On Thursday,

August 7, THC held Family Appreciation day in the Fort Dupont neighborhood of Southeast DC. This event was an opportunity to bring families together outside of their usual interactions with THC services, and give them a chance to relax and have some fun on a beautiful summer day!

This was the first time this event has been hosted in Southeast, an indication of how THC’s programming is evolving to meet the needs of families closer to where they live. The event was an opportunity to bring families together outside of their usual interactions with THC services, and give them a chance to relax and have some fun on a beautiful summer day.

For the kids, there were games, a bounce house, and face painting. For adults, there was a raffle, and resource booths set up by several organizations including DC Central Kitchen, College Bound, UPO, and representatives from DC government agencies like DC Fire and EMS and the Department of Health. THC set up Family Resources table with financial planning and stress management give-away items, and an Employment Services table staffed by THC Employment Counselors who met with some of the adults who attended the event. Everyone enjoyed the barbeque and several THC families met for the first time.

Since 2010, Family Appreciation Day has been

an opportunity for THC as an organization to step outside of our role as a provider of housing, case management, and supportive services, and relate to our families in a different way. Families face several barriers on their way to achieving housing stability and independence; nearly 33% of adults in THC programs have a history of substance abuse, and more than 63% of families are headed by single mothers in their 20s and 30s. The event has always had the theme of “family-friendly fun”, but this was the first year that other organizations have been invited to participate.

We look forward to taking the energy generated on Family Appreciation Day and applying it to our work year round.