Category: Uncategorized

By Gil Rosen

For the last year I have had the privilege of volunteering at Georgetown Ministry Center.  What began as a desire to use my cooking skills to help feed homeless men and women has turned into a passion of connecting with others.

Being involved with GMC has introduced me to something Gunther Stern mentioned at our first meeting. Gunther suggested that while food and shelter are a challenge to the homeless population, the biggest hurdle is mental health.

Gunther’s  statement resonated with me on a deeply profound and personal level. As such, I have created a program that attempts to offer people the opportunity to benefit from the one thing that helped me cope throughout my travails—namely, love! While I can never offer the tremendous support that my nuclear family and community offered to me, I can offer one of the chief ways through which that love was expressed: food.  

My friend Wynne Sitrin and I have tried to make our Thursday lunches a model for how we can share love with the guests at GMC. We have prepared and served meals for the past year and found the process both rewarding and  therapeutic (nothing like sharing love to make you feel loving).

In this vein, we would like to invite other members of the community to prepare and serve meals at GMC. You do not need much time—just a willingness to roll your sleeves up and cook.

Wynnie and I may have some helpful hints, but it is ultimately pretty straight forward. To make the meals we generally buy the ingredients from supermarkets. We prepare the meals at home and serve them the same day. This project has been an incredibly rewarding experience and we would love some help. You can help in three ways: cooking, procuring food, and coordination.

We are looking at expanding and streamlining a program we started with Norman’s Farm Market.  John Norman has generously donated some of the fresh fruits and vegetables that we serve on Thursdays and we would love to coordinate a way of using the “extras” to create nutritious food for the center on other days.

Also, we need additional cooks who would be willing to take up other days.  Already a group of women who call themselves “Women Who Hike” began a similar program on Tuesdays—we are both vying for top ratings from the GMC food critics. 🙂

Finally we need a way to coordinate this program so that we can ensure regular meals at GMC.  If you are interested in contributing to this endeavor please reach out to me at (301) 980-1139.  

On a completely different note, I have also been conducting a beading/story sharing workshop on Tuesdays. If you have old costume jewelry or beads lying around the house please donate them to our program. If the beads have a story, please join us to share both the beads and your story. We meet at the Grace Church courtyard on Tuesdays at 10:30.

As part of the beading for change program, we begana scavenger hunt. We want to encourage members of the community to come to the garden and find the bracelets that we bead. If you are interested in participating in this game, these are the guidelines.  Every Tuesday we will hide grace bracelets (these sacred bracelets are beaded in a pattern that reminds the wearer that only through divine grace, love, and action can we bring change to the world). Participants should wear the bracelets as a reminder that it is through our individual  actions that the world will change.

One meal and one bead at a time.

George was homeless for so many years he stopped counting. Born in Aiken, South Carolina in 1957, he bounced around on the east coast and either slept in shelters or on park benches for most of his adult life. He said it was rough, but he endured and relied on his faith to get him through. Everything changed for him when help came from Georgetown Ministry Center and our collaborator, Miriam’s Kitchen. GMC and Miriam’s Kitchen’s case managers helped George get the proper documentation to receive a housing voucher from the city. Now George no longer has to hurry to homeless shelters each afternoon hoping there is still space for him. This summer he moved into his very own apartment!

“It’s a beautiful place. Hardwood floors, fantastic atmosphere and a panoramic view of the city,” George said, beaming ear to ear. The affordable senior apartment building that George calls home opened in June 2016 and he loves everything about it. He said the lobby is as glamorous as one you would find in a nice hotel. He is enjoying his television set, his comfortable bed and the kitchen. He said he no longer has to worry about safety or lack of sleep and he gets to enjoy one of his favorite hobbies. “I love to cook and am thankful for all the donations that filled this kitchen and the rest of the place up.”

“I feel really proud to have a place like this to call home. It’s a good feeling and is really a blessing,” George said. In fact he is so grateful, he said he even enjoys and takes pride in polishing the furniture. Since moving into housing George has kept in touch with GMC and helps clean the center every Friday afternoon. He is determined to find a job and often asks GMC staff and volunteers for help with his resume and job applications. He is also making plans for his granddaughter’s birthday: cake, ice cream and, of course, a tour of his new home.

We asked for your help to meet the $10,000 matching gift challenge from the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation by May 31 and…we met the match!

Thanks to the generous donations of many supporters, we were able to exceed our goal by nearly $5,000 before the May 31st deadline! (A special thank you to the Georgetown BID for stepping in with an additional $5,000 to make sure all gifts were matched!)

GMC is humbled and deeply grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received for our programs that work to end homelessness, one person at a time. Thanks for making a difference in the lives of the hundreds of guests who visit our center every year!

You’re invited to support Georgetown Ministry Center by participating in DoMore24, United Way’s annual day of giving, on June 2! To celebrate, GMC is hosting a MixxedFit® class from 12 pm-1 pm in the Grace Episcopal Church yard (1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW). Not much of a dancer or unable to attend? No problem. Instead, you can sign up for email reminders on GMC’s DoMore24 page to help you remember to donate online on June 2.

The minimum donation to participate in the workout class is $24 and proceeds benefit Georgetown Ministry Center. Payment will be accepted at the event and online on June 2. We encourage you to pledge a donation and RSVP for the event by clicking this link. Invite friends to do the same!

Whether you join the dance fitness fun on June 2 or simply donate online, GMC appreciates your support. You can help GMC seek lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time!

*In case of rain the class will be moved to Blake Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church (3240 O St. NW).*

When we asked the homeless women in our GMC knitting circle how they learned to knit, nearly all had the same answer. They learned from their mothers at a very young age. Our moms can teach us a lot of things and sometimes those lessons are so engrained in us that we never forget them – like the repetitive motion of knitting. For our guests, knitting is calming and serves as an escape from the difficulties of homelessness.

Consider giving a meaningful gift this Mother’s Day by purchasing a GMC handmade knitted item. We have a large selection of blankets, socks, hats, bags and more. All were knitted by the homeless women who participate in our knitting circle and your purchase will go directly to the artist. Stop by our office to look at our selection. Please call 202-338-8301 ext. 3 or email sarah@gmcgt.org. We’d love to have you!

Let’s celebrate our moms this year by supporting the work of some of the most vulnerable women in our community. You can help GMC find lasting solutions to homelessness, one person (and knitted item) at a time.