Twenty five years ago, volunteers from local Episcopal and Lutheran churches, Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington (SMGW) and other homeless service providers realized that family homelessness was becoming a serious problem in DC.

The solution was a simple one – housing.

This group of volunteers created Transitional Housing Corporation to provide homeless families a home so that they could transform their own lives. From 1990 to 2015, THC has grown from serving 14 families to now more than 500. Throughout the years, volunteers have been integral in our success. They have provided their leadership in the Board of Directors, programmatic support in our different departments, and have been champions for our cause.

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington has a similar origin story. Founded in 1986 by 12 Episcopal parishes in the Washington D.C. area, SMGW grew out of an emergency assistance program run by volunteers of the same parishes. It was created to support individuals through a non-residential case management mode. Through the Next Step program, they help people from all walks of life to better their situation by setting attainable goals that lead to their ultimate transformation. SMGW now consists of close to 50 partner churches, and has since evolved into a multi-faceted organization and community partnership.

Many of the volunteers and parishes that supported in the creation of SMGW also helped to create THC. With this shared history in mind, we decided to team up and collaborate through our volunteer programs. Now we offer more opportunities for community members, so they may get involved in local efforts to end homelessness in Washington, DC. Over the past year, we have been able to engage more volunteers at both organizations, giving people the opportunity to be a part of this critical cause when their schedules allow!

By collaborating across organizations, there is increased support for homeless and at-risk families and individuals.The shared skills and energy of the volunteers will be key in ending homelessness in DC. The future is bright!

If you’re at all interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at either THC or Samaritan Ministry, please contact Volunteer

Coordinator Quinn Miller at [email protected].