Stories of Hope

“You have to leave!” Those words meant the end of “home” for Nikki. She and her two young children had been living at her mother’s home in Washington, DC until one day in early 2016. Nikki had just a week to figure out where she was going to live. Growing up, Nikki was in and out of shelters – all too familiar with the negative effects it could have on her children.

Not many people volunteer at their doctor’s offices, but Wallace Wilson makes it a point to. A professional barber and Ward 8 resident, Wallace came to Community of Hope on a friend’s recommendation. “He told me that I could get great care. That’s exactly what was missing from our neighborhood!”

“Mommy, my arm hurts.” Bianca Bynum was sleeping in bed at home one night in April when she heard two loud sounds followed by that cry. Her motherly instinct catapulted her out of bed to go check on her sons, eight-year-old Leonte and six-year-old Kamari. Not quite seeing them in the dark, Bianca heard her youngest son’s cry for help.

In two short weeks, COH mentee, JT, will embark on a new adventure: he’s starting college! A recent Anacostia High School graduate, JT has already thought about how he’s going to balance his coursework with his extracurricular activities at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC. He has to choose between basketball or soccer.

Do you hear the bell ringing? School is back in session for students in Washington, DC!

To get back in school mode, Community of Hope and the William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library hosted our 4th Annual Bellevue Back to School Bash, saluting the end of summer and getting kids ready for a great school year.

This week Community of Hope celebrates the life of one of our founding members, John K. Lunsford. John passed away on August 3, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. Our founder, Tom Nees, shared memories of John’s role in our early days.  Tom served as John’s pastor and their conversations often gravitated to how they and the church might respond to the needs in impoverished neighborhoods in the city.

D.C. native Terry Boone describes himself as a man of many hats – he’s a banquet cook, an ad-jingle-making musician, and a martial arts enthusiast. His passions have taken him all over the East Coast, meeting many people along the way. “But what people really remember me for is my smile,” he says. Who does he credit for his healthy and happy grin?

Meet Yvette Hicks “the Vegetable Queen” and one of Community of Hope’s first patients to take advantage of our new Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program. The program provides fresh produce to Community of Hope patients on the Care Team with chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

In 2012, life was going great for Jeffrey Stewart. He had recently gained sole custody of his two sons, Alonzo and Romeo, and the family lived comfortably in an apartment in the city. Jeffrey’s job as a night shift cook allowed him the flexibility to spend time with his sons during the day. But two years ago, “everything just started going downhill with no breaks.”

In early 2015, newlyweds Elisabeth and Brian had started new jobs and were living with her mother to save money. But three months later, her mother passed away after a long battle with cancer. Life as they knew it changed for the young couple, who had only been married for three years.