District of Columbia
Meet the job training groups fighting for better economic mobility in D.C.
Government and non-profit resources abound
Employment is getting harder to come by in D.C.
In fact, as of August, D.C.’s unemployment rate is at 6.0% –– the highest in the country. Its unemployment rate increased by 0.7% from August 2024.
About 17% of D.C. residents lived in poverty in 2024, and marginalized communities were hit the hardest. Last year, 30.5% of Black residents and 11.9% of Latino residents lived in poverty, while poverty rates for non-Hispanic white residents sat at 4.6%.
With little room for economic mobility in D.C., multiple organizations and non-profits are fighting to change those statistics.
From on-the-job training to employment counseling, here’s a look into some local and governmental groups working to serve D.C.’s unemployed population.
LGBTQ-focused programs
Cesar Toledo, executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, knows the struggles of escaping poverty firsthand.
As a first-generation Latino raised in an immigrant household, Toledo said he was able to escape the poverty cycle through educational opportunities.
“Serving as an executive director for the foundation and supporting the most vulnerable members of our community…really gives me a front line perspective to the work that needs to be done to ensure that not only can our youth survive, but they can thrive independently, live on their own and being able to afford their own apartment,” Toledo said.
The Wanda Alston Foundation provides a variety of services to open new pathways toward economic mobility, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth in D.C., free counseling and accessible employment opportunities. The foundation also offers educational support to their housed youth so they can continue to work toward securing an education.
The organization recently launched an initiative called “Slay & Sauté,” giving those it supports an opportunity to learn cooking skills that eventually open the door to a culinary career.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-465-8794contactus@wandaalstonfoundati
Project LEAP is a program sponsored by Damien Ministries that supports job seekers in the D.C. area who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary.
You can request to be paired with a one-on-one job coach, where you’ll receive pre-employment training and the tools necessary to overcome economic barriers.
Project LEAP has two other programs dedicated to jobseekers. One, called Project LEAP We Thrive, is a support group for men of color to discuss the employment challenges they face. The other, called Project LEAP Job Start, is for early-career job seekers to receive mentorship on entering the workforce and ensuring their resumes and interview skills are up to par.
The project also offers a “Style Closet,” where job seekers can receive a clothing consultation to ensure they are stylistically prepared for an interview.
Email: [email protected]
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center Job Club
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center hosts weekly job club meetings to help those entering the workforce or struggling to find employment.
The group’s goal is to “improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely ‘applicants’ toward being ‘candidates,’” its website reads.
Meetings are held on Zoom every Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
Government resources
The Department of Employment Services (DOES) offers on-the-job training opportunities for job seekers looking for a way to get experience while staying employed.
Pay rates range from $14-23.95 per hour depending on the job, and employees must work a minimum of 32 hours per week.
The types of jobs employees might work include administration, property management, merchandising, health care, law enforcement, hospitality and transportation services.
Email: [email protected]
DOES Occupational Skills Training
If you’re looking for more guidance, an employment specialist can steer you in the right direction by helping you secure the training and certifications required by local employers. Your training will focus on high-demand industries, such as construction, health care, information technology and retail.
Email: [email protected]
For other services and resources, such as a look into D.C. worker rights and federal employee frequently asked questions, click here.
D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility
Programs under the Sustainable Energy Utility provide you an opportunity to obtain the skills you need to land environmentally friendly jobs.
These programs match residents with paid, five-month opportunities to observe and learn about different necessary skills for green jobs. They’re open to anyone, no matter if you’re new to the workforce, in between jobs or simply looking for new employment opportunities.
Potential jobs to learn about include electrical engineering, solar technician, building maintenance, HVAC helper and mechanical engineering.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-479-2222
The Office of Human Rights provides resources for employers to understand how to combat hiring bias and for employees to understand their rights, including:
Hired and Transgender –– For employers to understand how to recognize and combat hiring bias for transgender applicants.
Valuing Transgender Applicants –– For employers to receive guidance on how to best support transgender applicants and employees beyond legal obligations.
LGBTQIA+ Resource Portal –– For LGBTQIA+ employees or residents to better understand their workforce and legal rights.
Non-governmental Job Training Opportunities
The SOME Center for Employment Training (CET) is a post-secondary vocational school.
You’ll have access to free job training in the health care and building trades industries, and receive advice on the skills needed to land the right job. From resume help to writing the perfect cover letter, you’ll be equipped with both hands-on experience and the professional skills necessary to gain employment.
No high school GED is required, and the CET program is open to applicants with criminal histories.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-797-8806
By mail: 71 O St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001
Academy of Hope offers career training programs in a variety of fields.
Health care programs include medical billing and coding, nurse aide and phlebotomy technician training.
For business, you can receive training in project management, and for information technology, you can enter programs that could get you jobs in tech support, IT operations and other similar fields.
These programs only run from February to June. Classes offered involved hands-on work led by industry professionals, with the intention of landing students entry-level certifications to stay competitive for high-demand jobs post-graduation.
Contact page: Click here
Catholic Charities provides courses that equip residents with the resources they need on their career paths.
Courses include job skills for bank sales representatives, construction jobs using sustainable solutions and professional counseling.
Catholic Charities also offers English as a second language courses and personalized career assistance for adults with developmental disabilities.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-772-4300
University of the District of Columbia (UDC)
You don’t have to be a college student to take advantage of UDC’s Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning courses.
Learn the skills necessary to land jobs related to early childhood education, construction and property management, health care, hospitality and tourism, information technology and lifelong learning.
Courses are free, but a few may require minimal out-of-pocket expenses.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-274-5000
With UPO, you can receive certifications in child development, culinary arts, plumbing, professional building maintenance, information technology and more.
To begin the pre-enrollment process, you must be at least 18, have a high school degree or GED and be drug free.
Contact form: Click here
District of Columbia
Whitman-Walker Health to present ‘Pro Bono Excellence’ award to law firm
Health center set to celebrate 40th anniversary of legal services program
Whitman-Walker Health, the D.C.-based community healthcare center that specializes in HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ-related health services, announced it will present its annual Dale Edwin Sanders Award for Pro Bono Excellence to the international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte at a May 6 ceremony.
“This year’s award is especially significant as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of Whitman-Walker Health’s Legal Services Program, marking it as the nation’s longest running medical-legal partnership,” a statement released by Whitman-Walker says.
“As a national leader in public health, Whitman-Walker celebrates our partnership with McDermott to strengthen the health center and to enable Whitman-Walker to reach more medical and legal clients,” the statement adds.
“McDermott’s firm-wide commitment to Whitman-Walker’s medical-legal partnership demonstrates a shared vision to serve those most in need,” Amy Nelson, Whitman-Walker’s director of Legal Services, says in the statement. “Our work protects individuals and families who face discrimination and hostility as they navigate increasingly complex administrative systems,” Nelson said.
“Pro bono legal services – like that of McDermott Will & Schulte – find solutions for people who have no place else to turn in the face of financial and health threats,” she added.
“Our partnership with Whitman-Walker Health is a treasured commitment to serving our neighbors and communities,” Steven Schnelle, one of the law firm’s partners said in the statement. “We are deeply moved by Whitman-Walker’s unwavering dedication to inclusion, respect, and equitable access to health care and social services,” he said.
The statement notes that the award for Pro Bono Excellence honors the legacy of the late gay attorney Dale Edwin Sanders. It says Sanders’s pro bono legal work for Whitman-Walker clients “shaped HIV/AIDS law for more than four decades by securing key victories on behalf of individuals whose employment and patient rights were violated.”
It says the Whitman-Walker Legal Services program began during the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s at a time when people with AIDS faced widespread discrimination and often needed legal assistance. According to the statement, the program evolved over the years and expanded to advocate for transgender people and immigrants.
District of Columbia
Celebrations of life planned for Sean Bartel
Two memorial events scheduled in D.C.
Two celebrations of life are planned for Sean Christopher Bartel, 48, who was found deceased on a hiking trail in Argentina on or around March 15. Bartel began his career as a television news reporter and news anchor at stations in Louisville, Ky., and Evansville, Ind., before serving as Senior Video Producer for the D.C.-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union from 2013 to 2024.
A memorial gathering is planned for Friday, April 10, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the IBEW International Office (900 7th St., N.W.), according to a statement by the DC Gay Flag Football League, where Bartel was a longtime member. A celebration of life is planned that same evening, 6-8 p.m. at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.).
District of Columbia
D.C. Council member honored by LGBTQ homeless youth group
Doni Crawford receives inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award
About 100 people turned out Tuesday evening, April 7, for a presentation by D.C.’s Wanda Alston Foundation of its inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award to D.C. Council member Doni Crawford (I-At-Large) for her support for the foundation’s mission to support homeless LGBTQ youth.
Among those who attended the event was Japer Bowles, director of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, who delivered an official proclamation issued by Bowser declaring April 7, 2026 “A Day of Remembrance for Wanda Alston.”
Alston, a beloved women’s and LGBTQ rights activist, served as the city’s first director of the then newly created Office of LGBTQ Affairs under then-Mayor Anthony Williams from 2004 until her death by murder on March 16, 2005.
To the shock and dismay of fellow LGBTQ rights advocates, police and court records reported Alston, 45, was stabbed to death inside her Northeast D.C. house by a man high on crack cocaine who lived nearby and who stole her credit cards and car. The perpetrator, William Martin Parrott, 38, was arrested by D.C. police the next day and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced in July 2005 to 24 years in prison.
Crawford was among those attending the award event who reflected on Alston’s legacy and outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ and feminist causes.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this inaugural award,” Crawford told the Washington Blade at the conclusion of the event. “I think the world of Wanda Alston. She has set such a great foundation for me and other Council members to build on,” she said.
“Her focus on inclusivity and intersectionality is really important as we approach this work,” Crawford added. “And it’s going to guide my work at the Council every day.”
Crawford was appointed to the D.C. Council in January of this year to replace then Council member Kenyan McDuffie (I-At-Large), who resigned to run for D.C. mayor as a Democrat. She is being challenged by four other independent candidates in a June 16 special election for the Council seat.
Under the city’s Home Rule Charter written and approved by Congress, the seat is one of two D.C. Council at-large seats that cannot be held by a “majority party” candidate, meaning a Democrat.
A statement released by the Alston Foundation last month announcing Crawford’s selection for the Wanda Alston Legacy Award praised Crawford’s record of support for its work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.
“From behind the scenes to now serving as an At-Large Council member, she has fought fearlessly for affordable housing, LGBTQ+ funding priorities, and racial justice,” the statement says. “Council member Crawford’s leadership reflects the same courage and conviction that defined Wanda’s legacy.”
Organizers of the event noted that it was held on what would have been Wanda Alston’s 67th birthday.
“Today’s legacy reception was a smashing success,” said Cesar Toledo, the Alston Foundation’s executive director. “Not only did we come together to celebrate Wanda Alston on her birthday, but we also were able to raise over $10,000 for our homeless LGBTQ youth here in D.C.,” Toledo told the Blade.
“In addition to that, we celebrated and we acknowledged a rising star in our community,” he said. “And that is At-Large Council member Doni Crawford, who we named the inaugural Wanda Alston Legacy Award recipient.”
At the request of D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) the Council voted unanimously on Jan. 20, 2026, to appoint Crawford to the Council seat being vacated by McDuffie.
Council records show she joined McDuffie’s Council staff in 2022 as a policy adviser and later became his legislative director before McDuffie appointed her as staff director for the Council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development for which McDuffie served as chair.
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