National Advocacy Day

More details below under “Community Events”

Foundry’s amazing ESL team has begun a new session of classes. Student can join at any time during the session. For more information email esl@foundryumc.org.

Please join fellow Foundry members the first Saturday of every month at Christ House. Located at 1717 Columbia Road NW in Adam’s Morgan, Christ House is a 24-hour residential medical facility for un-housed men and women. Patients are admitted to Christ House from area hospitals, shelters, and clinics. Foundry cooks lunch at Christ House each first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to Noon. If you are interested, contact christhouse@foundryumc.org.

At 1:15 p.m. on March 19, a special session about the 2023 Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) Strategy will be held in our sanctuary. Given our Church is within the Ward of the Chairwoman of the Judiciary & Public Safety Committee (Councilmember Pinto, Ward 2), we want to prioritize WIN's public safety goal of reducing violence by: increasing the number of "violence interrupters" & social workers/school counselors, investing in evidence-based, culturally competent behavioral health & wellness services, and more. We will have two fabulous guest speakers, Rev. Delonte Gholston and Ryane Nickens, both of whom do groundbreaking work with public safety and gun violence in the District. We will also be supporting WIN's other initiatives, including homelessness/affordable housing & climate justice. Come learn more about this coalition of people across race, class, religion, and neighborhood, and how we build power for social justice. There are also Ward specific actions planned for Ward 2, 3, 6 and 7. If you live in those Wards, we’d love to hear from you!

For questions, email sacredresistance@foundryumc.org.

Foundry members were represented at a press conference and visit with DC Councilmembers by the Congregation Action Network (CAN) on February 22, 2023. CAN and DC asylum seekers bused from other areas of the US called on legislators to make immigration policies more inclusive and to improve conditions at their temporary dwellings. Stories were shared, some harrowing, about the journey to DC and the challenges in arriving and seeking a dream of opportunity. Foundry supports organizations such as CAN (a diverse faith organization focused on immigrants) to bring our faith to life and to place our energy and advocacy on building Jesus’ new social order based on love, grace, justice, inclusion, mercy, and egalitarianism.

CAN is seeking greater membership participation in advocacy around immigration issues. Their mission and staff skills are currently more tailored to on-the-ground migrant support and they could benefit from fresh ideas and strategies around advocacy. Foundry members don’t need to be immigration experts to participate with CAN. We’ve learned on the Sacred Resistance team that openness to learn any aspect of the immigration landscape and to share your experiences with adaptation to roadblocks, with positive messaging, with overcoming bureaucratic hierarchies, and with networking amongst organizations and policymakers, will be beneficial to this organization. Please reach out at sacredresistance@foundryumc.org to join this Foundry social justice effort.

The next CAN DC Cluster Meeting is in person Monday, March 20, 2023, at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir NW. All Foundry members are welcome to attend.

Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Time: All Day Event (Specific times will be announced as soon as possible)
Location: United Methodist Building | 100 Maryland Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
Attendance Limit: Due to COVID-19 regulations, this event will be capped at 40 registrants. We apologize for the inconvenience
 

On March 29, UM clergy and laity will meet with our representatives to advocate for public policies that are consistent with United Methodist values and Social Principles. We have an opportunity for our voices to be considered when our representatives make important decisions at the state and national levels that impact the lives of our congregations and communities. Please register here and join other United Methodists clergy and laity from across the

Baltimore-Washington Conference in our 2023 Legislative Advocacy Days in Annapolis, MD on Thursday, March 16 and Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 29.