A New Commitment to Housing Stability

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Today, on Veterans Day, we’re pleased to share an important new chapter in Everyone Home DC’s work.

We’ve received a $1.5 million federal award to launch Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), a program designed to help veterans and their families achieve and maintain housing stability.

Over the next year, we aim to support approximately 100 veteran households, including individuals and families, across Washington, DC, and neighboring communities in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Through housing-focused services and individualized support, SSVF will help veterans and their families navigate housing challenges, prevent homelessness when possible, and find pathways toward lasting stability.

We’re building on work we’ve done for years—helping people prevent homelessness, find housing, and stay housed—while bringing that experience to a new community. This is an opportunity to grow thoughtfully, learn from our partners, and help more veterans and their families find stability.

—Karen Cunningham, Executive Director

This new program also represents an important step forward in our recently announced 2027–2029 Strategic Roadmap—expanding our ability to respond to housing instability and connect more people with the support they need.

As we honor the service and contributions of veterans in our communities, we also recognize the importance of ensuring they have access to safe, stable housing. No veteran or veteran family should have to face homelessness or housing instability without support. We’re honored to be part of a community working to make stable housing a reality for more veterans and their families, and we look forward to sharing more about this new program.

Housing is our starting point. Seeing people thrive is our finish line.

 

Introducing Our Strategic Roadmap

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What does Everyone Home DC need to sustain and strengthen its work in the years ahead? That question guided months of research, reflection, and conversation about where we are today, what we’ve learned, and how we can continue responding to the evolving needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

In July 2026, our Board of Directors adopted Our Path Forward, a new Strategic Roadmap that will guide our work from 2027 through 2029.

The Roadmap identifies five priorities:

  1. Strengthening Our Core Programs: Investing in quality, consistency, and effectiveness across our services.
  2. Advancing Housing Problem Solving: Developing creative, person-centered approaches that help people navigate housing challenges.
  3. Building a Sustainable Future: Diversifying funding and strengthening the relationships and resources that sustain our work.
  4. Investing in Our People and Organization: Supporting our staff, leadership, systems, and infrastructure.
  5. Making Room for More Voices: Creating meaningful opportunities for people with lived experience of homelessness and housing insecurity to shape our programs and decisions.

Together, these priorities reflect our commitment to building on what works, exploring new possibilities, and strengthening the organization behind the work. And we’re already beginning to put this direction into practice. One important development is the launch of Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), which expands our work with veterans and their families across the region. We’ll have more to share about this initiative soon.

Our Roadmap isn’t simply a statement of where we hope to go. It’s a commitment to learning, adapting, and working alongside the people and communities at the heart of our mission. We’re excited about what’s ahead—and grateful for the supporters, partners, staff, and community members who make this work possible.

Explore Our 2027–2029 Strategic Roadmap

Housing is our starting point. Seeing people thrive is our finish line.

Help Make Room for Choice This Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is a time for gathering, sharing traditions, and connecting with the people who matter most. But with the rising cost of groceries and everyday essentials, preparing for the holiday can put additional pressure on household budgets.

Through Everyone Home DC’s Thanksgiving Choice Fund, we’re raising money to provide grocery and debit gift cards to households participating in our programs.

Rather than deciding what belongs on someone’s holiday table, we want families and individuals to have the flexibility to choose what works for them—whether that’s ingredients for a favorite meal, something special to share, or everyday essentials.

Here’s how you can be part of it:

Every contribution helps us offer more flexibility and choice to the people we serve. Thank you for being part of the Everyone Home DC community and for showing up for our neighbors this Thanksgiving.

We Did It. Together!

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All September long, our community showed up—and together, we didn’t just reach our $90,000 September Challenge goal. We surpassed it!

Because of you, the 2026 September Challenge raised more than $100,000 to support Everyone Home DC’s work alongside individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our city. And you showed up in so many ways.

You made gifts. You launched fundraisers and rallied your friends and family. You bid in our online auction. You gathered at community events. You sponsored the Challenge. You shared our work with others. And in the final days of September, when we still had a gap to close, you carried us across the finish line—and kept going. We could not be more grateful.

Some highlights from this year’s Challenge:

  • More than $102,000 raised overall, surpassing our $90,000 September Challenge goal.
  • More than $13,000 raised through community fundraisers, as supporters found their own ways to rally their communities and take on the Challenge.
  • Our online auction raised nearly $8,000, with 74 participants placing more than 200 bids on 80 donated items.
  • More than $83,000 contributed by September Challenge Sponsors and Benefactors, providing an incredible foundation for this year’s campaign.

The September Challenge is about more than reaching a fundraising goal. These flexible resources allow Everyone Home DC to respond where they are needed most.

We are all feeling how much more expensive everyday life has become. For our neighbors with the fewest financial resources, there is even less room to absorb the unexpected. A car repair, missed shift, or unexpected bill can quickly become a housing crisis. At a time when public resources for homeless services are constrained, the flexibility made possible by private support matters tremendously.

You make it possible for Everyone Home DC to keep showing up.

To every donor, sponsor, fundraiser, auction partner and bidder, event host and participant, volunteer, and person who shared the September Challenge with someone else: thank you for showing up.

Together, you are helping ensure all of our neighbors have a safe place to call home.

We are so grateful you are here. 

Summer Is Still in Full Swing—Back-to-School Planning Has Already Begun.

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Summer is still in full swing—with popsicles, pool days, late sunsets, and World Cup watch parties—and school may have just let out. And for families already stretching their budgets, planning for back-to-school often begins now. 

For many parents and caregivers, preparing for a new school year means carefully balancing the cost of school supplies, clothing, transportation, groceries, rent, and other everyday essentials. Every purchase requires thoughtful planning, and every dollar has a job to do.

At Everyone Home DC, we believe families know best what their children need. Since 2020, our community has come together each year to provide flexible financial support during some of the year’s most important moments. Today, we’re bringing those seasonal efforts together through The Choice Fund—a year-round fund that provides flexible financial support, giving people the dignity and flexibility to choose what they need most.

We’re kicking off this year’s Choice Fund with our annual Back-to-School Initiative. Whether it’s a backpack, notebooks, a pair of shoes, or a first-day outfit that helps a young scholar walk into school with confidence, your support gives families something more than financial assistance. It gives them the dignity and flexibility to choose what’s right for their children.

🎒 Our Goal: Distribute approximately 200 gift cards—valued at $50—to scholars in our programs before the school year begins. And we can’t do it without you. Here’s how you can help:

  • Make a donation toward our $10,000 goal. Every $50 donated can help give families the dignity and flexibility to choose the back-to-school items that best meet their children’s needs.
  • Host a gift card drive with friends, coworkers, your book club, or faith community. (Families especially appreciate Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, or Amazon cards.)
  • Start a fundraising page and rally your network! We’ll help you get it going.
  • Spread the word on social media or by email—every share helps!

We’ll begin distributing cards in early August, so now’s the time to get involved. You can donate online and we’ll handle the rest—or mail physical gift cards directly to our office:

Everyone Home DC
Attn: Development, Back-to-School
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20002

💡 Thinking about running a drive or collecting gift cards? Let’s connect! We’d love to hear your plans so we can coordinate and budget accordingly. Reach out to Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org to discuss which types of gift cards are most helpful and how many you hope to contribute. We’re also happy to help you brainstorm ways to spread the word and engage your community.

Thank you for helping make sure every scholar starts the year strong.
 We’re so grateful you’re in this with us.

Community Giving in Action: Whole Foods Market Supports Everyone Home DC

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Everyone Home DC was honored to be selected as a recipient of support through Whole Foods Market’s Community Giving program. Through this initiative, local Whole Foods Market stores invited customers and team members to support organizations working to strengthen their communities—including Everyone Home DC.

Together, shoppers and staff helped raise $3,000 to support our work serving neighbors experiencing homelessness in the District. While the individual contributions may have been small, their collective impact was significant. Flexible funding like this allows us to respond to emerging needs, strengthen our programs, and provide critical services for people experiencing homelessness.

Every day, Everyone Home DC works to connect individuals and families with the resources they need to move toward housing stability. From meals and basic necessities to housing-focused services and supportive relationships, our programs rely on community investment to help make this work possible. Support from Whole Foods Market’s Community Giving program helps ensure we can continue responding to the needs of our neighbors with compassion, dignity, and care.

We are grateful to the Whole Foods Market team, their customers, and the many community members whose generosity made this support possible. Their commitment to giving back demonstrates how local businesses and community members can come together to create meaningful impact right here in Washington, DC.

Join Everyone Home DC in Making the Holidays Brighter for Families

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This winter holiday season is the perfect time for Everyone Home DC and our amazing network of supporters to provide a little something extra for this special time of year. Everyone Home DC is committed to ensuring that the families we work alongside have the flexibility to celebrate their winter holidays and experience the joy of giving gifts.

This holiday season, Everyone Home DC will distribute debit gift cards throughout our community, allowing each household to decide how they spend these funds to create a meaningful celebration for their family.

We need YOUR help to reach our goal. You can make a monetary donation today here. You can also consider running a drive to collect gift cards with your favorite community or network OR set up a fundraising page and watch your social network support you in reaching your goal! Every little bit helps. Below is more information on how to get started, as well as some of the most popular gift cards. Thank you for your continued support of Everyone Home DC!

Everyone Home DC plans to distribute gift cards to families in December.

GETTING STARTED

  • We’d like to hear from you if you plan to run a drive or collection. This will support Everyone Home DC’s planning (and budgeting) efforts. Contact Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org to discuss what types of gift cards to focus on collecting and to share how many gift cards you plan to contribute. We can also provide brainstorming support to help you reach your community and create personalized donation forms to track your progress easily.
  • You can also make a monetary donation, which program staff will use to purchase gift cards and send electronically to families. Consider donating today!
  • Everyone Home DC families most appreciate Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, Old Navy, Amazon.

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC 

You can skip purchasing gift cards and donate on our Winter Holiday donation page. Program staff will then purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Consider donating today!

If purchasing gift cards at a store or online, you can mail them directly to Everyone Home DC’s main headquarters address. Please contact Kate at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org if you have any questions or would like to discuss dropping off the gift cards.

Mail Gift Cards to:
Everyone Home DC Development
Attn: Holidays
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington DC, 20002

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Thank you for standing with Everyone Home DC now and always. We are so glad you are here.

**Any funds received above the goal for this campaign will be redirected to the general fund.**

Give the Gift of a Meaningful Thanksgiving

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As Thanksgiving approaches, Everyone Home DC is once again working to ensure that every family we partner with can celebrate the holiday in their own special way.

This year, more families are feeling the strain of rising costs and limited resources—making it harder to gather around the table or create moments of rest and connection. That’s why we’re raising funds and collecting gift cards to help families purchase the ingredients and items that make their Thanksgiving feel like home—whether that’s a favorite meal, a warm gathering, or simply a peaceful day together. Our goal is to distribute 100 gift cards ($50–$100 each) to families before Thanksgiving. With your help, we can make sure every household has the flexibility and dignity to create their own celebration. Here’s how you can help:

🧡 Make a donation today. Your gift will be used to purchase and electronically distribute grocery and debit gift cards directly to families.

🧡 Host a collection drive. Rally your colleagues, friends, or community group to collect Visa, Mastercard, Safeway, Giant, or Harris Teeter gift cards.

🧡 Set up a fundraising page. Invite your network to join you in making the season brighter for local families.

Every contribution—big or small—brings comfort and joy to our neighbors this holiday season. We’ll begin distributing gift cards in mid-November, so now is the perfect time to get involved. Let’s make Thanksgiving brighter, together. You can make a monetary donation today here. 

For more information or to share your plans to run a drive, contact Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org.

Everyone Home DC plans to begin distributing gift cards to families by mid-November.

We Did It! This Year’s September Challenge Raised Over $90,000!

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We are so incredibly grateful to YOU for helping Everyone Home DC’s September Challenge reach historic success. For the sixth year in a row, you showed up for individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness in DC. This year, together, we achieved our record-breaking $90,000 goal—with more than 200 gifts made throughout the Challenge!

This milestone was a collective effort of our AMAZING September Challenge Sponsors, Benefactor Circle and Committee members, staff, volunteers, donors, event hosts and participants, fundraisers, online auction partners, and our social media ambassadors. The urgency to raise critical funds to support people at risk of or facing homelessness has never been greater, and each one of you played a vital role in ensuring this campaign’s success. Thank you.

Some highlights from this year’s Challenge:

  • In the final week of the campaign, nearly 100 unique gifts raised almost $20,000.
  • Personal fundraisers raised nearly $13,000, and the Leaderboard had seven active fundraisers! Top fundraisers included Rifat Jafreen, Edith Shine & Mark Sherman, Alison Harwood & Chuck Rohe, Catrell Brown, Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church, Pat Joseph, and Rosa Moreno.
  • Our online auction raised over $9,000, with 70 participants placing more than bids.
  • We are honored to introduce one new and welcome back four Lead Sponsors: Christ Church + Washington Parish on Capitol Hill, The Jeanne Phil Meg Team at Compass, National Capital Bank, Dawn Nelson, and Louise Walsh & Charlie Rupp. Be on the lookout for our celebration advertisement in the November Hill Rag.

This year, more families are struggling to make ends meet—navigating rising rents, unpaid bills, and basic expenses. At the same time, more single adults are turning to our Day Center and Street Outreach teams for support. Public funding for homeless services is uncertain, leaving us concerned about how we will meet growing needs. That makes private contributions through campaigns like the September Challenge even more critical. Your generosity ensures that Everyone Home DC can remain flexible and responsive, helping people move toward stability when they need it most.

Thank you for joining Everyone Home DC in this month-long campaign to support our mission to ensure everyone in our city has access to safe, affordable, and comfortable homes. Ending homelessness in Washington, DC, is a collective responsibility, and your support makes that work possible. We could not do this without you—and we are so glad you are here.

Support Families So They Can Start the School Year Strong

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It may be peak popsicle season, but backpacks and school supplies are already top of mind for some families. Right now, many families across DC are navigating rising costs for just about everything—from groceries to rent—while also facing ongoing uncertainty around housing support and other vital safety net programs. For the families Everyone Home DC walks alongside, the back-to-school season brings not just excitement, but added financial stress.

That’s why Everyone Home DC continues to be committed to showing up with meaningful, flexible support—so parents and caregivers in our housing and prevention programs can shop for the items they need to prepare for a new school year with dignity and confidence, and children can head into the new school year ready to thrive.

Everyone Home DC is raising funds for the upcoming school year to provide gift cards for families to use during back-to-school shopping. This year, we aim to distribute 200 $50 gift cards to Everyone Home DC scholars, and we need your help to reach our goal. 

Check out how you can support Everyone Home DC in reaching its goal again this year:

  • Make a donation today towards our fundraising goal.
  • Create a fundraising page to share with your community. We are on standby to provide support! 
  • Host a drive to collect gift cards (Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, and Amazon) at your work, place of worship, or with your favorite people. 
  • Please email or post on your favorite social media platform to spread the word and share the need with your friends and family. 

Everyone Home DC plans to distribute gift cards to families the week of August 5.

Every little bit helps. Below is more information on getting started and getting gift cards or cash gifts to Everyone Home DC. 

GETTING STARTED

  • We want to hear if you plan to run a drive or collection! This will support Everyone Home DC’s planning (and budgeting) efforts. Contact Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org to discuss what types of gift cards to focus on collecting and to share how many gift cards you plan to contribute. We can also provide brainstorming support to get the word out to your community if you run a drive.
  • You can also make a monetary donation, and program staff will purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Please note families have openly expressed how much they appreciate the convenience of receiving gift cards electronically. Consider donating in $50 increments (or any amount) today!
  • Families express most appreciating Visa, Mastercard, Target, Walmart, and Amazon gift cards.
  • Are you interested in setting up a personal fundraising page? Email Kate Akalonu at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org. She is on standby to help you get started!

GETTING CARDS TO EVERYONE HOME DC

  • You are welcome to skip the process of purchasing cards and make a donation on our Back to School Collection donation page. Program staff will then purchase gift cards and send them electronically to families. Make Your Donation Today!
  • If purchasing gift cards at a store or online, you can mail them directly to Everyone Home DC’s main headquarters address. Please contact Kate at akalonu@everyonehomedc.org if you have any questions or to discuss dropping the gift cards off.

Mail Gift Cards to:
Everyone Home DC
 Attn: Back-to-School
415 2nd Street NE, 3rd Floor
Washington DC 20002

Please note: We will not be accepting gift card drop-offs at our drop-in day center. 

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out! Thank you for standing with Everyone Home DC now and always. We are so glad you are here.

 

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