Calvary’s new housing program, Sisters Rise, will provide 25 additional permanent supportive housing units for women fleeing domestic violence. This is huge! This means that 25 more women will move into their own homes in time for the holidays this year. 

Accompanying this growth, we will also expand our comprehensive, trauma-informed, and personalized support services to continue meeting the needs of women served by Calvary. 

Kris Thompson, the CEO of Calvary said, “We know the need is great. Calvary must take action. The challenges and opportunities of this moment call us to serve more women and support them as they work to heal and end their homelessness for good.”

Click here to read more about Calvary's new housing program, Sisters Rise, and how we need your support to help us raise an additional $2M in funding for our programs.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is crucial that we raise awareness and stand with women who have experienced domestic violence this month and every month, especially now.

We know that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime, and that low-income women and women of color and other marginalized groups are disproportionately affected. We also know that there has been a significant increase in calls to domestic violence crisis lines throughout the pandemic. The need for support and awareness is critical.

At Calvary, we are proud to support women who are survivors of trauma and violence and will remain committed to providing safety and resources for women who need it most. Before the pandemic, Calvary opened a new transitional housing program called Reach Up, which expanded our capacity by 80%. 15 beds within Reach Up are designated for women who are fleeing domestic violence. And now, with our new housing program, Sisters Rise, we will be able to welcome 25 more women who are survivors of domestic violence to Calvary. 

You can visit the DC Coalition Against Violence site to find out different ways to get involved and stand with survivors of domestic violence throughout the month.

The In This Together 5k was a great success again this year! Through your support, you have shown your steadfast commitment to Calvary and have inspired the women we serve, our staff, and our community.

If you missed the chance to sign up, donate or finish your 5k, there is still time! The In This Together event page will stay live until October 31. Will you help us raise even more to support women ending their homelessness for good? Visit bit.ly/2021inthistogether5k to donate today.

Thanks to our friends at Deloitte, Calvary residents enjoyed a night at Shakespeare Theatre last month. They saw the play The Amen Corner alongside a fully vaccinated and masked audience. The women enjoyed every second of the evening.

The play was wonderful and thought-provoking and the women had a lively and multilayered discussion about it on their ride home. One woman shared, "I felt so much joy that entire evening. It was an amazing atmosphere, great company, and incredible music."

The Amen Corner was the last play the Shakespeare Theatre ran before shutting down due to the pandemic, and the first play they opened with in September. There were so many emotions. The night truly embodied community. We have missed moments like these and we are so grateful to be able to have experiences like this as a Calvary community once again.

We could not be more excited to have some of our volunteers back at Calvary!

Volunteers were deeply missed over the last year and a half and it was not the same without our volunteers serving meals or leading LEAP classes.

Volunteers from Peace Fellowship Church (pictured on the right) was the very first group to serve a meal back on-site at Calvary's Good Hope Road location.

The laughs and conversation between the volunteers and residents could be heard throughout the building! Although smiles were covered by masks, the energy and excitement was felt by all.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Stacia Frederick at sfrederick@calvaryservices.org.