DC Mayor's Office of Community Affairs

This weekend, MOCA Director Carey joined community members at St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Church to honor Fasika (Ethiopian Easter) — one of the most sacred and deeply spiritual celebrations in Ethiopian tradition.

Fasika follows a 55‑day vegan fast (Tsome Fasika) and culminates in powerful overnight vigils filled with prayer, reflection, and gratitude. On Easter morning, worshippers dressed in white gather as priests lead joyful chants accompanied by traditional drums, celebrating the Resurrection.

We’re grateful to the St. Mary’s community for welcoming us into this beautiful and meaningful tradition that continues to enrich the cultural fabric of our city.

Over the weekend, MOCA hosted a free tax filing event for income‑eligible residents. We connected more than 40 DC residents with qualified volunteers who assisted with filing or answered their tax questions.��Thank you to our partners the Nigerian Center and Community Tax Aid!

Lamont Carey is appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (MOCA)!

A native Washingtonian, Director Carey has worked for over two decades with legislators, non-profits, and philanthropists focused on policy, prevention, and reentry.

He joined the Bowser Administration in 2019 as Director of The Office on Returning Citizen Affairs - ORCA (DC Morca). Under his leadership, the team more than doubled in size and expanded services with 24 new programs supporting returning citizens through case management, entrepreneurship, homeownership, and civic engagement.

On behalf of Mayor Bowser, Executive Director Snider and MOCCA partnered with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to connect Caribbean Business owners like Jerk at Nite to the FY 25 Great Streets Grant! For more information about the grants visit: https://greatstreets.dc.gov/page/small-business-grants