DC Charity Spotlight: Alternative House - The Abused & Homeless Children's Refuge

WISH LIST $500: 3 weeks of counseling/support for a homeless mother; $750: Safe Youth Project after-school program for 2 teens; $1000: shelter, food, and counseling for 5 teens for 1 night

Alternative House was founded in 1972 as a shelter for runaway and homeless teens. It has evolved into much more: a dynamic system of services designed to keep young people off the streets by offering safe and accessible places where they can get help, develop life skills, and improve family relationships. A 2-week emergency shelter serves almost 200 teenagers a year, providing temporary refuge and intensive counseling. The Community Outreach program helps young people steer clear of gangs, drugs and violence; provides safety and educational support for teens suspended from school; and after-school programs for others. Counselors on the Mobile Outreach Unit work the streets to provide survival supplies, referrals, and support. A transitional living program provides homeless teen mothers and their children with housing, job training, and child development counseling while teens continue their education and save for the future. After the closing of four shelters, Alternative House is the only shelter for youth in Northern Virginia. Your philanthropy keeps the doors open and protects our vulnerable children.

Judith Dittman,

Executive Director PO Box 694 Dunn Loring, VA 22027 703-506-9191 TheAlternativeHouse.org