The Community

Across this country, major cities are filled with cultural and socioeconomic diversity. Washington D.C. is a great example of that diversity. Here in the nation’s capital you will find a rich blend of culture and tradition, evident in the hints of southern influence and the somewhat bustling pace that can at times compete with larger cities in the northeast. Native Washingtonians have seen their city demographically change as it has cycled through periods of prosperity, urban flight, waves of crime and the calm of a certain “blue-collar” steadiness.

Despite a more recent influx of young urban professionals looking to make their mark on history, a few things have remained: The overwhelming poverty that has riddled this city’s streets and has bound underserved communities is still hauntingly pervasive in the midst of pockets of revitalization. Schools across the city continue to fail in spite of highly qualified educators’ efforts and teacher accountability. Youth are in tremendous need of emotional and academic support. Families are in need of the resources and tools meant to equip stakeholders for life. Christ-Centered principles, grace, truth and love are needed for all.

The Potomac Gardens and Hopkins neighborhood is no exception. Erected between 1957 and 1968, generations have grown up in these two subsidized housing communities with residents cultivating community and raising their families in spite of the adversity that often debilitates these kinds of neighborhoods—the kind that are overlooked and underserved.

Through the years we’ve slowly built a special relationship with the people of the Hopkins and Potomac Gardens communities, and it’s only just begun. There are ministries and organizations, such as Little Lights Urban Ministries and Total Family Care who have served with and walked alongside these families for years. This neighborhood is filled with parents who deeply love their children and want what’s best for them. These are children who are alive, creative, curious and so full of potential. There are entrepreneurs, advocates, teachers, caregivers, and creatives living in and around this community and they are all working together to make it a better place. To be a part of this community is an honor, and we hope to share and serve in our own unique way, as we seek to build bridges within and out.

We will listen, and we will learn as we seek to see the collaborative efforts of empowered stakeholders transform this underserved neighborhood into a vibrant and self-sustaining community.

Consider joining us and using your gifts to serve this wonderful community in Southeast Washington, D.C. We are committed to walking alongside our brothers and sisters here as we build a school that serves as a living resource for the people of this neighborhood.