Education United States Project #36696

Launch DC's First Youth Peer Support Center!

by Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso (FAN)

Project Report | Nov 27, 2024
FANtastic Fall Season

By Josephine Mazyck | Executive Director

Intro from Josephine Mazyck

Seasons greetings, FANmily!

As we step into November, a season of reflection and gratitude, I am reminded of the incredible power of community. In times of uncertainty and challenge, it is our togetherness—our collective strength—that sustains us. Now more than ever, being in community and showing up for one another is essential. It is in the bonds we build and the care we extend that we find the power to overcome and thrive.

At FAN-DC, this power of community is evident every day. Our youth inspire us with their resilience and courage, navigating life’s challenges with strength and hope. Our team and supporters are unwavering in their commitment to providing safe spaces where participants can HEAL from past wounds, LOVE deeply, and HOPE boldly for thriving futures. Together, we create a foundation of belonging, growth, and possibility.

To our community of supporters—you are the heart of this work. Your belief in our mission and your generosity have allowed us to foster a safe, nurturing, peer-operated center that changes lives. Thank you for standing with us, for showing up, and for reminding us all of the incredible things we can accomplish together.

In these unprecedented times, our hope remains steadfast because of you. Let us continue to come together, lifting one another up and proving that the strength of community can move mountains.

2024 Annual Report We’re excited to share that we’ve released our 2024 Annual Report! Check it out to learn more about what we’ve been up to over the past year.

Thank You to DC United - FANtastic Holiday Wish List

We want to give a special thanks to DC United for sponsoring our 2024 FANtastic holiday wish list. Their generosity will support gifts for 54 youth participants, siblings, and alumni this year! We’re forever grateful to have them be a part of our community and work with us in ways that are meaningful. Additionally, we will be able to rev up the technology in our space and our youth participants will get a gaming console! Thank you so much DC United for making our holiday this year extra special!

NEW Partnership Alert

We’re excited to announce that we’re partnering with the Capital Area Foodbank to bring Curbside Groceries to the neighborhood! Every Wednesday from 3:15-4:15 p.m., the mobile grocery store will be onsite providing fresh produce, meats, dairy, and other shelf-stable items for purchasing, providing more affordable food options for families. All forms of payment will be accepted, including cash, credit, debit and SNAP/EBT.

Never Stop Learning

FAN’s team is joining forces with the Wendt Center for grief & loss to improve the quality of our program implementation! Our team will undergo a series of trainings that will help us learn to facilitate family training that will explore grief in safe, supportive settings where all family members’ self-expression is heard, valued, validated, and honored.

FANmily Bonds/Connected Moments

“HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY, D!!” shouted the 4 boys as they stood on the doorstep of D’s front porch excited to sleepover and celebrate his birthday for the entire weekend! This was the group's first time getting together outside of FAN’s programming and we were ecstatic to hear that the birthday weekend surprise was an absolute blast. They went swimming, played video games, laser tagged, and more. They were also surprised to see Mr. Jibraun at the swimming club who was able to add an additional layer of love to the party celebrations. FAN is a place where true community is fostered, encouraged, and supported. We’re excited to be able to share more connected moments like this one with you all.

Holiday Party

Join us on December 14th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. as we celebrate the holidays with a fun filled pajama brunch! Come eat, drink, and be cheery & merry with us as we close out the year with love!

This year, FAN was honored to be selected to participate in the CreateAthon–it is our seventh year of hosting CreateAthon in the AIGA DC chapter. FAN was selected because of our steadfast dedication to empowering Washington DC's most vulnerable youth and teens, and our tireless efforts to provide essential programs and resources to children in foster care and those impacted by the child welfare system, fostering positive development and brighter futures.

A special thank you to the design team! Here are some words from the team lead, Yngrid, about her experience:

“CreateAthon was a positive, demanding, and ultimately rewarding experience. It pushed us as designers and strategists and redefined what we could create in such a short amount of time… It also felt very good to be designing for a cause we believe in and know that our work is having a positive impact in the lives of people.”

And Jamie said: "The CreateAthon was an unforgettable experience! Collaborating with my teammates, contributing to FAN-DC’s mission, and witnessing the incredible work produced by all the teams for local nonprofits was truly rewarding...It’s such a fulfilling and inspiring event, and I can’t wait to be a part of it again next year."

Below is a summary of this year’s activities and impact. If you or your organization would like to learn more about participating in the future, please email designforgood@dc.aiga.org.

Links:

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Jun 25, 2024
Safe Spaces, Safe Summers

By Josephine Mazyck | Executive Director

Dear FANmily,

Thank you for allowing me the space to be honest in my newsletter last month. I greatly appreciate everyone who reached out and participated in our mood board collection. If you didn’t get a chance to share but would like to, there’s still time to participate in the question “How can you support your friends in leadership?” Your continued support is a big part of what makes this organization work and I can’t say often enough how grateful I am for you!

There are so many important causes and celebrations to acknowledge this month. Just in case you didn’t realize, in June we celebrate or observe National Gun Violence Prevention Month, Juneteenth, Father’s Day, Pride Month, and Black Music Month. These are all important things to give some thought to–and here are some of my thoughts:

FAN’s programming serves as a preventative measure for gun violence, providing a safe nurturing space for our youth participants and FANmilies to escape and process their feelings around the subject matter. Later today, I’ll be speaking on an intergenerational Building Safe Communities panel hosted by Friends Place, where we will discuss community violence prevention and holistic, community-centered approaches to address urban community violence. Register here to listen virtually or in person!
Juneteenth commemorates the true emancipation of Black people in America, and we’re excited to participate in the many different celebrations around the city. While we celebrate, we must also continue to pursue joy and radical self-love as a movement that we carry with us daily to help navigate and fight against the systems that are still in place to keep us marginalized.
Additionally, I am a Black, queer woman, and music is an essential tool in my personal wellness toolkit. When I’m feeling somber, my go-to artist is Janelle Monae. When I need to focus, I’m throwing on a classical jam. Sundays are for cleaning and gospel, and I certainly don’t shy away from rock & roll, either–Tina Turner can really get a party going for me and supplies all my favorite karaoke tunes. I’ve won contests being Tina!

I’m excited to have gotten to spend time with our community celebrating Black Music Artists throughout the DMV. In the spirit of Juneteenth, here’s Black Alley’s version of Lift Every Voice & Sing that you didn’t know you needed.

What are some of the ways you find yourself connected to music? Any favorite artists?

Radical Wellness Fair Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated holistic wellness with us this year! I want to give a special thank you to our community partners: Congress Heights Arts & Culture Center, Martha’s Table, the Linner Foundation, Washington Wizards, MaxPaq, Prue Entertainment, and DJ B3azy.

We truly had such an amazing time. The day started with our mindful community mile walk, where we were able to point out things that we appreciate about our neighborhood and community, and then we came back jamming to the tunes of DJ B3azy, and we got our yogi on with India. This year, we added a decompression zone, which was a quiet space where people could take a break, sit and relax for a bit, and process their thoughts about their feelings of safety and wellness. We prompted the following questions: How do you contribute to the safety of your community? What one thing are you going to practice daily to make sure you're taking care of yourself holistically? I’d love to hear your answers! Please join the conversation. We really appreciate being in community with you all and can’t wait ‘til next year. Looking for a quick recap? Check it out on our IG page.

Deloitte Day of Impact

On June 7th, the Deloitte team (and Josephine’s parents) took over for the second year in a row to engage in Deloitte’s Day of Impact. For this year’s project, they painted the shelves they built last year, as well as our community pantries, and built us 15 garden beds that will be used to grow fresh veggies, fruits, and flowers. We get to create a community garden that will provide for all! It was an amazing day filled with joy, laughter, and the power of community. Thank you to Deloitte and your team for showing up and getting the work done! We appreciate your continued support and contributions to our safe, nurturing spaces.

We asked some of the FANmily what summer means to them–here’s what they said:

Charleigh (4) “Summer is great for the playground and the bouncy house. I look forward to having fun at the pool, playground, and bouncy house.”

John (10) “Summer means being able to go out with no coat and having fun. I look forward to going to the pool, cookouts, and riding my bike!”

Charnequa (33) “Summer means no school, relaxation, and fun in the sun. I mostly look forward to spending time with my children, and that includes the FANmily.”

Deshawn (12) “Summer is for fun!”

Delonte (11) “Summer is to be outside with friends and family.”

Brittany (35) “Summer is about being safe and going on vacations, BBQs, fireworks, pools, parks, and having fun.”

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Mar 1, 2024
Year in Review

By Josephine Mazyck | Executive Director

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