For children whose fathers are incarcerated (8,000 DC residents in over 100 prisons from here to California) displacement often has grave consequences. Contact may be lost, family structure weakened, and reintegration of released fathers made difficult indeed. Enter Hope House, whose dream is to reconnect fathers and kids. Through its programs, children regularly visit their fathers online, watch and listen to bedtime stories that dads record, participate in week-long camps behind bars (a model for camps in five states), and meet with others who are also struggling with the stress and stigma of having family members in prison. Writing workshops for kids and for dads in prison have resulted in the publication of three poetry books, and this year saw the introduction of a program for incarcerated mothers. The results are impressive: the Federal Bureau of Prisons has created new programs based on Hope House models, and the program continues to grow — expanding to 16 state and federal prisons. These families deserve all the hope your generosity can inspire. Think of the children.

Headquarters: DC-Ward 4

Where They Operate: DC-Citywide; DC-Ward 1; DC-Ward 2; DC-Ward 4; DC-Ward 5; DC-Ward 6; DC-Ward 7; DC-Ward 8; MD-Statewide; MD-Montgomery County; MD-Prince George's County; Hope House works with children from all over the DC Metro Area. However the highest concentration of families are located in Southeast DC and in Prince Georges County.

Age Groups Served: Infants (0-2); Pre-K (3-4); Youth (5-11); Pre-teen/teen (12-17); Young adult (18-24); Adult (25-49)

Ethnic Groups Served: African American; Caucasian; Latino/Hispanic

Population(s) Served: All

Awards & Recognition

Charity of the Year - DC Bar Association - March 2010
Chapman Medal for innovative just programs - Oct. 2012
White House Champion of Change - 2013
Purpose Prize - 2013
Global Catalyst Award - 2014

Press

Budget (FY2013)

  • $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • $500k to $1 million
  • The current budget for Hope House DC is: Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

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