Connecting People, Resources and Opportunity
Washington, D.C. is more than the nation’s capital for Divine Hearts Foundation. It is an important center for our U.S. operations, partnerships and growing commitment to community development in the United States.
From our international coordinating office in Washington, D.C., Divine Hearts Foundation connects our work in the United States and Uganda while developing partnerships with churches, nonprofits, businesses, foundations, professionals, volunteers and community leaders.
At the same time, we recognize that Washington is a city of extraordinary opportunity existing alongside communities and individuals who continue to experience economic hardship, employment barriers, justice-system involvement, housing instability and unequal access to professional networks. Our goal is to help bridge some of those gaps.
Community Reintegration and Second Chances
One of our developing priorities in Washington, D.C. is supporting people rebuilding their lives after incarceration and other significant life disruptions.
Successful reintegration requires more than release from incarceration. People may need employment, identification, education, housing connections, financial capability, healthcare, transportation, family support, mentorship and a community willing to welcome them.
Divine Hearts Foundation seeks to complement existing District reentry systems by concentrating on the human relationships surrounding successful reintegration.
Through mentorship, employment preparation, professional connections, financial education, resource navigation and partnerships with community organizations, churches and employers, we seek to help individuals develop practical pathways toward stability and independence.
Youth Mentorship and Professional Exposure
Washington, D.C. is home to an extraordinary concentration of professionals, universities, institutions, nonprofits, businesses and leaders. We believe these resources can become powerful opportunities for young people.
Through our Opportunity Pathways and Dream Builders initiatives, we seek to connect underserved young people and emerging leaders with professionals who can mentor them, expose them to careers and industries, and help them develop their talents.
Imagine a young person interested in communications being mentored by a communications professional; an aspiring entrepreneur spending time with a successful business owner; or a student interested in technology being exposed to professionals working in that field. Our role is to help build those bridges.
Workforce and Economic Opportunity
Our Washington, D.C. work also emphasizes pathways toward employment, entrepreneurship and economic independence.
Participants may receive support with career planning, résumé development, interview preparation, digital literacy, financial education, entrepreneurship, professional networking and connections to established workforce and training programs.
We want to help people move beyond temporary assistance toward sustainable opportunity.
Mobilizing Professionals to Serve
Washington is rich in professional expertise. Lawyers, educators, healthcare professionals, communications specialists, entrepreneurs, technology professionals, government employees, nonprofit leaders, financial professionals and many others possess knowledge that can make a meaningful difference when shared.
Divine Hearts Foundation seeks to develop a network of professionals willing to contribute their expertise through mentoring, workshops, advisory support, volunteering and skills-based service.
We believe generosity is not limited to money. Knowledge can be donated. Experience can be shared. Networks can be opened. Doors can be opened.
A Bridge Between the United States and Uganda
Washington, D.C. also serves as an important bridge connecting our U.S. supporters with our international work.
From here, we cultivate partnerships, coordinate fundraising and communications, engage churches and institutions, organize mission opportunities and connect people in the United States with communities and programs in Uganda.
This creates an opportunity for meaningful global relationships built around service, learning, dignity and mutual respect.
Building Community Through Partnership
Our vision for Washington, D.C. is not to build another isolated nonprofit program.
It is to build connections.
- Connections between people and opportunity.
- Between returning citizens and supportive communities.
- Between young people and mentors.
- Between job seekers and employers.
- Between churches and neighborhoods.
- Between professionals and people who can benefit from their experience.
- And between communities in the United States and Uganda.
Washington, D.C. can become a place where Divine Hearts Foundation connects compassion with opportunity and opportunity with lasting change.