organizations and individuals for
ment Peterson says BIG is proud to be lected a sizeable monetary donation to
their dedication to enhancing our
aligned with. present as a special surprise gift to the
community.
“The project has encouraged several D.C. Central Kitchen.”
BIG members to come out and help… In the past, BIG has sponsored a
Big Service: Blacks in Besides hands-on help, we’ve col- Christmas gift drive for boarder babies
Government
What started as a small gather-
ing of African-American cowork-
ers at the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare’s Parklawn
building in Rockville, Md., in 1976
has grown into a nationally-recog-
nized nonprofit organization steeped
in community service and advocacy.
Comprised of employees from the
federal, state, county and munici-
pal sectors, BIG provides public
service initiatives focusing on the
African-American community while
also addressing workplace equality.
Michele Peterson, president of the
BIG Region XI, which is comprised
of 54 Maryland, D.C. and Virginia
chapters, says working with the
nonprofit has been a highlight of her
government career.
“The most rewarding aspect of
working with BIG is the continu-
ous opportunities it provides for me
to develop personally and profes-
sionally wherein I get the chance
to resolve workplace problems for
the African-American public ser-
vant and to promote activities and
programs to help in my community,”
says Peterson.
In observance of Thanksgiving
and the start of the holiday sea-
son, the Community Service and
Outreach Committee of BIG Region
XI hosted a “Give Back Evening” at
the D.C. Central Kitchen. Members
teamed with the men and women of
the Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training
Program to provide meals for the
homeless. Nearly 25 volunteers
turned out to participate in the event
along with several local college
students. Central Kitchen provides
4,000 meals each day for underfed
District residents, an accomplish-
A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers Trends 9
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