Little Lights Urban Ministries

In the Potomac Gardens, Hopkins, and Benning Terrace public housing complexes of Southeast DC, families of four struggle to survive on annual incomes that average $12-14,000. Most children live in one-parent households, attend under-resourced schools, and are at least one grade level behind in reading and math. So Little Lights intervenes: through one-on-one mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment programs, caring adults work with children to build a strong academic foundation. They’re in it for the long haul – helping children gain leadership skills, avoid teen pregnancy and incarceration, graduate from high school, and move on to college or trade school. Parents are supported too, through basic services (like free diapers), computer access, and job readiness training that encourages economic mobility: in fact, half of Little Lights’ employees are public housing residents. Your support makes so many futures brighter.

COVID-19 Update: In coordination with Capital Area Food Bank and dedicated supporters, Little Lights has been working to fight the digital divide while also distributing food, checking in with families to assess their critical needs, and creating learning packets and educational resources for students. Each Little Lights site has been converted into a “learning hub” where students who cannot study at home (they lack an appropriate space, parental supervision, or Wi-Fi access) can study safely. All children are appropriately spaced, given their own box of materials, and provided with masks, shields and sanitizer. Supervised learning in a safe space makes all the difference.