Community of Hope volunteers are integral to making our mission a reality. This National Volunteer Month, we’re celebrating the everyday kindness, creativity, and commitment they show.  

When I found out I was pregnant, it was one of the happiest times of my life,” says Portia Quarles, a wife, mom, and champion of maternal health in DC. She wasn’t yet a patient at Community of Hope and reflected on her first prenatal appointment “I was spoken to in a way that felt belittling. It was disheartening. I cried. I felt defeated.”  

For Karema, life changed in an instant. She and her one-year-old daughter, Aleema, had been living with Aleema’s father when tensions in their relationship escalated. Realizing their living situation was no longer healthy or stable, Karema made the difficult decision to leave. With nowhere else to go, she and Aleema entered an emergency shelter, where they stayed for a couple of weeks.

For Shannelle, being a single mother of three came with its share of challenges. She worked hard to provide for her children, but when she left an abusive relationship, everything changed. The financial burden fell entirely on her shoulders.

When Heather found out she was pregnant, she felt lost. She had been struggling with homelessness and addiction since the pandemic, caught in a cycle of instability and toxic relationships.

When Taylor and her husband moved to Ward 8 three years ago, she knew she wanted to connect with her community in a meaningful way. Taylor found a perfect match in the wide variety of Community of Hope programs that allow her to build relationships and make a lasting impact. 

Shiquitaa Anderson is a hardworking mother of six, balancing her job as a food clerk at Safeway while raising children between the ages of 3 and 14. A Washington, D.C. native, Shiquitaa loves drawing, especially cartoon characters, and spending time with her kids. But what she cherishes most is providing them with a stable, happy home—something that once felt out of reach.

For almost 45 years, Community of Hope has been working to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring—especially for families with children but also for a growing number of individuals.  Unfortunately, the need for these services only seems to grow. DC experienced a growth of 14% among people experiencing homelessness and with limited rental assistance and high rental prices this challenge is getting harder. So, we are stepping up to serve MORE people! 

For Anita Burrows, a longtime resident of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, managing her chronic conditions was a constant struggle. After experiencing preeclampsia during her last pregnancy, Anita’s doctor at Community of Hope connected her with Ashley Keen, a dedicated Community Health Worker here at Community of Hope, to help her take control of her health. Now, two years later, Anita credits Ashley’s guidance and support with helping her stay on top of her medications and manage her blood pressure. 

“When things got rough—juggling family struggles, financial problems, and even trauma from my brother getting shot at our home—Community of Hope stepped in,” says Tytiana Johnson, a mom and longtime Community of Hope patient. “The homelessness prevention program gave us a place to land when we had nowhere else to go —it gave us a way to move forward, even when things felt impossible.”