Venable Foundation Awards Impact Grants of $480,000 to 12 Organizations Focused on Combatting Homelessness

Venable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of law firm Venable LLP, is pleased to announce that it has awarded impact grants, above and beyond contributions, totaling $480,000 and benefiting 12 organizations in the firm’s respective communities including Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

This year’s impact funding will benefit organizations that focus on providing housing and enhanced services to individuals experiencing homelessness. As noted below, the grant recipients include: Miriam’s Kitchen and Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless in Washington, DC; The Baltimore Station and Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore; Urban Pathways and Brooklyn Community Housing and Services in New York; Weingart Center Association and LavaMaeX in Los Angeles; Operation Dignity and St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco in San Francisco; as well as Night Ministry and Sarah’s Circle, the Foundation’s two most recent grantees located in Chicago.

“Shelters across the U.S. are reporting a surge in homelessness across our major cities, and inflation is compounding the problem for many Americans. These impact grants provide an opportunity for the Venable Foundation to invest in organizations intent on helping people who are struggling with homelessness. Particularly as we enter the colder weather months, we are pleased to award funding that will provide care for children, veterans, and families without homes,” said Lindsay B. Meyer, president of the Venable Foundation.

Robert L. Waldman, vice president of the Venable Foundation, added, “The Foundation is working to provide assistance to organizations in six major cities to assist with a variety of services from general shelter operations to mental healthcare services, as follows:”

  • Miriam’s Kitchen collaborates across sectors to help end chronic (long-term) and veteran homelessness in DC. Funding will be used for general operations to ensure that homeless individuals are housed and in receipt of a variety of services.
  • Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless provides low-barrier legal services and advocates for justice for people who struggle with homelessness and poverty in DC. Funding will help with the Legal Assistance Project.
  • The Baltimore Station is an innovative therapeutic residential and outpatient treatment program supporting veterans who are overcoming obstacles to re-gain self-sufficiency. Funding will expand mental healthcare for homeless veterans.
  • Health Care for the Homeless works to prevent and end homelessness for vulnerable individuals and families by providing quality, integrated healthcare and promoting access to affordable housing and sustainable incomes through direct service, advocacy, and community engagement. Funding will help to continue providing comprehensive care for children and families without homes.
  • Urban Pathways ensures that at-risk and homeless New Yorkers have the housing, services, and support they need to be self-sufficient. Funding support will help to hire a nurse practitioner to provide outreach services in the Port Authority area.
  • Brooklyn Community Housing and Services is committed to ending homelessness in Brooklyn. They provide safe and clean supportive housing each year for more than 1,000 formerly homeless and at-risk women, children, and men and help them learn how to live productively and independently. Funding will be used for the Brooklyn Housing Assistance Center, which aims to be a homeless prevention service to assist families on the brink of homelessness.
  • Weingart Center Association empowers and transforms lives by delivering innovative solutions to break the cycle of homelessness. Funding will be used for the expansion of mental health and recovery services for homeless individuals on Skid Row.
  • LavaMaeX is on a mission to change the way the world sees and serves people experiencing homelessness. Funding will be used for general operations to support mobile shower and dignity programs held at partner sites in the city.
  • Operation Dignity serves homeless and at-risk veterans, their families, and the communities they live in. They meet immediate and long-term needs by providing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing; comprehensive outreach and support services; and a strong peer community, inclusive of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Funding will be used for general operations to assist with supportive services for staff and clients, work with homeless veterans, and provide community cabins and supportive housing.
  • St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco offers hope and service on a direct person-to-person basis, working to break the cycles of homelessness and domestic violence. Funding will be used for general operations for their congregate shelter and assistance to local homeless individuals.
  • Night Ministry provides human connection, housing support, and healthcare to those who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. The organization compassionately accepts each individual as they are and works alongside them to advocate for their immediate physical, emotional, and social needs while affirming our shared humanity. Funding will support the street outreach teams and the mobile health outreach bus for medical services.
  • Sarah’s Circle provides a full continuum of services for women, including housing, life necessities, and supportive services, to help them permanently end their homelessness. Funding will be used for the interim housing program for homeless women.

The Venable Foundation was established in 1983 to support a wide variety of charitable, civic, and cultural endeavors, and serve public interest law needs in our communities. In just the past 12 years, the Venable Foundation has granted more than $32 million to worthy organizations that provide critical support to those in need. Grantees provide a variety of programs for the community, including out-of-school time activities, arts education, academic enrichment, homeless services, transitional and supportive housing, access to food, LGBTQ+ services, college access, workforce development, environmental preservation, health-based initiatives, legal services, immigration support, and a variety of other issues affecting low-income individuals and domestic violence survivors. In 2021 alone, the Foundation awarded more than $3.6 million in grants to 346 nonprofit organizations. The Foundation is proudly funded by the partners of Venable LLP.

Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, including in California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the United States and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit https://www.venable.com/.