Stories of Hope
Here at Community of Hope we are truly a community. Through the dedication, commitment and compassion of our volunteers, donors and staff, we are able to give our clients and patients a sense of well-being that comes from being connected to people who care.
Bridging Gaps for DC’s Neediest Families
An Innovative Approach to Healthcare for the Chronically Homeless
Have you ever been so sick you couldn’t face getting out of bed much less going to work? Imagine what it must be like for individuals facing chronic health conditions that are constantly sick. Now, imagine what it would be like to be always sick without even a home to call your own.
There Are A Lot More “Me’s” Out There
“If someone is really determined to make a change, Community of Hope is the place for them!”
– Belle M., Hope Apartments Resident
A Safe Haven for Mothers and Families
Meriel, a Community of Hope volunteer who is dedicated to making birth more comfortable for pregnant women, says, “Learning about birth was empowering to me. Most women don’t go into birth with that feeling. We start off with the idea that birth is scary, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Danielle and Tasean, Mentor and Mentee
Here's a great testimonial from one of our current mentors and their mentee about their experiences at Community of Hope's mentor program:
A Home for the Holidays
The holidays are a time for family get-togethers and joyful traditions. They are a time of food, presents, and fun. They can also be a time of stress especially for those families without a place to live. Homeless families have no place to put up decorations and often little to no money to buy presents for their children.
Empowering Women Through Birth
by Kenya Crawford, Family Health and Birth Center Patient and Community of Hope Board Member
Community of Hope is proud to announce that the Family Health and Birth Center (FHBC) joined the COH family earlier this year. Through this partnership, COH is able to offer primary care services in Ward 5 as well as gynecological care and comprehensive maternity care to families throughout DC.
Ruth McGee, Girard Street Apartments
In September 2011 Ruth McGee, Girard Street Apartments resident, bravely shared her story in front of four Cabinet secretaries and DC Mayor Vincent Gray. Here's her story in her own words:
Community Gardens Blooming Across the City
by Ellie Matthews, Community of Hope Volunteer
“Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow.” I wish I knew who to attribute that quote to, because it’s one of my favorites. And it is so fitting for the abundance of gardening programs we’ve seen popping up at Community of Hope (COH) sites lately. Community gardens are in full bloom at Girard Street Apartments, Hope Apartments, and Marie Reed Elementary School!
Celebrating Achievements: Breaking Down Barriers
by Whitney Hicks, Communications & Events Manager
Homeless students face barriers to education that students with a stable place to live, sleep, and play often do not. Getting to class, sleeping throughout the night without interruptions, doing homework – all of these things become very difficult when families do not have a place to live. So, it’s particularly significant when, despite these barriers, students who experience homelessness excel in school and graduate.
Ms. C, Girard Street and HPRP Programs
Ms. C’s journey into homelessness started like so many others. However, the teamwork and cooperation between her and her Community of Hope case managers have put her on a path of hope. The Virginia Williams Resource Center in northeast DC is the central intake center for homeless families needing emergency shelter. The most vulnerable families are assigned to DC General during hypothermia season from November 1 – March 31.
Cornelius Steele, Board Member and Health Services Patient
by Canute Knott-Malcolm, Grant Writer
Cornelius Steele became a member of Community of Hope’s Board of Directors in June, 2010. However, his relationship with COH started 30 years earlier at our health center.
Helping Families Achieve Stability: The First Step
by Whitney Hicks, Development and Communications Associate
While some individuals and families experience homelessness time after time, the recent economic downturn has exacerbated the number of families who experience homelessness because of a loss of wages or a temporary disability. For these families, short term assistance can help steer them back into independence.
A Little Help Goes A Long Way
by Whitney Hicks, Development and Communications Associate
The Asfaw family* was terminated from their Medicaid health insurance in 2008 because Mr. and Mrs. Asfaw made just over the maximum required income level to qualify. When their ten year old son, Marcus, fell during a soccer game and hurt his leg, the family didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t afford to pay for a doctor out of pocket, and they didn’t have health insurance. Luckily, they found out about Community of Hope’s health clinic.
Take A Virtual Journey Through Our Girard Street Apartments
Ever wondered what a homeless shelter looks like? Community of Hope's transitional shelters look just like other apartment buildings in DC with kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Join us on a virtual tour of Community of Hope client Renee Johnson's unit.
Welcome to Girard Street Apartments! We are located in Columbia Heights and can house up to 20 families at a time. My Name is Mr. Fairley, and I am the Resident Monitor. Please sign in so that we can keep track of who visits the building.
The Roscoe Family, HPRP Program
We recently talked with Ebony Roscoe on her job almost a year after she and her family were featured in a news story on DC’s Fox 5 TV channel. Ms. Roscoe moved into her own home through Community of Hope’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) in July 2010 after living for almost a year at Community of Hope’s Hope Apartments. She is employed by a private mental health services contractor as a Community Transition Agent and administrative assistant.
Dawn Wilson, Home Now Program
My name is Dawn Wilson. I am a former resident of Community of Hope’s Girard Street shelter. Since May of last year, my kids and I have been in our own place as part of Community of Hope’s Home Now program.
I first came to Girard Street May 1st, 2008 with 3 of my children. The house I was living in was sold, and I was told by the new owner I had to find somewhere else to live. My kids’ father tried to help but at that time he wasn’t working.
Not a Matter of Choice, Being Homeless
This letter was written by an 11-year-old whose family is in our Home Now Permanent Supportive Housing Program. Home Now families receive housing support and case management services to help them maintain permanent, stable housing while they address other life concerns.
Monica L. Harris, Former Hope Apartments Resident and Active HART member
My story begins with me being a cocaine addicted mother with three children. I was addicted from 2005 until my clean date of April 23, 2007, when my new life began. I was homeless, living from one house to another with whoever would allow me and my children to stay for a few days.
Chris Kerns, Donor
Chris Kerns has lived in Washington, DC for over 40 years. He has a wonderful wife, Carole, and three grown sons. He is a respected in-house attorney for Fort Myer Construction, a large paving and construction company in the District. Even with all these accomplishments, Chris’s volunteer work with Community of Hope “is the most important work I do everyday.”
The Adams Family, Home Now Program
By: Whitney Hicks, Development and Communications Associate
In February 2008, The Washington Post ran an article featuring two Community of Hope residents, twins Marcus and Marquise Adams. A year and a half later, we caught up with the twins and their family in their new home in Southeast DC.
Donna Matthews, Home Now Program
TESTIMONY OF DONNA MATTHEWS TO THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES FOR AN OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
February 19, 2009