We have lived in this lovely, friendly neighborhood of Takoma Park, just north of Sligo Creek, for 16 years. We are proud that many of our neighbors are former Peace Corps volunteers, who went on to jobs with USAID, VOA, or related NGO’s that took them overseas, to exotic, though sometimes difficult places - Honduras, Ghana, Mexico, Kenya, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and others. They speak multiple languages and are intimately familiar with an array of cultures and economies. All of these neighbors are suddenly unemployed, with no severance or safety net. Many have college age children and mortgages. Just on our block, there are three families we know in which BOTH parents lost their jobs, each family with two teenage children. Another couple are Haitian citizens, who cannot return to their country, but have nowhere else to go. One family across the creek had one partner with German citizenship, and so are emigrating to Germany with two teenage children.

This is serious, even tragic. We were somewhat in denial at first, like something will have to work out, but nothing has. I asked one neighbor what they will do, and they just don’t know. Maybe move in with a sister. Another thought maybe they can get certified to teach public school (after years of high level specialized employment in the government). It is like the great Depression here.

And it is not just USAID families. A tenured scientist at NIH who lives just down the street quit her job, because the NIH environment has become unbearable.

Our neighborhood has always been friendly, and is showing solidarity and support. We do not want to lose our friends and neighbors! It is good that people are talking with each other and aware of the challenges of the times. People walking their dogs stop to chat and share their lives. We find that the house concert/potlucks serve as a gathering place, giving meaning to the “right of assembly”. In person contact is vital right now, and we are all aware of that.