Thrive DC is proud to have committed, engaged community members go above and beyond to help our clients escape homelessness. Below is Jocelyn's story about why she couldn't stay just a volunteer - and had to do more.
When I moved to DC last May, I was looking for ways to become more involved. I stumbled upon Thrive DC simply by chance and really liked what I saw on its website, but it took me a long time to finally commit to volunteering. It felt like much bigger of a commitment in my head than in reality.
Ultimately, it was just a matter of making the decision and taking action on it, and I haven’t regretted it since!
There are two things that I love the most about Thrive DC. The first is their holistic approach to addressing homelessness. All of their services are interconnected and they help get people back on their feet with as much independence as possible.
But the most valuable thing they offer is a sense of community. I believe that no matter the circumstance in life, a lively and supportive community always has the power of bringing hope. The ladies I see every Friday both encourage and have fun with each other and there is so much joy in the room; it’s a good reminder for me to know that even those who have little can make so much life out of the little that they do have.
There are some clients I see every week in the dinner program but you can tell their minds are somewhere else. I am worried their negative circumstances in life will bring some clients to lose hope, because hope requires a willingness from within to believe that things could get better and to keep fighting.
I joined the Next Step Team because I would like to see Thrive DC’s services expand to more clients and its community be made available to more people who need it. Volunteering is valuable as it helps make the programs happen and run more smoothly, but money, at the end of the day, ensures that these programs remain afloat.
I wanted to contribute, even just a little bit, to this organization that I have seen make an impact in the lives of the ladies I work with and in my life, too.
I don’t know where the ladies I see every Friday will be if programs like this don’t exist anymore.
Want to be a part of the Team? Click the button below. You'll join other concerned community members helping people in need take the "next step" out of homelessness.
"During music group, after several years of near silence,
he sang out LOUD, way above a whisper!
We were delighted at his breakthrough and hearing his voice soar above the others."
-Jael, Thrive DC Music Therapist
For many of our clients, getting out of homelessness is a long journey.
They are recovering from years of living on the streets and experiencing one failure after another.
Thrive DC is here to help clients take their next step forward out of homelessness.
And then the next step, and then the next all the way home.
We need help getting our clients home.
Will you join our Next Step Team and become a monthly donor?
Will you walk with our clients as they take their next steps out of homelessness?