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Zachi Elias
Student Advisory Board Member

Starting at age 5, volunteering at a local shelter alongside his family helped Zachi build an awareness of social fairness. These early experiences, together with being born and raised in Washington DC, laid the foundation for his interest in housing equity, and afforded him the amazing opportunity to become the youngest and first high school student on birdSEED's Advisory Board.

His strong interest in history led him to study and create a blog on the underrecognized contributions and sacrifices of Black African soldiers in World War II, and he is developing a research paper intended for publication on this issue. Zachi launched a History Film Series in his school's History Club, to start conversations among his classmates about these and related historical topics. He also attended the summer program at the National History Academy and will attend The National Institute of American History and Democracy.

Volunteering hours with the American History Digital Transcription Project, Zachi transcribed historical documents, such as narratives from enslaved people and American soldiers. He has tutored affordable housing youth residents and serves as a student worker for a small anti-violence initiative for youth in affordable housing. Through a training program at a local social justice non-profit, he improved his photography skills to highlight social issues including housing, and he will expand on this as a recipient of his school's Visual Arts Fellowship.

Zachi appreciates the opportunity to play a part in birdSEED's efforts to address disparities in housing ownership.

About

Our housing justice program offers down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first time home buying residents in the DC and Philadelphia areas. Awards range from $5,000 to $15,000 and grants are made multiple times per year until funds are expended.

The application/review process is straight forward and uncomplicated.

Our Board of Advisors reviews applications, interviews finalists and identifies grantees. This is a partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation who supports the administrative complexity so we can very simply help people buy homes. *

Applicants must identify as one of the following: American Indian, Indigenous, Alaska Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, African American, Hispanic or Latinix birdSEED has made 29 provisional grants to date. The total grant pool available was $215,000. Additional funds have been raised from supportive community members who shared our vision of simple, no strings financial down payment grants that accelerate the home buying process. If you are positioned to give, please do. Needs are great, resources are limited and your help is essential.

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