Donor Engagement Coordinator: Friends of Anacostia Park (Stewards VISTA)

Do you strive to see social change? Are you passionate about outdoor space and want to see everyone be able to enjoy it? Friends of Anacostia Park is currently seeking 2 individuals to make this happen! Anacostia has endured decades of poorly planned infrastructural investment and adverse city planning decisions—from the establishment of racially segregated recreation areas, the creation of a sewage infrastructure that polluted the River or the interstate construction that cut off nearby neighborhoods from the Park—and the demographics of Wards 7 & 8 reflect those decades of disinvestment. We are looking for individuals to help us make connections with donors and the community to increase engagement, increase events, and increase accessibility to our park.

Anacostia has endured decades of poorly planned infrastructural investment and adverse city planning decisions—from the establishment of racially segregated recreation areas, the creation of a sewage infrastructure that polluted the River or the interstate construction that cut off nearby neighborhoods from the Park—and the demographics of Wards 7 & 8 reflect those decades of disinvestment. Nearly 92% of residents east of the Anacostia River are Black, with an average household income that is less than half the City’s average. Nearly 1 out of 5 Anacostians are unemployed, whereas only 1 out of 25 Washingtonians are jobless. Only 25% of Ward 8 residents own their homes, so the specter of green gentrification hangs over all talk of “revitalization.” Ward 7 and 8 residents live in food swamps and physical activity deserts–with poor access to affordable produce and few places to recreate safely outdoors. Disinvestment in Anacostia has led to the pollution of the Anacostia River and the deterioration of Anacostia Park’s natural and built environment–depriving nearby residents of a crucial physical, mental and social health asset. Past remediation efforts have cut BIPOC residents out of the planning process, leading to the outsourcing of green jobs and the inequitable development of surrounding areas. We work to undo this legacy of institutional neglect through community engagement that leverages the expertise and passion of local residents, ensuring that the restoration of the Park is rooted in the needs of the community. All friends groups are tasked with protecting the environment, but not all friends groups serve under-resourced national parks in communities suffering from decades of economic atrophy.

Technology, Ex-Offender Reentry, Homelessness, Neighborhood Revitalization, Environment, Public Safety, Children/Youth, Elder Care, Community and Economic Development, Education, Health, Community Outreach

High School Diploma/GED