Be the Change in DC Blog: One house at a time

Be the Change in DC

Be the Change in DC (BTCDC) helps the less fortunate through events, both social and service in nature, that are meant to give the general public a new perspective on the very people that they may walk by and ignore on a daily basis. By personally handing out much needed items to the homeless, Be the Change in DC’s volunteers interact with the homeless and see them in a different light. In helping out the homeless, BTCDC does not want compete with existing organizations, but rather work with them to fill in the gaps of taking a homeless person off the streets. We have partnered with organizations such as So Other Might Eat (SOME), the Shelter Hotline and Community Voice Mail to accomplish our goals.

In serving the community, our goal is to help the homeless get back on their feet and educate the general public on homelessness.

Sep

2010

author: Rohit Dixit

As you probably know, Be the Change in DC gave out cell phones to four homeless men about two months ago. We believe that over time the phones can help Marvin, Sam M., Fred and Sam W. find housing and employment and access medical services. I recall being worried initially that these men may not stay in touch with us once we gave out the phones. I could not have been more wrong. A few days ago when I was too sick to make a meeting, I received a worried phone call from Marvin. He was checking in on me, making sure that I was ok since I missed our meeting. The other guys in the program call me frequently to check in as well. I also found out that Sam M., who has been on the housing authority's list for some time now, recently received a call that he was next-in-line for an apartment in Silver Spring. Because of the phone we provided, Sam M. was accessible and able to receive this call. He just signed the lease on his new place last Friday. I can't say that we got Sam M. housing, but we facilitated his ability to get housing and made the system more efficient. Now I call that a success, especially for a trial program.

Be the Change in DC Blog