Hi, Aimee. Thanks for chatting with us for National Volunteer Month! To start, can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

My name is Aimee, and I attend Union City Church, where I help to lead our Community Engagement efforts. I’ve lived in DC for 3 years and I love it here; I don’t think I’ll ever leave!!!

Why did you and Union City Church decide to get involved with Housing Up?

Union City has a strong desire to be a blessing to the community, but no interest in redesigning the wheel! There are already so many amazing organizations within our City, and we want to come alongside and help carry the load. Housing Up was looking for volunteers at the same time we were looking for a project – I loved the mission of your organization so we signed up, and the rest is history! It’s been a great partnership over this past year!

What does Union City Church’s partnership with Housing Up look like? What has been your favorite part? 

Last summer we participated in the backpack drive. We were also able to donate 75 Thanksgiving meals during the holidays. This year we’re jumping with a couple of projects on 4/20 – at Entwine and the Parkview Community Garden! I think we even have a few members who are volunteering on an individual basis with Housing Up, which is exciting! Honestly, my favorite part was attending the Gala in 2023 and learning so much more about what you all do. You are such a blessing to our City and it reinforced our joy in partnering with you guys.

What parts of our partnership are you looking forward to in 2024? 

All of it!! It’s exciting to know we’re a part of a larger mission, to serve DC and help make it better – in whatever way is needed of us.

What would you tell someone who is considering joining Housing Up as a community partner?

Housing Up has made it incredibly easy to jump in and serve. They stay in consistent communication and provide a variety of ways to serve. I’m proud to say we work with this awesome group of people!