April 19 – 23 Honor Crime Victims’ Rights Week



The District of Columbia
Honors 2010 Crime Victims’ Rights Week

The D.C. Office of Victim Services

is hosting a reception to launch the

Crime Victims’ Rights Exhibit

on Monday, April 19, 2010, 5:00pm to 6:00pm

at the John A. Wilson Building Atrium

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Meet policy makers, victim service professionals,

and members of the community.

Light Refreshments Served

Crime Victims’ Rights Week Exhibit 
on display April 19 – 23
Wilson Building Atrium | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

DASH will be a part of this display.

Come out and learn about programs and services for victims of crime in DC.



McFadden’s Happy Hour Benefit 4/28/10

DASH McFadden's Happy Hour Fundraiser April 28

To view and share the evite: click here!


Think of it as St. Patty’s Day
in April,
for a great cause!

Join us for a DASH Happy Hour Benefit
at McFadden’s Restaurant & Bar

2401 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC

Wednesday, April 28th
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Donation $10 at the door

Drink and Food Specials ~ Door Prize Drawings


DASH Empowerment Project Cited as Best Practice by National Alliance to End Homelessness

April 8, 2010

The National Alliance to End Homelessness recently published a Best Practices Case Study on the pilot phase of our innovative transitional housing program, the Empowerment Project.

Excerpt from the case study summary:

Between 2007 and 2008, DASH piloted the Empowerment Project, a transition-in-place program that provided families with time-limited rental assistance and case management to help them quickly transition to housing in the community.

The document includes the following information about the Empowerment Project:

  • Program History
  • Program Description, including Targeting/Eligibility, Funding, and Services
  • Outcomes
  • Lessons Learned

The 2007-2008 Empowerment Project pilot served six families, each of which was able to successfully retain its housing.

Home-visiting is seen as being critical to the success of the pilot program. Home visiting and building connections with community-based organizations prevented isolation for the families, an issue that had initially concerned providers. The home visits also allowed the Empowerment Advocate to continue to get to know the family and understand their needs on a deeper level as they transitioned into their new housing.

One of the biggest lessons to emerge from the Empowerment Project pilot is that families can transition more rapidly out of housing and into the community with housing search assistance, time-limited rental support, and supportive services.

>>  To read or download the entire case study, click here.

– END –



April Showers Bring May Housing!

March 28, 2010

April is the perfect time to host a housewarming “shower” party to benefit DASH! We’ll be opening our newly renovated building in May, with 47 apartments of safe housing for women and children made homeless by domestic violence.  To make every apartment a real home for our residents, we need your help!

What do we need? See our “Wish List” and our “Adopt-an-Apartment” flyer for ideas of what to collect for DASH residents. If you have questions, email donations@dashdc.wpengine.com or call Rena at 202-462-3274.

Checks and gift cards welcome and appreciated! Send them to:

District Alliance for Safe Housing
P.O. Box 73186
Washington, DC  20056

 – END –


DASH Featured on Comcast Local Edition

March 24, 2010

DASH’s Executive Director, Peg Hacskaylo, is featured on a segment of Comcast Local Edition that will air in March, April and late June.

Peg discusses DASH’s programs and services, as well as our DASH Safe Housing Fund, and our upcoming Allies in Change Awards Luncheon. Peg’s interview airs in rotation with other Local Edition segments on Headline News (Channel 35 in DC) at :24 and :54 past the hour, every hour.

We’ve also posted the entire 5 minute interview on our DASH YouTube page:
Click Here to See Peg on Comcast Local Edition

– END –


Domestic Violence Mural Will Raise Awareness and Share Hope

March 22, 2010

DASH is excited to partner with artist Joel Bergner to create a mural that honors survivors of domestic violence and tells their stories of victory over violence. Please support this creative and inspiring project! To learn more about the project and to get involved, click here.

Everyday in the District of Columbia, 76 calls are made to the police for help with domestic disputes and violence. The mural will raise awareness about domestic violence in our city, and spread a message of hope and healing. We need your support to make it happen!

The project will cost $25,000 to $40,000 to complete. (The more funds we raise, the bigger our mural can be!)  Click here to help to “kick start” the project by spreading the word, and becoming a donor for as little as $10–here you can watch the artist’s video presentation, see the special incentives for donors, and make a secure donation pledge.

How to Donate to the Mural Project: The artist set up a donation site at Kickstarter. Kickstarter is an online fundraising site for all things creative! It’s trustworthy, safe and powered by Amazon payment system. You can donate online with confidence. If you prefer to mail a donation, we gladly accept checks:

District Alliance for Safe Housing
ATTN:  DV Mural Project
P.O. Box 73186
Washington, DC  20056

About the Artist:  Joel Bergner is an accomplished mural artist. He has painted murals all around metro DC (and beyond–to see some of his amazing work, click here), including very popular murals in Columbia Heights and on U Street.

– END –


Junior League of Washington Members Donate to DASH

March 19, 2010

Members of the Junior League of Washington gathered recently at Proof DC for a “party with a purpose”and collected items for DASH safe housing programs.

League members brought more than 70 donated items to the happy hour–including shampoo, conditioner, soaps, shower/bath gel, shower liners and hooks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, and household cleaning products!

In addition to the items donated at the party, some League members also logged on to our website and made donations through our Amazon Wish List….so the gifts kept coming even after the party was over!

Thank you so very much to all of the Junior League of Washington members for their support.

– END –


Help a Family in Need in Haiti

February 2010 


Join us in giving a helping hand to a family in need in Haiti.

In the aftermath of the catastrophic January 12th earthquake in Haiti, we have all seen and heard the reports of thousands of lives lost and the heroic efforts of rescue teams and doctors who saved hundreds of lives. Now, we are witness to the courage of the Haitian people as they move forward to rebuild their country and piece together new lives out of the tragedy.

Though the images of suffering, need, bravery and hope come to us from 1,600 miles away, here at DASH, this tragedy touches us very close to home. A member of our staff is a native of Haiti. Many members of her immediate family were hard hit by the quake. Though most were fortunate to escape serious injury, their homes (and in some cases, their entire communities) were destroyed by the earthquake. Right now, the family members make home where they can, but with our support they can begin the arduous journey toward recovery.

Please join me and the entire DASH family in lending a helping hand to support our staff member’s family in Haiti. Your contribution goes directly to the family of our staff person, helping her mother, aunts, uncles and cousins, to secure supplies and begin rebuilding homes lost and lives interrupted by the tragic earthquake.

You can make your donation online using the DONATE button. Your payment will be processed by PayPal, a trusted online payment system that guarantees your privacy and the security of your personal information. Because this is not a DASH fundraising effort, I must ask that you do not send us a check by mail, as we are not able to process these donations in this way.

If you would like to send a gift by mail to help the family members in Haiti, DASH is able to accept MasterCard or VISA gift cards, or MoneyPak cards to help with the family’s recovery needs. Mail your donation of MasterCard gift cards, VISA gift cards or MoneyPak cards ONLY to:

Peg Hacskaylo
Executive Director
DASH
PO Box 73186
Washington, DC 20056

On behalf of our entire DASH family, I thank you so much for your help.

Best, 


Peg Hacskaylo

DASH Executive Director

– END –


2010 Allies in Change Awards

January 31, 2010

Change is Better Than Good. It’s Great.

Making changes to improve safe housing is a big part of what we do at DASH. 

We work to ensure safe housing that’s easier to access.  We develop safe housing models that adapt to the changing needs of residents.  We want safe housing to be more than a good place to call home during recovery from abuse.  We want it to be a great place for abuse survivors to start new lives free from violence.

Our vision is one that’s shared by many.  We are grateful for their support, and we are inspired by their passion and commitment.

In June, DASH will take a moment to celebrate some of the allies who make our work possible.  I hope you will join us in honoring their work to make safe housing great.

More details will follow in the weeks ahead, so be sure to stay tuned.

— Peg

– END –