Stories of Hope

Moving from place to place may be easy for some, but leaving the place you know as home in hopes of better isn’t easy. Cameroon native, Toyi Chana lived in his country for over 27 years. "Life in the U.S. is a much better life than in Cameroon,” he explains. “I can live freely, move freely. No one is pushing me [around] and I’m not afraid of being arrested at any time.” After hearing about Community of Hope from Catholic Charities, Mr. Chana called us. When asked about what Community of Hope means to him, he stated “I have a life now.”

Woinshet left her home in Ethiopia and came to the United States to live and work; but limited access to healthcare and resources would prevent her from achieving the freedom she was in search of. “I became sick and was looking for free or affordable healthcare,” she said. “I suffered from pain in my legs from varicose veins, pain in my abdomen, and problems with my vision. It was hard for me and I didn’t know what to do until I found [Community of] Hope.” After visiting a clinic in the Brookland neighborhood, Woinshet was referred to Community of Hope, which suddenly made her hopeful for the future.

“I learned that I really didn’t need many friends around, especially the bad influences. I’m in the house more often now, and I distance myself from those that aren’t good for me. “My kids loved Hope, though. They would participate in everything.” Ms. Hazelwood’s 3 children—ages 10, 8, and 5—enjoyed Play Night and the programs offered by Project Create the most. She still takes them back to Hope Apartments to visit staff. “My kids are very understanding. They don’t ask for too much. It’s why I try to do as much as possible for them.”

“It’s still surreal. I didn’t think this would happen,” Ms. Jones said of her new home. “After everything I been through, Community of Hope helped me a lot.” Now, securely in her new home—thanks to a rapid rehousing program—Ms. Jones feels a bit relieved. She continues her job search daily, and still makes time to bond with Alaysia, who has built a great social life at school. “Alaysia is much more outgoing and confident than I am. I want her to be proud of who she is and know that she can be anything she wants to be.”

Pizza, drinks, and great conversation.

Community of Hope volunteers and Staff spent their Wednesday night at the Board Room in Dupont Circle. Our staff congratulated volunteers on their significant contributions to families and patients in need.

Stephanie Marrone leads our Play Night at Hope.  As a committed volunteer, she organizes creative crafts and hands-on projects for the children at Hope Apartments to explore each Tuesday night in the playroom. Stephanie gets an “energy boost” by playing with the children at Hope. She and the other Play Night volunteers have become a family and look forward to spending quality time together each week.

Charla Everhart Lum, Vice President of Talent Management, recently stepped back from her position after ten years at Community of Hope.  Charla provided leadership in all aspects of staff development as we grew from a staff of about 40 people at two locations in 2006, to about 200 people at seven locations in 2017. We are so grateful to Charla for her vision and leadership, and for ensuring a smooth transition by developing an internal leader to fill her position.  We are pleased to share these reflections from Charla about her journey at Community of Hope:

From the challenges of domestic violence and single parenting, Sherrelle is rising. Surrounded by her new-found 'sisters' from her CenteringPregnancy® group and with her Healthy Start team, she is discovered she and her baby are not alone.

After years of struggling to gain control of her diabetes, Vanessa Finch is now using our partnership with Capital Bikeshare to stay active! By gaining support from Community of Hope’s Diabetes Care Team, Vanessa feels empowered to make healthier choices and maintain a more active lifestyle.

After years of struggling with stable housing, Tamika Garris has returned to DC General Family Shelter as an employee! She is back to spread the hope she received at Community of Hope and to set an example of overcoming homelessness to other families at the shelter.