An Ever-Increasing Need

A US Census Bureau report released in 2005 noted that 37 million people - 12.7 percent of Americans - live below the federally defined poverty line. Furthermore, 24.7 percent of African Americans lived below poverty line. In the District of Columbia, 16.7 percent of residents - 49,600 people - live below the federal poverty line. It is also estimated that one-third of the youth in DC are living in poverty.

Washington is a city of incredible wealth and grinding poverty. In the wealthiest ward, Ward 3, the median income is $71,875. In the poorest, Ward 8, the median is only $25,017. Ward 8's population is 92.4 percent African American, while Ward 3's population is 83.6 percent white.  Of the people we serve, 96 percent are African American.  

Our services extend to children, families and adults.  We aim to provide each individual seeking our assistance with services that will allow them to break through the cycle of poverty they have lived with so long, in order that they and their children will be able to live self-sufficient lives where they no longer need the services of an agency such as ours.

The Faces of Poverty

Everyday at Community Family Life Services, we see the faces of poverty that embody the statistics described above:

The mother of five who cannot afford to keep up with rent because she needs to buy food...

The former convict who has just been released with no family, no job, and no place to live in order to get himself back on his feet and not fall victim to recidivism...

The woman who is desperately trying to find work, but who no one will hire because she has a history of homelessness and no solid work experience...

The child who attends a D.C. Public Elementary School that ranks as one of the worst in the nation and who cannot get the help he needs at home or in school to reach appropriate grade level achievement...

The young mother who dropped out of high school and now realizes the importance of earning her GED...

The man living with AIDS and a history of substance abuse who is in need of intensive case management and substance abuse counseling...

It takes dedicated, caring, and competent staff members to work with our clients each day:  to assess their needs, develop goals around those needs, and to help them effect positive change in their own lives.