We are delighted to announce that Many Hands members have selected School Justice Project (SJP) to receive the 2026 $100,000 Impact Grant. AfriThrive, Community Lodgings, and DC Greens will receive Partner Grants of $73,000 each.
We are grateful to all the organizations that submitted applications this year and to all the members and friends whose gifts of time, talent, and treasure make our grantmaking possible. Together we make a difference!
Founded in 2013, School Justice Project (“SJP”) is a DC-based legal services and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that older, court-involved students with disabilities receive a quality education.
SJP improves access and outcomes for students at the “deep end” of the school-to-prison pipeline by using special education law to: 1) increase access to a quality education; 2) reduce incarceration through individualized, less-restrictive alternatives to pretrial detention and jail terms; 3) improve reentry services, policies, and procedures; and 4) empower students to successfully transition to post-secondary education and employment. One hundred percent of SJP’s clients are students of color with disabilities who qualify for free legal services.
SJP is also focused on systemic change on behalf of incarcerated students with special education needs. They launched the nation’s first special education attorney panel in adult criminal court and continue working on two class action lawsuits, both on behalf of DC’s incarcerated students with special education needs.
In 2024, SJP served nearly 450 young people and their families. SJP advocated for clients during 70 court hearings, mitigating outcomes in 87% of them. Ninety-four percent of SJP clients were enrolled in an education program. 100% of clients released from incarceration re-enrolled in school within 30 days of release. 88% of clients reported increased empowerment, and 95% demonstrated increased understanding of education rights. Additionally, SJP participated in 50 trainings, presentations, and community events, reaching over 1,300 participants.
The Many Hands Impact Grant will be transformative for School Justice Project. In addition to supporting their existing work, the Impact Grant will support the creation of a structured social work internship program in partnership with Howard University’s School of Social Work.
Founded in 2019, AfriThrive began distributing culturally familiar food to African immigrant families in Montgomery County, MD. Since 2020, AfriThrive has distributed more than 2.5 million pounds of food, helping stabilize household food access for families experiencing ongoing food insecurity, especially during periods marked by rising food costs, inflation, and economic instability.
Over the past two years, AfriThrive has expanded mobile food distributions and school-based food access through weekly food support. Families report improved access to fresh produce and culturally familiar foods, greater confidence preparing healthy meals aligned with their cultural traditions, and reduced stress related to food insecurity, particularly for households with children.
AfriThrive’s programs have also produced community-level benefits. Expanded school-based food access has supported students’ ability to focus and attend school consistently, while community agriculture programs have increased the availability of fresh, locally grown produce. Investments in cold-chain infrastructure have improved food safety, reduced spoilage, and increased the volume and variety of food distributed. These investments have enabled AfriThrive to serve more families more consistently while maintaining dignity and quality in service delivery.
AfriThrive’s top priorities for 2026 focus on sustaining and strengthening food access for women, children, and families while building the organizational resilience needed to meet growing demand amid continued economic uncertainty.
Community Lodgings‘ mission is to lift families in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community in the City of Alexandria from homelessness and instability to independence and self-sufficiency.
Their transitional housing program provides transitional housing to 8 homeless families as well as wrap-around and case management services to assist families in obtaining the necessary educational/vocational skills, income, and resources to achieve self-sufficiency within two years.
Their permanent housing program provides housing at below-market rents to 40 under-resourced families – families who earn 60% or less of the Alexandria median income for a family of four – as well as wrap-around services primarily focused on enhancing children’s academic achievement, including assistance on college admissions and financial aid, and helping adults on leadership skills.
Their youth education program provides year-round academic support to children in grades 1-12 living in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community, most of whom are first-generation American born students from immigrant families. Partnering with the Alexandria City Public Schools, Community Lodgings’ after-school activities correspond to what the children learn in school that day and further address their academic, social-emotional, and developmental needs.
In recognition of their work, in 2025 Community Lodgings received the “Governor of Virginia’s Housing Innovation Award” and was recognized by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce as the “2025 Best in Business Overall Business of the Year.”
DC Greens advances health equity by addressing persistent food access and nutrition challenges in Washington, DC, especially in Wards 7 and 8 where inequities in access to fresh, affordable food and limited grocery access have contributed to higher rates of food insecurity, diet-related illness, and limited opportunities for community leadership. DC Greens meets these challenges primarily through three programs: 1) an active community farm and wellness space that supports seasonal crop productions and distributes produce at no cost to the community while providing classes, events, and volunteer opportunities to DC residents; 2) Produce Rx, an award winning food-is-medicine program that provides preventive produce benefits to DC Medicaid patients with diet-related chronic conditions; and 3) creating paid roles for community members with lived experience to contribute meaningfully to program development, strategic planning, partnerships, and outreach. In 2025, DC Greens distributed over 7,000 pounds of produce at no cost to the community, engaged directly with nearly 4,000 individuals, and reached thousands more across the District through their programs and partnerships. Youth engagement is a significant part of programming; last year, 285 children and adolescents ages 5 to 17 participated in youth‑specific classes, field trips, and family‑centered activities. DC Greens uses more than 300 volunteers providing approximately 3,500 volunteer hours. Recognizing the importance of partnerships to DC Greens’ ability to meet community needs, DC Greens collaborates with community-based organizations, healthcare providers, managed care organizations, local businesses, farms, and public agencies.