Homelessness in the Washington, D.C., region has risen 2 percent and family homelessness has increased 9.5 percent since 2007, according to the Washington Area Council of Governments.* One local organization is working to reverse the trend and get homeless individuals and families back on their feet.

*Statistic from the Washington Area Council of Governments, January 2011.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 40 percent of annual landfill waste -- almost 136 million tons per year -- is building materials. The Recycled Building Network is working to change that statistic by using old material to build new homes.

Epilepsy Association of the Eastern Shore focuses on educating educators and other school officials on how to manage students' epilepsy.

CREATE provides art instruction for students aged 2 to 16, as well as art therapy for children and adults of all ages.

Mi Casa makes the dream of home ownership achievable for people of all means in the D.C. region.

The Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence provides everything from a roof over one's head to a shoulder to cry on for victims of domestic violence.

College Bound aims to show all students in D.C. that college is an option for them, and to help them make it there.

One group in Alexandria serves as a sort of staffing agency for other nonprofits, dealing in volunteers.

A group of breast cancer survivors aims to help those patients recently diagnosed cope with the disease.