Two years of New Horizons!

Two years ago in April 2009, we launched a permanent supportive housing program for women and children who face the most difficult journeys out of homelessness: households headed by women who are also recovering from domestic violence, battling addiction, managing mental illness, or living with HIV/AIDS.

We are proud to celebrate two years of successes and achievements at New Horizons, with the promise of more to come.

New Horizons provides apartments and intensive case management support to women-headed families moving out of homelessness. Our capacity is 17 families. Right now we have 15 mothers and 41 children participating in the program. All 15 families have at least 12 months in the program; 13 of the families have 18 months or more in the program.

Among the New Horizons households, 14 of the 15 women are employed or attending school, and many of them juggle school and work, along with parenting. Women attend NOVA Community College, Potomac College, and the University of Phoenix.

Each New Horizons family participates in services designed to meet their unique needs, from support groups to parenting skills development, to addiction recovery treatments and domestic violence trauma counseling. We help families identify the support they need to heal and we connect them to the right resources. We equip them with the tools they need to leave behind homelessness, and reach what lies ahead on their new horizons.

Join with us in celebrating two years of New Horizons!

Spring Egg Hunt for Our Young Residents!

Our New Generations program hosted an Arts & Crafts Day and festive Spring Egg Hunt for young residents under age 12. Children showcased their creativity by decorating holiday eggs and making their own art. At the Spring Egg Hunt, there were treats and sweets for all children, and prizes for the best egg hunters. Special thanks to all the families who participated, and to our volunteers and donors for making the events extra special!

New Endeavors by Women is home to more than 70 youth in our transitional and permanent supportive housing programs for homeless women and their children: New Generations, New Horizons and Shelter Plus Care.

Read NEW's Spring 2011 newsletter

The Spring 2011 ReNEWal newsletter is now available online!

NEW helps DEA honor National Women's History Month

Wanda Steptoe (center) pictured with Ava Cooper-Davis (left) and Mary Johnson-Rochee (right). More photos below.


NEW was recently invited to help the Department of Justice DEA agency honor National Women’s History Month at a brown bag lunch hosted by the agency’s Washington Division.

At the event, three dozen local DEA employees—both women and men—participated in a lively panel discussion with four local women’s groups. The group talk covered important topics about women’s health and wellness; local services for women facing poverty, homelessness and other challenges; and more.

Our executive director, Wanda Steptoe, shared information about our organization and spoke about homelessness in Washington, highlighting the specific struggles often faced by homeless single women and mothers with children.

We are glad for the opportunity to share in the DEA’s unique celebration of National Women’s History Month, and we thank them once again for inviting our participation.

I am Carla. This is my story.

My name is Carla Kinard-Lindsay. I’m 44 years old and used drugs for 13 years. Despite using drugs, I was able to achieve some of my life’s goals:
I graduated from Anacostia High School in 1984 and completed the Certified Dental Assistant program at Georgetown School of Science and Arts in 1986.

That was before addiction took over my life and caused me to experience heartaches, headaches, hopelessness, and homelessness. My last run with drugs took a terrible toll on my life. I abandoned my boyfriend and my two beautiful children for several weeks, and remember looking in the mirror asking myself, “Why are you living like this?” I found Narcotics Anonymous in November 1995.

After going to detox, I began my own process of attending NA meetings, getting a sponsor and believing that a miracle was coming my way. A counselor named Reggie Jones told me about a program called New Endeavors by Women. I will never forget the joyful feeling in my soul that my prayers were being answered.

I came to New Endeavors on January 10, 1996. The program gave me hope and a sense of direction. New Endeavors taught and showed me that I could become a productive member of society, a better mother, co-worker, daughter and friend. I was not used to being around or living with so many women, as I was the only daughter my parents had. With the strict rules and responsibilities at New Endeavors, I learned to be accountable to other people and accountable to myself. My case manager, Robin Harper, took time to mold me back to being a beautiful black woman. I stayed at New Endeavors for six months, and then moved to a supportive housing program to further my recovery and reconnect with my children.

Within one year of being at New Endeavors by Women, I learned to take control of my life again. I did not have the desire to use drugs anymore, and I moved to permanent housing with my children. With sobriety and independence, I was also experiencing greater opportunities in my life. I met and married a wonderful man, Ira Lindsay Jr., now my husband of nine years. I gave birth to another son, Ira Lindsay III, and am a home owner of ten years. I am employed at Anchor Mental Health of Catholic Charities, as a Senior Community Support Specialist/Addiction Counselor. I also work part-time as Support Staff at New Endeavors by Women—a position I’ve held for nine years.

Finding help and relying on my strong support system helped me turn my life around. I am especially grateful to my family for not giving up on me; my sponsor Antoinette Jones, who has been in my life for 12 years; and, Ms. Steptoe and Ms. Popit at New Endeavors by Women, for encouraging me to stay teachable, and for giving me a chance at a second chance.