Tzedek DC

Logo for the Social Security Administration. Text reading: "If you receive a suspicious call: Hang up. Don't believe them. Don't trust your caller ID. Don't give them money. Don't give them personal information. Report the scam at oig.ssa.gov. ssa.gov/scam."

It’s National Consumer Protection Week! Help us #SlamTheScam—don’t let government imposters fool you. Spot scams, know the red flags, and report suspicious activity at ssa.gov/scam. #NCPW2026

Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants YouTube video by Councilmember Brooke Pinto

Yesterday, Tzedek DC testified to @cmbrookepinto.bsky.social about the Access to Justice Initiative and @DCATJComm. Through this, we help clients recover lost funds, protect and improve their credit, restore their information after identity theft, and manage debts. www.youtube.com/live/zdba1cw...

A group of 16 individuals of ages, genders, and race smiling while standing in front of a sign that reads "Industrial Bank"

Thank you Industrial Bank for leading wonderful workshops last week for our Financial Empowerment Program! We appreciate your ongoing partnership and support.

Eight Weeks. 100 points. A Whole New Financial Future. - Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Tzedek DC’s Financial Empowerment Program, supported by Federation, helped participants improve financial behaviors, boost credit scores, and build long-term stability and confidence.

#ICYMI—last week on Tzedek DC's ninth anniversary, the Jewish Federation of GW featured the impact of our #FinancialEmpowerment Program, including an in-depth interview with Program Coordinator and former @avodah.bsky.social Fellow Sophie Adler. Check it out here: www.shalomdc.org/eight-weeks-...

DC Courts create new pathway for people without lawyers to get legal help - WTOP News Nonlawyers who receive training will now be able to help with civil matters in D.C., as part of a new order issued by D.C. Courts.

Director Ariel Levinson-Waldman spoke with WTOP about the DC Courts' new Community Justice Worker program that can "bring more people into opportunities for access to justice, to bring more resources to the problem.” wtop.com/dc/2026/02/d...

Professionally dressed individuals engage in conversation in a spacious, well-lit conference room with modern lighting and wooden tables.

Man in a blue jacket speaking at a wooden podium with a microphone in a conference room setting.

Tzedek DC was honored to attend an event organized by The George Washington University Law School, where our Director spoke with the Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) and discussed public interest law with Matt Nosanchuk, who leads GW Law's Public Interest and Public Service Law Center.

Today, we testified to CM Brianne K Nadeau about due process concerns for sidewalk vendors proposed by 2 DC Council bills. Vendors need to be heard before DC seizes any property for failure to show ID and other proposals. https://www.tzedekdc.org/s/FINAL-Tzedek-DC-testimony-B26-332-370-22426.pdf

Financial Empowerment Program — Tzedek DC

Thank you to ANC 4B for the invitation to join Monday's meeting to talk about our work and our Financial Empowerment Program! Learn more about the awesome work here: www.tzedekdc.org/empowerment

We endorsed U.S. Senator Jack Reed's Act to create a permanent consumer credit cap of 36% APR. The bill would extend protections to cover every American from high-interest loans. https://www.responsiblelending.org/media/crl-endorses-new-senate-bill-cap-interest-rates-loans-nationwide

Get Your Refund: Claim the DC Homeowner and Renter Property Tax Credit (HRPTC) (Schedule H) Today! — Tzedek DC Start the New Year with Extra Cash and Smart Financial Moves   Did you know that if you rented or owned a DC home that you lived in during all of 2025, you may qualify for DC’s Schedule H Tax Cr...

Did you know that if you rented or owned a DC home that you lived in during all of 2025, you may qualify for DC’s Schedule H Tax Credit? Start the new year with extra cash and smart financial moves! Learn more: www.tzedekdc.org/news-1/2025/...

Today is Tzedek DC's 9th anniversary! In this special issue of our #TzedekationDigest, check out some highlights of our systemic efforts over the past year, as well as a moving letter from our Director, Ariel Levinson-Waldman. https://mailchi.mp/tzedekdc/tzedekation-digest-18164700

We submitted testimony to DHCF urging restoration of DC Healthcare Alliance funding. With 90,000+ residents w/ medical debt & 13,000 in collections, DC can't afford changes that push even more into financial distress. https://www.tzedekdc.org/s/FINAL-Tzedek-DC-DCHF-FY25-26-Performance-12726.pdf

Black History Month Leaders Spotlight: Stephen Jefferson Happy Black History Month Centennial! Open Horizon honors the rich history of Black Americans and ongoing contributions. We elevate our leaders who are actively creating Black history everyday.

Community Outreach Coordinator Stephen Jefferson's efforts to ensure he is "listening to what people need with an open heart, an attentive ear and, if needed, an instructive tongue" are reflected in the positivity he spreads. Go Stephen! #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM2026 www.linkedin.com/pulse/black-...

Tzedek DC is thrilled to announce the selection and hiring of third-year UDC Law student Rockaya Ndoye as part of the launch of our brand-new Open Horizon Fellowship program. Rockaya will begin her Fellowship in the Fall of 2026. www.tzedekdc.org/news-1/2026/...

We wish everybody a prosperous and healthy Year of the Horse today! 🐎🧧 May the coming year bring joy and success to you and your loved ones. #LunarNewYear #YearOfTheHorse

Broad Coalition Supports New Senate Bill to Cap Interest Rates for Loans WASHINGTON – As the prospect of an interest rate cap has moved to the forefront of national public policy discussions, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) joined over 170 civil rights, consumer, a...

Tzedek DC joined @nclc4consumers.bsky.social to urge DISB to enforce DC's interest cap rate at 24% for earned wage access apps. These apps are new forms of payday loans that would trap DC residents with low incomes in cycles of debt with interest rates as high as 300%. www.nclc.org/broad-coalit...

DC Courts To Tag In Non-Attys To Help Civil Litigants - Law360 The District of Columbia Courts is the latest court system in the U.S. to allow non-attorneys to help guide civil litigants who face matters without an attorney, creating a program that expands who ca...

The community justice worker model can offer a pathway to increasing capacity to serve more residents at risk of legal problems and promoting economic and financial empowerment for low-income DC residents, said Director Ariel Levinson-Waldman in @law360.bsky.social. www.law360.com/access-to-ju...

Tzedek DC & allies filed a brief urging the Court to prevent further dismantlement of the CFPB. The brief shows how the federal government unlawfully orchestrated a plan in 2025 “to shut the agency down entirely & to do it fast.” @borrowerjustice.bsky.social consumerlaw.berkeley.edu/sites/defaul...

On Monday, the @auwcl.bsky.social Disability Law Society and Labor and Employment Law Society had Disabilities Community Project lead Marissa Ditkowsky talk to students about navigating the legal profession with a disability. Read more about Marissa’s work here: www.tzedekdc.org/marissa-ditk...

Blue graphic displaying the world wide web globe with a shield over it with a WiFi icon. Text is displayed to the right reading "Safer Internet Day."

Today is #SaferInternetDay, which aims to not only create a safer internet but also a better internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. #SaferInternetDay2026 #SID2026 @connectsafely.bsky.social

YouTube video by Forbes Breaking News Jamie Raskin Slams GOP Bill To Block Byrne JAG Grants To Cashless Bail Jurisdictions

As @raskin.house.gov says, it should be up to local communities and judges to make bail systems that say, "if someone does not pose a risk, they should not lose their liberty because of their poverty." youtu.be/UYh7ZplTnjE?...

A new bill in Congress seeks to strip $1.5M in grants away from DC's public safety programs because DC's bail system looks to safety rather than ability to pay—trying to coerce DC into reimposing cash bail, which does not make us safer and can have lifelong harms for those who can't afford to pay.

Colorful graphic in red, yellow, and green reading "Celebrating Black History Month. Feb 1 - Mar 1. Black history yesterday, today, tomorrow." The graphic also displays the Tzedek DC logo and a fist raised in power.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of commemorating #BlackHistory and the 50th anniversary of #BlackHistoryMonth's formal recognition. Black history is American history—yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We honor the trailblazers, innovators, and leaders who shape our community and country. #BHM2026

Disabled airline consumers face persistent discrimination and damage to durable medical equipment. Today, we filed comments with @us-dot.bsky.social urging them to continue complaint investigation and enforcement, not merely encourage voluntary compliance. www.regulations.gov/comment/DOT-...

50+ organizations sign letter opposing Congressional interference in DC’s budget — Free DC “This resolution would destabilize DC’s finances and impoverish DC’s children.”

These investments are expected to reach 78,000 children and reduce child poverty in DC by 20 percent. We joined Free DC and others to urge Congress to vote no on HR 142 and SR 102 and keep investments in DC’s children. freedcproject.org/news/50-orga...

50+ organizations sign letter opposing Congressional interference in DC’s budget — Free DC “This resolution would destabilize DC’s finances and impoverish DC’s children.”

Congress is threatening to disapprove local DC tax code changes. Last year, @councilofdc.bsky.social chose to not to match DC taxes to federal changes giving tax breaks to millionaires to keep funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit and the DC Child Tax Credit.

Financial stress may be as bad for the heart as traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease | CNN A new study raises questions about how financial stress fits into cardiovascular health. Dr. Leana Wen explains what people can do to protect their hearts.

A new study shows how financial stress, including from #MedicalDebt and food insecurity, can cause the same heart problems as high blood pressure & more. This highlights the need for services like ours to help DC residents stay financially and physically healthy. @cnn.com www.cnn.com/2026/01/16/h...

A study in @jamanetworkopen.com reveals a staggering link between #MedicalDebt and subsequent #HousingInstability in the following year. That's why we're supporting @cmchenderson.bsky.social's medical debt reform bill in the DC Council. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Contains logo for the Federal Trade Commission and text that reads: "Identity theft can happen to anyone. If it happens to you, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. #IDTheftWeek January 26-30, 2026. ftc.gov/IDTheftWeek"

It's #IDTheftWeek, and we at Tzedek DC remind folks that #IdentityTheft can happen to anyone. Find out what to do if your identity is stolen and get other resources by visiting ftc.gov/IDTheftWeek. #IDTheft

Catch our latest #Tzedekation Digest! This month, we featured our incredible Policy Associate Sam Pannell, thanked our #MLKDay Volunteers, and celebrated some recent wins. mailchi.mp/tzedekdc/tze...