Little Lights Urban Ministries

Thank you to Capitol Hill Community Foundation for partnering with us again this year to support our holistic, multigenerational programming in the Ward 6 neighborhoods we serve.

We are so grateful for their continued generosity towards our afterschool programs, College and Career Program, Summer Lights, Family Center, and Clean Green Team!

School is back in session, which means that Homework Club is here!

Last week, we kicked off our fall programs for pre-K-12th grade students and welcomed them back for afterschool tutoring.

Thank you to our volunteers who provide students with the attention and guidance they need to thrive academically!

Tomorrow, Little Lights Executive Director Steve Park will join the And Campaign DMV Chapter on their Civic Revival Tour for a panel discussion on juvenile justice.

We hope you'll join for this engaging talk on how Christians can approach juvenile justice and current politics with compassion and conviction.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/civic-revival-tour-dmv-tickets-995773183397

Thank you to Ward 3 DC Councilmember Matthew Frumin for your recent visit to Little Lights!

Councilmember Frumin learned about the impact Little Lights has in DC's underserved communities and chatted with our Executive Director Steve Park about our plans to increase our reach.

Little Lights is so proud of our college students! As they return to campus or move into their dorms for the first time, we celebrate their dedication to pursuing their college dreams.

This school year, we are supporting 18 students as they navigate life away from home, financial aid, and college courses. By offering a holistic blend of academic support, career guidance, and personalized assistance, our College and Career Program equips students with the tools and resources necessary to achieve their academic and professional goals, setting them on a path toward success in adulthood.

As summer winds down, we are excited to share how we have been blessed by local partners who helped our students and our staff get ready for the start of another school year!

Thank you to Pillar Church of Washington D.C. and Fulcrum Residential for generously donating school supplies to our students! Pillar Church donated 60 backpacks filled with school supplies and Fulcrum donated 30 backpacks and two large boxes of school supplies.

Thank you to the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. football team for deep cleaning our program sites! Now, the sites are ready to welcome students back this fall.

Volunteer with Little Lights this fall!

As our students return to school, we are looking to fill volunteer spots for our 2024 fall academic programs! Volunteering with Little Lights is perfect for those who are looking for a fun and engaging way to serve youth in Washington, DC.

If you feel inspired to serve, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator ([email protected]) or fill out a volunteer application. We hope you’ll consider partnering with us today!

https://littlelights.org/get-involved/

Little Lights Urban Ministries We are a non-profit urban ministry dedicated to sharing the love of Christ by empowering communities.

After five awesome weeks, our Summer Lights camp has come to an end. At Summer Lights, 121 students spent the summer playing, making new friends, keeping their academic skills sharp, and exploring DC.

In addition, Little Lights is incredibly grateful for the 15 students in our Next Step College and Career Program (including 8 Department of Employment Services (DOES) student interns) who served as members of program staff.

A special thank you to the 105 dedicated volunteers who served at Summer Lights for providing students with a safe, fun, and enriching summer. We are so thankful for our individual volunteers for generously giving of their time and energy, as well as for our volunteer groups from All Saints Episcopal Church, Grace Community Church, National Student Leadership, Grace Covenant Church Capitol Hill, and Saint Albans High School.

Check out our 2024 Summer Lights recap video!

Summer Lights (2024)

Thanks to One Kind Act and Chesterbrook United Methodist Church, we were able to provide 150 backpacks filled with school supplies to our students. We’re excited for our students, from elementary through college, to return to school this fall with all the supplies necessary to succeed in the classroom!

Thank you to Councilmember Christina Henderson for visiting Little Lights today!

Councilmember Henderson got to see our summer camp in action at our Hopkins Center and meet some of our campers.

We love sharing about the impact of Little Lights with those who serve DC residents in government!

Summer Lights is a highlight of the year for many of our students. This five week day camp is a critical resource for our families as it ensures students not only have a safe space to be during the summer, but that they also receive academic enrichment, healthy meals, and lots of time for play. It is such a joy to watch our students learn, play, and make friendships throughout the summer!

We are so blessed to have students in our College and Career Program support Summer Lights as members of program staff! 

Each summer, we look forward to hiring students part-time so that they can gain valuable job experience and develop their workplace skills.

Before Summer Lights officially began this year, we hosted a week of professional training for the students that included workshops on writing resumes and mock interviews. The students also participated in a vision board session led by a Fulcrum trainer where they set tangible goals for the upcoming school year.

Now that camp has officially begun, the students will spend the next month leading specials like cooking and crafts, supervising academic activities, and helping create a safe and fun atmosphere for all.

We love to see our College and Career Program students return to Summer Lights as part-time staff members to serve the next generation of Little Lights campers!

You are invited to Plowshares and Prayers, a lament and intercessory joint prayer service. Little Lights, along with other churches and organizations will come together to pray for short-term and long-term peace in Gaza, the suffering caused by gun violence in DC, and the 2024 Elections.

The service will be on Thursday, July 11th from 7:00-8:30 PM at Washington Community Fellowship (907 Maryland Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002).

The event is free, but donations are appreciated to support guest presenters and relevant non-profits.

Plowshares and Prayers A lament and intercessory prayer service responding to the suffering in Gaza, gun violence in DC, and the 2024 Elections.

The first week of Summer Lights is in the books!

Our campers enjoyed playing outside with friends, touring museums, visiting the splash park and pool, and taking part in fun specials like cooking, science, sewing, and academics.

We are excited for the next four weeks of camp!

Thank you Support + Feed for donating 100 meals from PLNT Burger to Little Lights families this week! Everyone loved the burgers and fries🍔🍟

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Support + Feed this summer to provide plant-based meals for the communities we serve.

In the communities Little Lights serves, having consistent and easy access to healthy food is a struggle families face every day.

During the summer, this reality is even more present because students do not receive meals from their school once summer break begins.

For several years, Little Lights has partnered with Capital Area Food Bank to provide healthy, well-balanced meals for students in our programs. And this summer, we are blessed to continue offering these meals to every student who attends Summer Lights, our 5-week summer camp.

This morning, Little Lights Volunteer and Mentor Coordinator Alizah Wilson spoke to News4's Molette Green about the importance of combating hunger in DC, especially during the summer.

Thank you to NBC Washington for highlighting this important program!

https://www.nbcwashington.com/food-4-families/hunger-is-a-stubborn-problem-pat-lawson-muse-on-importance-of-food-4-families/3651129/?_osource=SocialFlowFB_DCBrand&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0gkBMYdZJH0aKBnaZZ63o8o5PfIxfCedsrq27x6gjNiljcxH5KmGoBrZA_aem_7mGQIp_GQ0KU9xpKaaWihw

‘Hunger is a stubborn problem': Pat Lawson Muse on importance of Food 4 Families Retired News4 anchor Pat Lawson Muse and Alizah Wilson of nonprofit Little Lights share how hunger is a year-round problem in the D.C. area. Food insecurity affects people in every zip code in the District, including many children on summer break, the Capital Area Food Bank says. News4’s Molette G...

Thank you to all the organizations who came out to prepare our sites for our upcoming 5-week summer camp, Summer Lights 2024!

- Deloitte (Impact Day)
- Passion City Church DC
- National Student Leadership
- Christ Church at Grove Farm

Because of the hard work of these groups, our sites will be cleaned and organized for our students next week!

Little Lights had a lot to celebrate this weekend!

On Saturday, we honored eight high school graduates and two middle school graduates at our annual Little Lights graduation party! We enjoyed sharing a meal, singing karaoke, and celebrating with the graduates and their families.

We are so proud of our students and are excited to cheer them on in the next season of their lives!

We also had a blast at the third annual Little Lights Summer Classic! In total, we hosted 97 golfers at the East Potomac Golf Links and raised nearly $14,000 for our College and Career Program.

Thank you to everyone who engaged in some friendly competition to support Little Lights!

The end of the school year celebrations continue at Little Lights!

Last week, we took 10 students who attend programs at our Hilltop Center to Pump It Up Indoor Bounce House. We love seeing our students be active, grow in friendship, and have fun together!

Giving Day was a success!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us today in celebrating and supporting our work. The generosity of the Little Lights community never ceases to amaze us.

In less than 24 hours you helped us unlock THREE bonus funds offers and raised more than $158,660 to propel our work of empowering underserved youth and families living in DC. We’re so grateful for those who partner with us in this meaningful and transformative work.

Thanks for making Little Lights Giving Day a success!

Thank you so much to everyone who donated already to help sustain and grow our holistic programs that equip and transform underserved youth and families in DC.

We have raised $73,942 so far today!

This means we met both our noon and 6pm goal, unlocking a total of $25,000 in bonus funds from our Board. Our next and final goal is to raise $100,000 by midnight tonight. If we make this goal, we will receive an additional $25,000 in bonus funds, bringing the total raised today to $150,000.

We would love for you to join us in our work providing a safe and enriching summer camp for DC youth, offering support for students to help overcome the barriers to college access, equipping adults for success in the workforce, and more.

Head to the link in our bio to make a donation before midnight tonight!

Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far on Giving Day! We have raised $65,733 so far today. This means we have met our noon and 6pm goals and are over halfway to our end of day goal of $100,000. If we hit $100,000 by midnight, we will unlock another $25,000 in bonus funds from our Board of Directors! To make a donation, head to the link in our bio. 

By donating, you are helping to prepare adults for success in the workforce and beyond. One of the ways Little Lights provides support for adults in our community is by helping them become workforce ready through on-the-job training.

Residents of public housing are an integral part of our staff. Within the public housing communities we serve, Little Lights is the largest private employer. Our goal is to help people gain the experience they need to pursue other job opportunities.

For more than six years, Kirsten worked as a member of our programming staff in various roles. While at Little Lights, she served as a Program Assistant and Interim Site Leader at our Potomac Gardens Center. Kirsten was also instrumental in helping to launch and grow the College and Career Program in 2021.

After gaining valuable workforce experience at Little Lights, Kirsten felt that she was ready to pursue a full-time career in the federal government. 

This year, Kirsten began working at the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility as a Lieutenant Supervisor. In her short time at NIH, Kirsten has been recognized for her excellence in the workplace. Within three days of her initial training, she was recommended to be a supervisor and the following week, she began her Lieutenant training!

Kirsten attributes her career success to her time at Little Lights. As a member of our programming staff, she says she acquired valuable organization skills, learned how to be adaptive and not reactive at work, and became more accountable to herself and others.

We are honored to have played a role in Kirsten’s professional development and are excited to see her flourish in her career!

Thanks to the generosity of many, we have hit our noon goal of $25,000! This has unlocked $10,000 in bonus funds from our Board of Directors.

Our next goal is to raise $50,000 by 6pm which will unlock an additional $15,000 in bonus funds. Please consider making a donation today by clicking on the link in our bio.

Giving Day Update: We have raised $10,469 so far this morning! If we raise $25,000 by noon, we will unlock $10,000 in bonus funds from our Board of Directors. Please consider making a donation today at the link in our bio.

Another way your donation supports underserved students and families in DC is through the support we provide to help students overcome the barriers to college access. 

The college and financial aid application process can be daunting and confusing. That’s where the Little Lights College and Career Program comes in. When a student expresses interest in going to college, our staff and volunteers provide support to students and their families every step of the way. 

Tyrone is one such student we walked alongside this year. Tyrone and his family have been connected to Little Lights for many years and we are currently providing ongoing academic support and financial aid advising to his older brother, Kevin, a rising sophomore at Virginia State University. 

This year, Tyrone worked with staff to identify scholarships to apply for, complete his college applications, and maintain a strong GPA to finish high school. We are excited to share that he will attend Eastern Connecticut State University this fall! 

Tyrone received the DC-CAP Partnership and was accepted into Eastern Connecticut State University’s Nutmeg State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program. The goal of the alliance is to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) participation, success, and graduation rates of historically underrepresented groups to diversify the state’s STEM workforce.

In addition to Tyrone, six more Little Lights students will begin college this fall with little to no debt. Even with the immense dysfunction of the FAFSA process this year, our staff was able to assist all of these students and their families, ensuring all of them could access the available financial resources.

We are so proud of Tyrone, Jeffrey, Imani, Mishe, Mark, Juvontae, and Michael for their dedication to pursuing their college dreams!

Giving Day is Here! In 24 hours we're aiming to raise $150K to celebrate and propel our work of empowering underserved youth and families in DC. Throughout the day, if we hit various fundraising benchmarks, we unlock bonus funds generously given by our Board of Directors. If we raise $25,000 by noon, we will unlock $10,000 in bonus funds!

By making a donation to Little Lights, you are helping to provide a safe and enriching summer camp for DC youth. Every summer, Little Lights hosts a five-week camp called Summer Lights to help kids in DC enjoy summer to its fullest.

At Summer Lights, kids have a safe and enriching place to play, make new friends, explore their interests, eat a healthy meal, and cement their math and reading skills. For many students, Summer Lights is the highlight of the year! And in just four weeks, we are excited to welcome campers back for Summer Lights 2024!

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are able to offer this camp experience at no cost for families who reside in DC’s public housing communities. When you make a gift on Giving Day, your partnership helps to ensure that summer camp remains free for kids who live in DC’s most vulnerable and underserved communities.

To donate and help us meet our $25,000 goal, head to the link below:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/little-lights-urban-ministries/little-lights-giving-day-2024

Little Lights Giving Day is just 3 days away!

On Thursday, June 6th we will come together to celebrate the impact of our work and raise $150K for underserved communities in DC.

We need your help to make Giving Day a success - will you join us!

Donate Now | Little Lights Giving Day 2024 by Little Lights Urban Ministries Today we are coming together to celebrate and propel our work of empowering underserved youth and families living in underserved communities in DC.Through the provisio...

We have BIG plans on June 6th - we are hosting our annual Little Lights Giving Day!

We invite you to participate in our 24-hour giving event, where we come together to raise $150,000 to celebrate and propel our work of empowering underserved youth and families living in DC’s underserved communities.

Your help on Thursday, June 6th is critical to making Giving Day a success. Let’s join together to support the Little Lights community in a BIG way!

https://bit.ly/LLGivingDay24

Little Lights - Little Lights Equipping young people to excel in school and in their lives through tutoring, mentoring, and college and career readiness.

We love our Little Lights volunteers!!

Last night, we celebrated those who served at Little Lights over the last school year at our Volunteer Appreciation Party.

Thanks to these hardworking and dedicated folks, we are able to offer support to more students and families in underserved DC communities.

We can't say thank you enough to our volunteers!

At Little Lights, the end of the school year means it's time to celebrate our students! It is a Little Lights tradition to honor them with an exciting outing to Pump It Up Indoor Bounce House.

The outing was a reward for those who had great behavior and excellent attendance in the Reading and Math Heroes tutoring programs over the 2023-2024 school year. Students were able to enjoy bounce houses, slides, and pizza & cupcakes.

We are very proud of these dedicated students for their hard work during the school year!

Little Lights invites you to the Third Annual Little Lights Summer Classic!

Join us on Saturday, June 15th at our third annual charity golf tournament. All proceeds will benefit students in Little Lights’ Next Step College and Career Program.

Register today to reserve your spot!

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/little-lights-urban-ministries/2024-little-lights-summer-classic

Little Lights - Little Lights Equipping young people to excel in school and in their lives through tutoring, mentoring, and college and career readiness.