In the winter of 1984, Freddy, an elderly homeless man, died of exposure on a Georgetown street. His death was a symptom of the incipient crisis of homelessness in Washington. Freddy’s death in an icy phone booth moved Georgetowners to search for an appropriate community response. In 1987 the Georgetown Clergy Association and Georgetown University founded the Georgetown Ministry Center, organized a governing board, incorporated, and began raising start-up funds. Soon afterwards we hired our first social worker to help homeless individuals in Georgetown.

From our modest beginnings, GMC has grown to include a successful winter shelter that offers a safe haven from the streets to our most withdrawn and vulnerable homeless neighbors. The shelter has given GMC staff an opportunity to work successfully with people who have avoided services for years. 1995 we became a part of the “DC Initiative,” Washington’s comprehensive plan for fighting homelessness within the city. GMC’s unique presence in Georgetown makes us an essential part of the “net” of services cast to the city’s homeless population.

Organization

GMC is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of one or two representatives each from the Georgetown Clergy Association, Georgetown University, and each participating congregation. GMC also has a representative from the Georgetown Business and Professional Association, the Citizens Association of Georgetown, and a formerly homeless person on the board of directors.

GMC’s daily activities are managed by a paid staff consisting of a director who divides his time among clients, program development, and staff supervision and training: two full-time outreach staff: one full time program coordinator; a consulting psychiatrist; three shelter staff; and, a part-time shower program manager.

Staff

Executive Director Gunther Stern
Outreach Director Roy Witherspoon
Outreach Assistant Tobias Brown
Development Associate Claire Spencer-Spears
Business Manager Dymenn Sasser
Program Coordinator Stephanie Chan
Consulting Psychiatrist Ron Koshes, M.D.

Board of Directors

Christ Church, Georgetown Catherine Ballinger, Elizabeth Bluhm
Dumbarton United Methodist Church Martha Dickey, Ester Drjskdra
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church Susan Gschwentdne, Wonkook Park
First Baptist Church, Georgetown Vinette Saunders, Barbara Hargrove
Georgetown Lutheran Church Connie Baker
Georgetown Presbyterian Church Alexander Bullock, Patricia Davies
Grace Episcopal Church Kimberly Ludwig, Andrew Davis
Holy Trinity Catholic Church Linda Formella, Joe Ryan
Kesher Israel, Georgetown Synagogue Jessica Ribner
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Essie Page
St. Paul’s K Street Eric Lobsinger
St. John’s Episcopal Church Jocelyn Dyer
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Dorothy Preston
St. Stephen the Martyr Jackie Durham

Officers

President Joe Ryan
Vice President Dick Stoll
Treasurer John Lange
Secretary Jocelyn Dyer

From the Community

Georgetown Business Improvement District James Bracco
Citizens Association of Georgetown Dick Stoll
Community Representative Beth Neilsen
Georgetown Business Association Rokas Beresniovas
Georgetown Clergy Association John Graham