Thanks for Joining Us for Living in the City 2026!

Sofonis outside of Fort View after completing his freshman year at UMass Lowell

From our entire team at Housing Up, we want to thank everyone who attended our most important fundraiser of the year, Living in the City, last week. We were honored to have Rashema Melson, the CEO & Founder of Pain Into PURPOSE and Founder & President of the Melson Foundation, as our keynote speaker this year. Rashema shared her experience with homelessness growing up in DC and how it impacted her mental and physical health. She discussed the importance of the resources that Housing Up provides for children and families who have experienced housing insecurity, and how she wished she had access to them when she was young.

Later, we heard from Marta and Sofonis, two Housing Up residents and first-generation college students, about how our youth enrichment program helped shape their futures and advance their education. Sofonis and Marta are just two of the nearly 800 children in our affordable housing and permanent supportive housing communities that benefit from our youth enrichment program.

We are close to our fundraising goal, but we still need help crossing the finish line. Support kids like Marta and Sofonis, and donate here to the Living in the City 2026 auction.

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Fall Volunteer Opportunities

Families at Partner Arms II decorate pumpkins in the community room

At Housing Up, we tailor our programs to meet the needs and desires of the families we serve. With a growing number of children under 6 years old and teenagers preparing for life after high school, we are offering a range of new volunteer opportunities. Whether you’re looking for an ongoing commitment or a one-time event, we have something for you.

See below for upcoming opportunities and check out our volunteer page to see the full list of volunteer experiences we offer:

• K-12 tutoring: Mondays-Thursdays from 5 to 7 PM throughout the school year
• Early Childhood Development Activities: Mondays-Thursdays from 5 to 7 PM
• Partner Arms II Tea Party: Help us create a special day of treats and trinkets for the young girls at PAII on 10/16 at 6 PM
• Partner Arms I Tea Party: Help us create a special day of treats and trinkets for the young girls at PAI on 10/23 at 6 PM
• Halloween Celebration: Week of 10/26; date and location to-be-determined

Launching Our 2026 Holiday Drive 

A child at Webster Gardens speaks to a volunteer dressed as Santa

Winter will be here before we know it, and we’re excited to launch our 2026 Holiday Drive! Each year, our generous donors and community partners come together to ensure children in our permanent supportive housing program and affordable housing communities receive gifts.

In the face of cuts to vital programs and resources and the rising cost of living, 2026 proved to be a challenging year for many families across DC. The close to 600 families we serve, are navigating enormous barriers while striving to maintain the stability they have worked so hard to achieve. This holiday season, you can give the gift of joy to children who may not receive gifts otherwise. Donate directly to our Holiday Drive Fund here or contact Shahidah Abdul-Lateef at sabdul-lateef@housingup.org to organize a Holiday Drive with your business, faith-based organization, or community group.