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Snowed-in seniors need you: DC Mayor’s Office launches call for ‘Snow Team Heroes’

Want to help a snowed-in D.C. resident this winter? You can sign up to be a “Snow Team Hero” to shovel snow from walkways and driveways after a storm for neighbors who can’t.

The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships, or ServeDC, is inviting residents to be a part of the “Snow Team Heroes” program — a citywide volunteer program that pairs neighbors to help clear away snow.

“Winter weather can be challenging for anyone, and especially for our neighbors who are not able to clear their walkways or driveways,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a news release Wednesday. “Snow Team Heroes embodies the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors — checking in, clearing walkways, and making sure everyone can get around safely throughout the winter season.”

The program is geared to help seniors and community members with disabilities who may not be able to safely navigate getting in and out of their homes when there’s snow on the ground.

Volunteers receive support and training, as well as equipment, such as shovels and salt, if they need them.

“Every winter, we see the tremendous impact that simple acts of service can have,” ServeDC Chief Service Officer and Director Dominique A. Scott said in a news release. “Last year, the Volunteer Snow Program served 591 seniors across eight wards, with over 200 individuals answering the call to be Snow Team Heroes. This very program makes this impact possible at scale, and we are grateful for every Washingtonian who volunteers their time.”

You can register and learn more about the program by going to the Snow Team’s website.

ServeDC will host two virtual information sessions to help prepare volunteers on Thursday and on Jan. 7.

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National Museum of the American Latino to be housed in historic Smithsonian building

The Smithsonian Institution has decided to put the National Museum of the American Latino into an existing, historic building, rather than constructing a new one. The Smithsonian Board of Regents on Monday designated the Arts and Industries Building, a 145-year-old redbrick Victorian structure located between the Smithsonian Castle and the Hirshhorn Museum, as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino, which Congress authorized in 2020. In 2022, the Smithsonian narrowed its survey for permanent locations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum to four locations near the National Mall on land owned by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building, located at 900 Jefferson St. SW, was one of the four sites. New construction on National Park Service land would require congressional approval. However, since the Smithsonian already owns the Arts and Industries Building, the institution can place the National Museum of the American Latino in the existing building without additional legislation.
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