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A
NNUAL
R
EPORT
2007
D
INNER
P
ROGRAM
FOR
H
OMELESS
W
OMEN
“
A Y
EAR
OF
C
HANGE
”
DPHW
safepotentialopportunitysupportappetizingwelcoming
THE MISSION
“to provide a safe, stable, and welcoming environment in whicha person can receive a hot, nutritious, and appetizing meal andbe offered the support, services, and opportunity needed toreach her or his full potential.”
2
Dinner
Program
for
Homeless
Women
WHO WE SERVE
DPHW opens its doors to all—we realizethat homelessness can strike at any timeand does not discriminate based on age,race, or gender. Our clients come from avariety of backgrounds and attribute theirhomelessness to many differentcontributing factors. We at DPHW recognize the diversity of our clients andseek to provide services in such a way as tomeet them where they are and focus ontheir individual needs.
Contributing
Factors
to
Homelessness
Gender
Breakdown
Age
Breakdown
How
Long
Clients
Have
Been
Homeless
Over
75%
of
our
clients
did
not
have
a
case
manager
before
coming
to
DPHW,
but
almost
50%
of
those
clients
requested
case
management
services.
**Percentages are only representative of clients who filled out intake formsin 2007. These include, but are not limited to, anyone requesting a referralfor services and anyone receiving case management. We believe thesenumbers to be generally representative of the population DPHW serves,although the men in our program may be slightly underrepresented.
The
Dinner
Program
for
Homeless
Women
began
providing
meals
and
a
safe
haven
to
homeless
women
and
children
in
1979.
Over
time,
DPHW
incorporated
additional
social
services
to
address
not
only
hunger,
but
the
root
causes
of
homelessness.
In
1998,
DPHW
began
serving
morning
meals
to
men
in
addition
to
women
and
children,
and
in
2007,
we
introduced
formalized
case
management
and
therapeutic
services
for
all
our
clients.
Through
the
years,
our
mission
has
remained
simple,
yet
profound...
Annual
Report
2007
3
Diana
Bruce,
MPA
President,
Board
of
Directors
Erika
Barry,
MPA
Executive
Director
Dear
Friends
of
the
Dinner
Program
for
Homeless
Women,
2007
was
a
year
of
exciting
change
and
tremendous
growth
for
the
Dinner
Program
for
Homeless
Women
(DPHW).
The
changes
began
in
January
as
DPHW
moved
for
the
first
time
in
its
history
from
First
Congregational
UCC,
currently
being
redeveloped,
to
a
temporary
space
at
First
Trinity
Lutheran
Church.
Spurred
in
part
by
the
sudden
increase
in
need
due
to
the
closure
of
several
partner
service
providers,
DPHW
expanded
to
double
our
program
hours
and
triple
our
client
base.
For
the
first
time,
DPHW
became
entirely
responsible
for
the
provision
of
meals
and
emergency
and
social
services
to
the
almost
300
homeless
individuals
who
come
through
our
doors
each
day.
DPHW
also
introduced
day
programs
to
serve
both
men
and
women,
including
new
case
management
services
and
therapeutic
groups
aimed
at
offering
our
clients
the
support
needed
to
overcome
their
homelessness.
As
a
result
of
these
changes,
DPHW
was
able
to
fully
realize
its
goal
of
becoming
a
“one
‐
stop
shop”
for
DC’s
homeless
men
and
women—offering
meals,
social
services,
community
resources,
employment
training,
educational
and
enrichment
activities,
all
under
one
roof.
We
never
expected
so
much
to
change
so
quickly,
and
this
new
set
of
circumstances
did
not
come
without
its
challenges.
However,
as
2007
came
to
a
close,
DPHW
found
itself
stronger
than
ever.
DPHW’s
highly
professional
and
dedicated
staff
approached
each
new
development
with
leadership,
passion,
and
commitment,
viewing
each
challenge
as
an
opportunity
rather
than
a
barrier.
DPHW’s
Board
of
Directors
also
showed
exceptional
leadership
in
2007,
implementing
tighter
fiscal
controls
and
strengthening
Board
governance
policies
to
help
guide
us
through
this
time
of
change.
Most
importantly,
DPHW
is,
and
has
always
been,
strengthened
by
a
dedicated
volunteer
base
(many
of
whom
have
supported
the
organization
for
decades),
collaboration
with
community
partners,
and
visionary
public
and
private
funders.
Their
unwavering
support
of
vulnerable
individuals
allows
us
to
offer
our
clients
services
and
programs
that
are
truly
transformative.
After
overcoming
the
challenges
and
changes
of
2007,
DPHW
looks
confidently
towards
the
future.
DPHW
recently
completed
a
comprehensive
needs
assessment,
which
consisted
of
nearly
100
individual
client
interviews
conducted
by
our
faithful
volunteers.
The
results
are
already
influencing
DPHW’s
delivery
of
services
and
will
be
used
when
the
Board
completes
our
new
strategic
plan
in
2008.
We
also
eagerly
anticipate
the
redevelopment
of
our
old
home
at
945
G
Street
NW,
so
that
homeless
men,
women,
and
children
in
the
Downtown
area
can
continue
to
find
a
nourishing
meal,
a
friendly
smile,
and
the
social
services
necessary
to
survive
and
thrive.
We
look
forward
to
experiencing
this
exciting
transition
with
you.
Sincerely,
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