Join Martha's Table for the Get Ready 4 School Giveaway on Saturday, July 31st! This safe, socially distanced back-to-school event is open to D.C. families with all-new, all-free back-to-school clothing, supplies, and health and wellness services.
From 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, families can come to the Pavilion at Gateway DC, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, and pick up school supplies, snacks, and clothing for the whole family – and be surrounded by family-friendly fun.
As a mom and director of Maternal and Child Health at Community of Hope, I’ve been reflecting on the healthy start that I work towards for my children and for the community around me. Too often, I’ve observed that it’s hard for people living in under-resourced communities to have access to quality and affordable healthcare. Historic inequities and ensuing disparities in access have contributed to these areas having high mortality rates for Black mothers and babies.
At Community of Hope, we offer Healthy Start for families. This federal grant-funded program, awarded to DC Health and sub-awarded to Community of Hope, is available for District residents and aims to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy, and reduce racial/ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The program accomplishes this by focusing on providing care coordination support to those communities that have the highest rates of infant mortality and poor maternal health outcomes in the District, helping to strengthen linkages to care and birthing support.
The Healthy Start program at Community of Hope brings together Perinatal Care Coordination and Doula services with our high-quality Midwifery and OB care and is offered specifically to families who live in Wards 5, 7, and 8. Our families in these areas are often long-term residents of DC who have lived here for generations and are rooted in the community. They are resilient in many ways. But unfortunately, the areas they call home are challenged with higher levels of maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as infant mortality. Healthy Start offers specialized support designed to address these disparities in health outcomes by helping bridge historic gaps in access through the provision of perinatal care coordination support and evidence-based Doula services.
Healthy Start works to assure access to culturally competent, family-centered, and comprehensive health and social services for women, infants, and their families, like Deette Henry. Deette and her family receive medical care at Community of Hope’s Family Health and Birth Center in Ward 5 and entered the Healthy Start program in 2020 at the start of her second pregnancy with her son. “[Community of Hope’s staff and providers] make me feel welcome. They treat us good. Everyone knows us,” said Deette. Deette was assigned a Perinatal Care Coordinator who ensured she received the support she needed during pregnancy and the postpartum period through services such as CenteringPregnancy®, home visiting, referrals to other critical family support services, and basic wellness check-ins that helped mom and baby stay up to date with health appointments and visits. “We don’t talk all the time but when I do need something, she [care coordinator] is available to help.”
Community of Hope has partnered with DC Health on the Healthy Start program since May 2020. Since then, we have served 228 participants (birthing parents, fathers/partners, and children). We want our Healthy Start participants to feel prepared as parents to support the health, growth, and development of their babies. We are committed to serving young families to make sure moms and babies get a healthy start. Our team provides a whole range of prenatal care and supportive services for your whole family.
Highlights of our services include midwives and OB providers, doula services, referrals to home visiting, free rides to OB appointments, 24-hour medical advice, care coordination, health education, CenteringPregnancy sessions, breastfeeding support, and parenting classes including support services for partners and fathers.
We have room for your family. Call 202.540.9857 to secure a Healthy Start today.
I’m calling on my readers to take a few minutes to help your east of the river favorites get some free promotion while showing your appreciation!
The NOMINATION period for the Washington City Paper’s annual “Best of D.C.” contest is happening now through August 1st.
This year you can vote in Food, Drink, Arts & Entertainment, Health & Beauty, Goods, Services, Pandemic Superstars, and People & Places.
Historically, it’s been a challenge getting EotR winners on the list because the contest is 100% online, and as we know, there is a real digital divide in Wards 7 and 8.
So for those of us who can go online (like the readers of this blog), please take a moment to nominate your favorite Ward 7 and Ward 8 small businesses, entertainment venues, nonprofits, people, places, and community blogs (hint, hint).
Those with the most nominations move to the online VOTING stage that begins August 19th.
From there, we will need your support in getting the vote out so that this year’s ‘Best of D.C.’ winners include an excellent representation from east of the river!
The Ward 8 SHNB League is kicking off their Peace Week with something special for mothers in the community who lost a child(ren) to gun violence. If you know any mothers that would be interested, please have them RSVP.
The Metropolitan Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 48-year-old Zella Mae Martin, who was last seen in the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Ave, SE, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. The report was taken on Sunday, July 18, 2021.
Zella Mae Martin is described as a black female, 5’11” tall, 210 pounds, brown braids with red stripes and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt, green shorts, and black sandals. She may be in need of medication.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Seventh District seek the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle in reference to an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun) offense that occurred on Saturday, July 18, 2021, in the 2600 block of Wade Road, Southeast.
At approximately 11:23 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to the listed location for the report of the sounds of gunshots. Upon arrival, members located an adult female victim, conscious and breathing, suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. An additional victim, an adult male, walked into an area hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
The suspect vehicle can be described as a silver SUV, possibly a Lexus. The vehicle was captured by a nearby surveillance camera and can be seen in the photos below:
Anyone who can identify this vehicle, or has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411. The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia.
The Metropolitan Police Department seeks the public's assistance in identifying two persons of interest in reference to a Theft II incident which occurred in the 800 b/o Xenia Street, SE, on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at approximately 1:45 AM. The subjects were captured by nearby surveillance cameras.
DO YOUR PART TO HELP PREVENT AND SOLVE CRIME. Crime Solvers of Washington, DC currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia. Your assistance is appreciated by your community. CCN 21-092-635
Anyone who can identify this individual or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE to 50411.
To learn more about the MPD Rewards program, please visit www.mpdc.dc.gov/rewards.
The Metropolitan Police Department seeks the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in reference to a Theft II/Simple Assault incident which occurred in the 2500 b/o Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, on Monday, July 5, 2021, at approximately 12:15 PM. The subject was captured by nearby surveillance cameras.
DO YOUR PART TO HELP PREVENT AND SOLVE CRIME. Crime Solvers of Washington, DC currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia. Your assistance is appreciated by your community. CCN 21-091-603
Anyone who can identify this individual or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE to 50411.
To learn more about the MPD Rewards program, please visit www.mpdc.dc.gov/rewards.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a homicide that occurred on Sunday, July 18, 2021, in the 6100 block of 4th Street, Northwest.
At approximately 1:29 am, members of the Fourth District responded to the 6700 block of 5th Street, Northwest, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, members located an adult female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead. Further investigation revealed the incident occurred in the 6100 block of 4th Street, Northwest.
The decedent has been identified as 29-year-old Dara Northern, of Northwest, DC.
The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
