End Homelessness in DC - One Family at a Time

Graduation-Not The End, But The Beginning

In June our thoughts often turn to graduation celebrations-honoring the accomplishments of our family and friends. At Hope and a Home we also celebrate our graduates. When families leave our program and move into permanent housing we call them graduates. They have worked hard and made great strides in accomplishing the goals that they set for themselves.

 Here are some of the stories from our Hope and a Home Graduates.

 Lonnetta came to Hope and a Home from a shelter with her two children. She struggled to find her way. She worked in a variety of work settings and tried to find a path that would lead to  rewarding work but she was frustrated in her work life. All along the way, Lonetta expressed a deep, abiding love for dance. Hope and a Home helped her enroll in several dance classes. She interned with a dance company and taught several dance classes, but couldn’t make a living wage doing that for other studios and organizations. Her desire was to have her own dance studio. During her time in Hope and a Home she realized that to accomplish her goal she would need to learn money management and best business practices. Hope and a   Home requires a monthly budget and credit repair. She took this very seriously and through much hard work and planning was able to position herself to begin her own business. Her breakthrough came when she developed a business plan and with much vision and careful planning started her own business. Today, Lonetta is the owner of a very successful dance studio. This summer four of her students were selected to attend Debbie Allen’s prestigious dance camp in Los Angeles. She is living her dream.

 Kaya is a single mom who balances many things in her life. She was working in a low paying job in the medical field. She loved helping people and wanted to make nursing her career but was stuck in work that was not fulfilling. Through Hope and a Home’s goal setting program she began to formulate her plans for the future. She completed Licensed Practical Nursing classes. By the time that she graduated from Hope and a Home she was doing contract work with a local public school system. She proved herself on the job. They loved her work and hired her to work for them full time. She is now employed as a school nurse with full benefits. Her time in Hope and a Home was the catalyst for change. Her hard work and vision have paid off.

 Anna was a teen mom. She had little support from her nuclear family. When she came to Hope and a Home she was very young and needed direction. The Hope and a Home staff surrounded her with support and partnered with her to get her son placed in an excellent school. She loved working with children but didn’t see that she could make that a profession. We challenged her to follow this passion and encouraged her to get the education she needed to make this a reality. She gained confidence in herself and began to   focus her vocational plans. Our staff connected her to scholarships and programs that suited her situation and helped her to flourish.Today she is an educational tutor in a Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. She has recently completed her Associate Degree in Education and has her sights set on further education. She is proud of her accomplishments and we are proud of her too!

 We are very proud of our graduates. When they move from our program into permanent housing situations it may seem like it is the end of an era, but really it is only the beginning. The way that Hope and a Home challenges and encourages our participants helps them to learn and grow and prepare for a wonderful future. Congratulations to our Graduates!