故事
从种植樱桃树到推广金融教育, 澳博官方网站app is supporting growth and rebirth in one of 华盛顿DC's most neglected neighborhoods.
2022年6月29日
文/ Kim Justen
春天来了...在华盛顿特区，这意味着樱花盛开. 1912年东京都赠送的礼物, 日本, 3,200 trees surrounding DC's Tidal Basin have become a well-loved part of the city's culture. 今天, tourists from around the world throng to the city for the annual four-week National Cherry Blossom Festival.
The trees and their blossoms were always meant to bring people together, 但对于许多得不到充分服务的居民来说, enjoying the festival—or even visiting the blooms—was extremely difficult. 考虑到这一点, the staff at National Cherry Blossom Festival (NCBF) have worked for years to extend the festival across all of DC's eight wards to bring the blossoms to people throughout the city.
“It's very important to expose all the neighbors who maybe haven't come to the Tidal Basin to feel that beauty, especially since this community hasn't had as much attention and events as some of the others,戴安娜·梅休说, NCBF的总裁兼首席执行官.
This year—the first to have a full festival since the advent of COVID in 2020—the NCBF is striving to host events across the city, particularly in underserved neighborhoods where locals need them most.
这就是NCBF在8区奥克森跑步公园举办活动的原因. 位于城市的低收入区之一, the park is critical to the neighborhood; for many, 这是该地区唯一安全的地方, 这只是一片绿地. “在这个美丽的公园里，孩子们可以自由地放风筝, 更重要的是, 他们在这里很安全,布伦达·理查森说, 奥克森之友的领导者. “They don't have to worry about getting shot, or what the sirens might mean. 这里，它们在这个樱花泡泡里."
在8号病区植根
在21世纪初, 200 cherry trees were planted in Oxon Run Park; over the years, NCBF has worked with many sponsors to continue to plant cherry trees in the park. 今天, it is home to the largest grove of cherry trees in the city outside of the Tidal Basin.
当疫情迫使全国儿童基金会缩减现场活动时, 它把很多社区活动搬到了网上. 与美国女童子军合作, 它创建了一个虚拟学习项目——花朵孩子. Kids earn badges after completing five activities in five categories: arts & 工艺品、单词 & 数字，树的礼物，音乐 & 表演和运动 & 健身.
2021年10月, 表彰前30名获得徽章的孩子, 澳博官方网站app volunteers—in partnership with NCBF—planted 30 cherry trees in Oxon Run Park.
“我们很高兴能与大通银行合作植树, which is a great way to ensure that the reach of the region's official celebration of spring will continue to extend beyond the Tidal Basin for many years to come,梅休说
建立和扩展伙伴关系
This year, NCBF expanded its offerings in Ward 8—and across the city. 首先, 在国家广场上举行了风筝节, 以及全市12个社区公园, 马里兰州和弗吉尼亚州，包括奥克森公园.
The kite flying competition and demonstrations on the National Mall were sponsored by 澳博官方网站app. 在所有的花筝会现场, the bank provided kids with free kite building kits; the sites provided areas for kids to decorate, 制作风筝，然后放风筝作为节日的一部分.
NCBF和澳博官方网站app也主办了Petapalooza, 为期一天的艺术活动, 现场音乐和活动, 包括沿着阿纳科斯蒂亚河的艺术步道, 它通过直流, 紧挨着8号病房. The free event was the culmination of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and wrapped up with fireworks over the river.
2022 also marks the third year 澳博官方网站app has been a sponsor of the festival. 2019年，它赞助了游行. In 2021—in addition to planting trees in Oxon Run park—it sponsored one of 23 blossom statues throughout DC.
"We were lucky because we both had interests in serving Wards 7 and 8,梅休说. "That's why 澳博官方网站app came on board stronger than ever this year."
看Oxon Run Bloom
将NCBF扩展到8号病房很重要, but so is helping the residents of that area create a better life for themselves. 大流行之前, DC's racial wealth gap was eight times higher than the national average – black households had 81 times less wealth than white ones. 自COVID爆发以来，这一差距变得更大了. 为了缩小它，居民需要通往繁荣的道路.
In January 2022 the bank announced a $20 million commitment in philanthropic capital and flexible low-cost loans to Wards 7 and 8. “我们在8号病房住了三年,埃里克·德鲁克说, 澳博官方网站app华盛顿银行市场总监, D.C. “We realize it's very important to be present and be part of the underserved communities. There's a need for financial health and education, and we can provide that."
澳博官方网站app now offers financial education events both within the branch and at external locations throughout the neighborhood. 通过学习和理解预算, 信贷与储蓄, people in Ward 8 can make more educated decisions about their finances and begin down a path of becoming more financially sound.
“如果我们想要扩大和支持这个地区, it's both a moral and a business imperative for us to invest in the communities that have long been disconnected from opportunity,Dekonti Mends-Cole说, 中大西洋全球慈善事业副总裁, 澳博官方网站app. “We recognize our relationships with the community and our clients extends beyond the branch doors."
By investing in Ward 8—both with community events and with long-term economic development—澳博官方网站app is working to support a rebirth of a community, one that promises to last long after this year's cherry blossoms have faded and blown away.
