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By George Kevin Jordan, Special to the AFRO
Martha’s table will host their October Market from 4-6 p.m. today at at the Commons, in honor of the organizations new address and expanding commitment to D.C.
The event will include events for all ages including: no-cost pop-up market to shop for fresh fruits, veggies, and shelf stable pantry items; Workforce on Wheels, where the DC Department of Employment Services will be on-site to assist with job applications; Fruity Tales & Drumming Circle, an interactive experience for kids and caregivers alike; and family resources, provided by Community of Hope and Martha’s Table.
“Community Market, it used to be called Market Day,” said Tiffany Williams, Chief Program Officer at Martha’s Table. “We are bringing the event to our new headquarters.”
The new location 2375 Elvans Rd SE is part of an initiative to service D.C. residents who are most in need.
“For many years we were located in the northwest,” Williams said. “As the city has been prosperous, that same level of prosperity has not made its way east of the river. This disparity is deepening, affecting communities east of the river.”
“At Martha’s Table, we are committed to supporting strong children and strong communities,” Williams said. “For us, we do believe that every child should be able to reach their highest potential. For children to thrive, their family system has to be working.”
The new building is bolstering their efforts to service wards 7 and 8 with a new 42,000 square-foot facility and many new robust programs for family members in every age bracket.
One of the main tenets of the program is working with neighboring schools. They have enlarged their programs to over 50 schools east of the river, Williams told the AFRO. These programs can very but literacy is a mainstay and critical to the community, Williams said.
“We have an enrichment program that focuses on literacy,” Williams said. “We have found that third grade is a tipping point for children.”
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, 65% of U.S. 4th-graders read below grade level, according to their results on the 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress reading test.
Visit the website at http://marthastable.org/ for more details about the event and year round programming.
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