Ready, Willing & Working

At Ready, Willing & Working, our growing waitlist reflects just how many individuals are ready and eager for the opportunity to work, highlighting both the need for and the impact of this program.

The Capitol Hill BID partners with The h3 Project to connect individuals experiencing homelessness in Capitol Hill to critical services and housing. Through this outreach, two individuals were recently connected to RWW, where they were able to access employment and ongoing supportive services.

Today, they are thriving, building stability through both housing and meaningful work.

This is what’s possible when organizations come together around a shared mission, creating real pathways out of homelessness and into long-term success.

Ready, Willing & Working Board Member carol fennelly was recently featured on Fox News with Douglas Kennedy, highlighting her meaningful work helping incarcerated fathers at Cumberland Prison stay connected with their children.

These relationships matter, and the Children’s Day program is making a lasting difference for families and futures.

Watch the full segment here: www.foxnews.com/video/6388443531112

Modern-day Mother Teresa helps imprisoned fathers stay connected with families | Fox News Video Fox News' Douglas Kennedy introduces Carol Fennelly, dubbed a modern-day Mother Teresa for helping incarcerated fathers connect with their children at Cumberland, Maryland's federal correctional institution.

Because of you, something truly extraordinary happened.

Our Children’s Day was filled with laughter, connection, and unforgettable moments. Dads proudly helped set up the space, families opened gifts together, and joy echoed through the room all day long. One tween beamed as she told her dad, “You know, Daddy, I’ve never played Monopoly before,” clutching her new Barbie Monopoly game. Another child was thrilled to learn she’d receive a teddy bear her dad had carefully chosen just for her—hand-knitted by men at FCI Cumberland. 💛

At FCI Morgantown, dads made beautiful stockings for their children. Thanks to your generosity, they were able to choose multiple gifts, making the experience even more meaningful—and ensuring fewer children went without.

A mom who’s attended our last two Children’s Days already asked when the next one will be. A son and daughters reunited with their father for the first time in ten years. Prison staff joined in the excitement, showing up extra proud and supportive. And by the end of the day, even the warden—who spent most of the day smiling and celebrating alongside families—said she had never seen this much joy in a prison before.

There was dancing. There was laughter. There was love.
And in her words: “THIS was Christmas.”

Thank you for making moments like these possible. Your support doesn’t just provide gifts—it restores connection, dignity, and hope. ❤️

If you have not already, check out the video of the Holiday Children's Day at FCI Cumberland from last year:

Children’s Day at Cumberland Prison Ready, Willing & Working hosted their first holiday event for families in December 2024.

Ready, Willing & Working is incredibly grateful for all of our donors. Recently, a recurring donor and neighbor in Adams Morgan shared why she chooses to support RWW:

"I wanted to once again share that the inspiration for our donation this year was 'Man in Blue' Curtis - who works the Columbia Rd. stretch in Adams Morgan.

Curtis has been part of our family's life for more than 5 years, beginning when I would see him on daily morning walks while pregnant with my first child. Since then, my daughter, Rosie, has grown up seeing him almost every day on the way to school, and now my son, Jack, who is 1, will benefit from the same warm smiles, friendly high fives, and easy conversations that Curtis has consistently shared over the years.

I can't express how meaningful it is to us for our kids to grow up in a neighborhood where they know and trust working members of the community--where they see examples of different kinds of people helping their community thrive in different ways, and where they know the names and faces of those people as unique and special individuals.

Beyond all the direct work Curtis and other crew members do keep our community clean, we deeply value these other contributions to shaping the lives of our kids and their expectations of what it means to be part of a neighborhood.

Thank you for all the work your team does to enhance Adams Morgan and support good people like Curtis. We just love him!"

Curtis is a dedicated and long time member of the Adams Morgan Partnership BID Clean Team. If you see Curtis and other team members in the neighborhood, please join us in thanking them for their dedication to our community!

Santa came early for the “Men & Women in Blue” and their families!

Big thanks to Board Member carol fennelly, The Capitol Hill Chorale, Ron Newmyer with Armand’s Pizza, National Capital Bank, Sue Stine, and generous donors for making this event possible. Your support and gifts brought so much joy to our families! 💙