In 1991, the District of Columbia government proposed opening a 50-bed emergency shelter for homeless men at the Guy Mason Recreation Center in upper Northwest Washington, the wealthiest area of the District.
Many in the area reacted negatively to the proposal. They argued that there were no homeless people in upper Northwest, so services for them were not needed.
Other neighbors, however, thought it was time for the residents of upper Northwest to do their part to find ... Read More
In 1991, the District of Columbia government proposed opening a 50-bed emergency shelter for homeless men at the Guy Mason Recreation Center in upper Northwest Washington, the wealthiest area of the District.
Many in the area reacted negatively to the proposal. They argued that there were no homeless people in upper Northwest, so services for them were not needed.
Other neighbors, however, thought it was time for the residents of upper Northwest to do their part to find positive solutions to homelessness in our city. A small group of these concerned citizens convened to look for ways to make a difference. They decided to answer the question once and for all: Were there homeless people living in their midst? In a one-night survey, they fanned out through Ward 3 and found, among the stately homes, more than 100 men and women living in parks and alleyways.
That was all it took. The group mobilized. Joined by several local congregations, they opened a drop-in center on Wisconsin Avenue in Tenley and five small congregation-based shelters.
That was the grassroots beginning of Friendship Place.
In 2008, we expanded to serve throughout the District, and by 2011 our services were reaching into the surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia.
Nonetheless, even though we now help more than 3,700 people a year, Friendship Place still retains the feel of a small, caring neighborhood organization. The most commonly repeated refrain we hear from the people who come to us for help is this: “At other agencies, I felt like a number. At Friendship Place, I’m treated like a human being.”
Today, Friendship Place has more than 120 paid staff members and serves throughout the DC Metro region. Our successful, award-winning initiatives have a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of people a year. Friendship Place programs, such as street outreach, drop-in center, free medical and psychiatric clinic, shelters and transitional housing facilities, permanent supportive and rapid rehousing, job placement, and specialized programs for veterans and youth have had such outstanding outcomes that our models are studied by government and nonprofit entities all over the country wishing to replicate our success.
Hide Full Text
