Stories of Hope
Marcellus Jones had two special reasons to celebrate his birthday this year– first, life and, second, a new apartment. It is a home he can finally call his own. His family and friends gathered for his 49th birthday and enjoyed a night full of dancing and eating.
Deep, intentional breathing. Guided stretches. Centered thoughts. Pregnant mommas at every stage of pregnancy enjoyed a prenatal yoga class hosted at Community of Hope’s Family Health and Birth Center by our partners from the Developing Families Center (DFC).
Teresa Smith, a DC resident, cried with gratitude as she shared the painful journey she endured before having her own apartment. “The moment I found out I was getting an apartment; I knew the test was over. Nobody could take my joy.”
January is National Mentoring Month and we want to congratulate Mentor Kristal Lightning! We are thrilled to share that not only is Kristal Community of Hope's 2018 Mentor of the Year but she was also chosen as one of the three United Way of the National Capital Area and Deloitte's Mentoring Matters Coalition Mentors of the Year! She was chosen out of a pool of over 25 organizations who host mentoring programs throughout the DC-metro area.
“When others don’t advocate for you, you advocate for yourself.”
That is the motivation for client Jennifer McLaughlin. Jennifer, 41, originally grew up in Baltimore city and shares that she never had an example of what stable housing looked like because her parents became homeless when she was just three years old, forcing the family to put her in the foster care system. After being in the system for a couple of years she was then reconnected with her family again. Unfortunately, their time together was short-lived, and Jennifer moved out when she was just 15 years old.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and statistics show that about 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In D.C., breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer, with Ward 8 having the highest incidence. Regrettably, for longtime S.E. community member and mom, Donita Caldwell, these statistics weren’t just numbers; they were real people with real connections to her life.
Deidra Eskew, DC native and mom of two, knew when she came to Community of Hope that she had to change. She had never known her father and, as a result, went through much of her childhood and into adulthood feeling alone. She had harbored resentment towards her mother – due to her father’s absence and then was burdened with guilt and sadness when her mom passed away.
Tameika Price, a DC resident and Community of Hope patient found her voice this month as she shared about her pregnancy journey. She provided a testimonial video at the Mayor’s Maternal and Infant Health Summit.
This month, we hosted our 6th Annual Bellevue Back to School Bash in partnership with MPD's Beat the Street and the William O Lockridge/Bellevue Library. With the help of sponsors, partners, and volunteers, we were able to give 1,232 backpacks filled with school supplies to K-12 students in the Ward 7 and Ward 8 community. Thank you to Gallup, Forrester Construction, The Carlyle Group, National Air Traffic Controllers and so many more. Students were also able to receive free health care screenings, haircuts from our amazing Mr. Wallace Wilson and his barber friends, and other resources to help them prepare for a new school year.
We are very proud to echo recent, well-deserved recognition of Dr. Carla Henke, our Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Henke received a Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40 award! This award is given to 40 rising stars in Washington, DC, who are leading the way in their professions and significantly improving their communities. She was selected from among 450 candidates. We believe it is because of she demonstrates an incredible commitment to family medicine and to making high-quality healthcare accessible to low-income families.