The impact of mass incarceration, and its affect on boys and men of color, makes Hope House’s work more pressing than ever. For children whose fathers are incarcerated – 5,000 DC residents in over 100 prisons from here to California – displacement has grave consequences. Contact may be lost, family structure weakened, and reintegration made difficult indeed. But through Hope House programs, children visit their fathers online, do homework with them as mentors, 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 struggle with the stigma of incarceration. Older kids participate in a college challenge as they seek out resources to support their college dreams. An antidote to despair, the program has expanded to 16 state and federal prisons. 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
- Activist Carol Fennelly Creates home behind prison walls
Fri Nov 21 2014, Washingtonian
This is a profile article about Hope House Executive Director Carol Fennelly and her history of activism in DC
- Prison Summer Camp Lets Kids Reconnect With Dads
Fri Aug 30 2013, NPR
This is an interview with a Hope House Kid and Executive Director, Carol Fennelly
- Summer with Dad Behind Bars
Wed Jul 31 2013, Washington Post tv
- Cultivating parental relationships from behind bars
Tue Apr 30 2013, msnbc the cycle
An interview with Hope House executive director Carol Fennelly
- Summer camp behind bars: Program connects kids, incarcerated dads
Fri Aug 26 2011, Today.com/MSNBC/nbc4
This is a video piece about our Father to Child Summer Camp Program.
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
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