FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 04, 2006
CONTACT: Patricia Fuentes, Freddie Mac Foundation, 703-903-3504
Kelly Sweeney McShane, Community of Hope, 202-232-7356

FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION GRANT TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY OF HOPE DEVELOPMENT
Half Million-Dollar Grant To Stabilize Lives of 200 Local Children

Washington, DC –Community of Hope (COH), an area nonprofit working to improve the health and quality of life for low-income, homeless, and underserved families, will expand its services to help an additional 100 homeless families and approximately 200 children to receive shelter and other stabilizing services.  The new COH transitional housing projects are made possible through a $500,000 grant from the Freddie Mac Foundation.

“COH’s housing programs address the most immediate needs of homeless families by providing a place to live while the family works to create a better life for themselves,” explained Kelly Sweeney McShane, Executive Director of Community of Hope.  “With this Freddie Mac Foundation grant, we also will be able to provide a comprehensive range of social services, with a focus on nurturing children in homeless families, which are the tools needed to escape poverty and end the cycle of homelessness.”

“COH is making a difference for homeless families in our community, putting them on the path to self-sufficiency.   Their inclusive approach allows families to transition into stable, permanent housing; helps their children advance to the next grade of school; and assists parents with vocational training and employment,” said Maxine B. Baker, president and CEO, Freddie Mac Foundation.  “We’re proud to support COH’s work to strengthen lives and our community.”

COH was incorporated in 1980 as a compassionate ministry outreach of the Washington First Church of the Nazarene.  Today, COH serves as a separate, but complementary structure and maintains an ongoing relationship with the church.  Committed to a community-based approach to improving the health and quality of life for low-income, homeless, and underserved families in Washington, DC, COH’s approach is holistic and addresses a broad range of needs.

The Freddie Mac Foundation grant has enabled COH to open a new facility this summer to help additional families in crisis.  The new site, Hope Apartments, along with an existing program in Columbia Heights, provides families with a dignified, structured living environment for an average length stay of one year.  Client families participate in weekly meetings with counselors.  Additional support services offered by COH include substance recovery support, physical and mental health care, and structured activities for children.

These transitional housing programs address the most immediate needs of homeless families by providing a place to live, while also focusing on long-term needs and skills that allow the families to create a better, healthier future for themselves.

In addition, families living in the housing programs have access to COH’s community health clinic that provides primary care services including health education, preventive care, prenatal care, dental services and pediatric care, as well as specialized services such as care for those with HIV/AIDS.  Also, the Educational Enrichment Program is an integral part of the comprehensive services offered by COH. The program emphasizes successful performance in school, developing self-esteem and mastering basic social and life skills.

Family homelessness is a serious issue that affects the whole region.  On any given night 1,700 families are homeless in Washington, DC area.  Although most of these families do not remain homeless for long, the experience can be devastating, increasing the likelihood that families will dissolve.  Homeless children, who constitute one-third of the homeless population, are more likely to be placed in foster care, are less healthy, experience disruptions in schooling, and are more likely to have developmental delays than poor, housed children.

ABOUT COMMUNITY OF HOPE: Incorporated in 1980, Community of Hope works to improve the health and quality of life of low-income, homeless, and underserved families and individuals in the District of Columbia by providing health care, housing with supportive services, educational opportunities, and spiritual support.

ABOUT THE FREDDIE MAC FOUNDATION: Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to creating hope and opportunity for children, youth and their families. It works to strengthen the community by providing funds for various nonprofit organizations serving children and their families, focusing primarily on metropolitan Washington, D.C.—the location of its corporate headquarters. A philanthropic leader, the Foundation has invested nearly $280 million in organizations serving the community and helped better the lives of more than 1.7 million children.