760 7th Street SEWashington, DC 20003 202. 548. 4021www.littlelights.orgCFC# 89156

LITTLE LIGHTS TIMESACT JUSTLY. LOVE MERCY. WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD.

LETTER FROM STEVE

Our 15-passenger van (endearingly named Moby) sat in the mechanic’s garage needing some TLC. Various staff members pitched in to help transport the elementary schoolstudents to and from Potomac Gar-dens to the Little Lights Center. On my turn, I drove my mini-van up to the Center doors to get kids back home after programs. First the girlswent in to the far back row, and then three boys climbed into the row just behind the driver’s seat.

I was the only adult in the van, so I was hoping for no drama and no need for any behavior correction in the vehicle while driving. As the boys got seated, they noticed my own children’s story books in the car. One of the boys yelled, “Books!”

He was so excited to see a selection of books in the van, and the other boys reached for the books as well.

All three boys read the entire ride back home to Potomac Gardens. Not only did all the students behave well during the drive, they wanted to keep reading and learning. I was truly proud to see the motivation and the initiative to read for pleasure on their own at such a young age.

Even though the work that we do at Little Lights can be exhausting at times, I am so thankful for our dedicated staff and volunteers, as well as the much-needed resources provided by our donors which allow for Little Lights to stay persistent in our mission. It is my prayer that all of our students learn to thrive aca-demically and in life. I pray that our students will gain a life-long passion for learning.

If you are already engaged with Little Lights and our students, thank you for all you do. If you are just learning about Little Lights or would like to re-engage, please

Dequane and Bryant during Middle School Homework Club. Photo credit: Photoria - www.iphotoria.com

IN THIS ISSUE

CALENDAR

LETTER FROM STEVE

ALL IN THE FAMILY CENTERBETH DEWHURST

TYLER AT LLUM

COMPUTER CLASSTHOMAS TAYLOR

SCHOLAR DOLLARSDIANA BANTU & JASON EDWARDS

CAMP HOPE 2011CHRIS GNIP

MOVING ON UPSTEVE PARK

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHTINTERVIEW WITH KAMARIA SWAN

DONOR SPOTLIGHTINTERVIEW WITH SAM SIERRA

LITTLE LIGHTS LIVE

JUNE 9

CLOSING CEREMONY

JUNE 10

END OF PROGRAMS

JUNE 20-24

OFFICE CLOSED

JULY 5 - JULY 29

SUMMER LIGHTS DAY CAMP

AUGUST 2-6

OFFICE CLOSED

FAVORITE BOOK?

Don’t miss the creativity of the kids in Homework Club and Reading Heroes!

SPRING ‘11.

ONE OF THE bOYS

YELLED, “bOOkS!”

HE wAS SO ExCITED

TO SEE A SELECTION

OF bOOkS IN THE VAN

AND THE OTHER bOYS

REACHED FOR THE

bOOkS AS wELL.

LITERARY MAGAZINEINSIDE!

get in touch with us and dig a little deeper. I am personally looking forward to working with you as we labor together to make hope happen in our community.

THANkS

Steve ParkExecutive Director

JUNIE b. JONESby Barbara Park

“...stuff happens to her that is funny and interesting.”- Brittany

DIARY OF A wIMPY kIDby Jeff Kinney

“...because it’s funny and he uses drawings to describe words.”-James

HIGH SCHOOL DEbUTby Kazune Kawahara“...because it’s about high schoolers and their daily life. It’s Japanese and you read it backwards. Books like that are interesting to me.”- Sa’Niya

2 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES SPRING 2011

“I wANT TO GET A JOb AS A PARALEGAL.”

“I’M LOOkING FOR A PLACE TO TAkE CLASSES.”

“I NEED HELP SENDING MY RESUME TO THIS JOb OPENING.”

These and comments like them are what Little Lights staff hear in the Family Center each week. Potomac Gardens residents have been using the Family Center regularly since its opening in February. Upon entering during drop-in hours on Wednesdays and Fridays, residents are greeted by Manager Debbie Robinson and Director Linda Rice. The smell of fresh popcorn, coffee, and other snacks set out on a wel-come table draws visitors closer to the six bulletin boards packed with job openings; resources like class-es, food, clothing, furniture, and medical care; and fun (free!) family

ALL IN THE FAMILY CENTER BETH DEWHURST

events. Residents and parents with children in Little Lights programs can read current magazines or catch up on the news playing on the flat screen TV. Need to do some Internet research or create an email account? No problem — we have staff ready to lend a hand!

In addition to these and other gen-eral services, the Family Center also provides special events and free on going opportunities for connection. There is free one-on-one resume building and job search support on Wednesdays; Creativity Corner where adults can explore a variety of arts-based forms of self-expres-sion with Ms. Katie Keister on Fri-days; and on the first Friday of each month, Tyler Elementary principal Jennifer Frentress holds office hours for any parent who would like to support their child’s learning.

Ms. Dozier, a resident of Potomac Gardens.

Tim Tim using the computer lab! Ms. Linda during Mother’s Day party.

COMPUTER CLASS THOMAS TAYLOR, volunteer

I’ve been tutoring at Little Lights since October of last year. After talking with Steve and Mary about the Family Center, we came up with the idea for me to teach a six-week introduction to computers class for adults. The class covers a range of computer topics: how to build a Word document, using Gmail, surfing the internet, navigating the desktop, saving files and surfing Craigslist. The class has been a great help to Little Lights staff, and it has taught me a lot as well. We have students who have never used a computer to do more than sol i taire now surfing the web,

composing Word documents and browsing Amazon. It’s also been a lot of fun!

The computer class crew!

Computer class participants are all smiles.

TYLER AT LLUM

Tyler Elementary principal Jennifer Frentress holds monthly office hours for any parent who would like to support their child’s learning at the Little Lights Family Center in Potomac Gardens. Principal Frent-ress also brought several staff mem-bers and a PTA representative to the Family Center in March to highlight the benefits of sending students to Tyler. About 20 parents from the Gardens attended and several were then assisted in the Family Center’s computer lab in signing up their children for Tyler in the fall.

“This space is great, and we are excit-ed to be here,” explained Principal Frentress in a recent visit. She has also coordinated academic efforts with our Academic Director, Beth Dewhurst, so that Tyler students enrolled in Little Lights programs get specific support as the year-

TYLER ELEMENTARY

1001 G STREET, SE

wASHINGTON, DC 20003

(202) 939-4810

www.TYLERELEMENTARY.NET

end assessment time approaches. Beth recently visited the Tyler faculty and shared how a partnership with Little Lights staff can directly ben-efit the 25 Tyler students enrolled in our programs by streamlining communication between after- school staff assisting students with homework, our reading and math individualized learning plans, and parent-school communication. Hosting Principal Frentress regularly in the Family Center is the first of many new initiatives we are under-taking in hopes of seeing Potomac Gardens families thrive.

25 Little Lights students attend John Tyler Elementary located a few blocks away from Potomac Gardens.

Principal Frentress during a workshop.

SPRING 2011 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES 3

SCHOLAR DOLLARS DIANA BANTU & JASON EDWARDS

CAMP HOPE 2011 CHRIS GNIP, volunteer

Spring semester saw big changes at Middle School Homework Club. To encourage our students to get their homework done (and get the academic support they need to do it correctly), our staff unveiled the “Scholar Dollars” incentive in January: completed daily home-work and good citizenship earn a student $2/day! Students collect their earned dollars at the end of each week during our Friday Schol-ar Dollar Ceremony. As an added bonus, instead of collecting their money weekly, students could earn an additional $1 for every week they decide to maintain a savings account with us.

And, as if paying them wasn’t enough, students who com-plete their homework diligently at least 80% of the time not only earn money, but also earn the

right to go on a tr ip during the fol lowing month.

The first in our series of monthly trips to various fun locations select-ed by students was an outing to XP Laser Sport for an afternoon of strobe lights, laser guns, and fun! The seven select students who participated had brought their homework from school every week in January and worked on it with a positive attitude; focused and intent on doing their best each day.

After creating our own unique codenames (FlatOut, Blade, and PrettyGirl, to name a few) and being debriefed on the rules of the game, our laser tag experience began! Split into two teams, staff and students scurried throughout the dark labyrinth of hallways, surrounded by occasional flashing lights, the thump of techno music, and announcements of team score updates. Aiming pretend phas-ers at each other, students and staff blasted each other’s power packs to pile up the points for their respec-tive teams. Giggles and gleeful gameplay filled the room. How-ever, when all was said and done, there could only be one victor, and the Green Team emerged, trium-phant, over the Red Team. Instru-

There was a heavy sadness head-ing home. It was only four days, but the memories will last much longer. Camp Hope had just ended, and the kids weren’t the only ones sad that they were leaving.

For the past nine years, Chinese Bible Church of Maryland and Little Lights have worked together to pro-

vide Camp Hope to the children of Potomac Gardens. Camp Hope is a four day, three night retreat during the district’s spring break. During the camp, children and counselors participate in various lessons, praise and worship sets, drama perfor-mances, arts and crafts activities, and a lot of good fun.

The theme of this year’s camp was ”New Attitude,” derived from 2 Cor-inthians 5:17, which reads, ”There-fore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!“ The camp focused on helping the children under-stand that a new attitude focused on Christ can help them turn away from their old selves and old way of life, that it can help them resist the temptations that can be destructive.

This year 18 children from the Little Lights program attended, along with 22 full-time counselors and leaders. There were countless others who helped plan, volunteered part-time to supervise the kids, and supported through donations and prayer.

One of the advantages of having so much help was that the children were able to be matched up one-to-one with a counselor through-

out the camp. One-on-one times allowed both the counselor and child to share their faith, struggles, and praises. In a matter of days, the hearts of the counselors were broken for the children of Little Lights Urban Ministries.

I know the kids often endure a lot at a tender age. In hearing their stories, what encouraged us was with everything they were dealing with, all the children were able to smile and have joy. Like in the other times we have served, all the counselors learned so much from the children of Little Lights; they helped to put our stresses and troubles in perspective.

Four days is such a small time in the course of a child’s life. To think that

CONTINUED»

mental in the vanquishing of their opponents were the surprisingly valiant efforts of our intrepid overall high-scorer. . . Ms. Martha!

For the next month’s exciting reward trip, students chose bowling. Students tested their skills at the bowling lanes, fueled by cheese pizza and soda. Our students developed some pretty exciting vic-tory dances as they received their first and subsequent strikes, accom-panied by some not-s o - excited dances to acknowledge the gutter balls. All in all, it was a fun time.

For the next two trips our students voted for go-karting twice! It seems the need for speed and competition was too much for them to ignore. As students raced around the tracks there was a competitive edge in the air. Yet again, our fearless victor was Ms. Martha! Students are beginning to have it out for her.

The trips just keep getting better and better. As we come to a close with our spring programs, the

Homework Club trips culminate in June with a final reward trip to beat all reward trips: Six Flags!!!! Any student who has attended three or more of the monthly trips has earned the right to an all-expense paid trip to Six Flags where they can test their patience as they wait in long lines to brave the coasters.

It has been so great to see how the students’ attitude about homework has changed since implementing these new incentives. Although we realize that the motivation may ini-tially be driven by money and trips, we also can’t ignore that students have been more eager to do their homework, have improved in their attitudes, and actually look forward to getting one-to-one help with subjects that used to frustrate them.

It’s a wonderful phrase to hear as students walk in the door and say “Can you help me with my home-work today?” or “Can you show me that math trick again…it really helped me.” To a Middle School staff member, that is music to our ears. The whole purpose of our Scholar Dollar program is to promote stronger academics and confidence. In essence, our purpose is to have dollars help us create scholars, and that’s exactly what we are seeing.

CAN YOU HELP ME

wITH MY

HOMEwORk TODAY?

Jason playing games with two young men in during Homework Club.

Camp Hope is hosted by Chinese Bible Church of Maryland annually.

4 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES SPRING 2011

MOVING ON UP STEVE PARK

We want to congratulate our Teen Interns Geizel Guerrero, Cierra Peterson, and Tyeisha Ford on their recent achievements. Geizel first joined Little Lights at age 7 and has participated in a wide array of programs since then. This spring, she is graduating with honors from Cesar Chavez High School and will be attending Trinity College located in Washington, DC in the fall. She aspires to be a veterinarian. Cierra first started attending Little Lights programs at the age of 4. She benefited from having great tutors growing up and will also be graduating from Cesar Chavez High School this spring with honors, with straight A’s multiple times during her high school years. Cierra will be attending George Mason University in Virginia this fall and wants to pursue a career in criminal law. Tyeisha attended Little Lights summer programs growing up. Tyeisha graduated in 2009 and has worked part-time at Little Lights since then. She was accepted into the National Guard and is now attending basic training.

As an encouragement toward pursuing their careers, Little Lights gave Geizel and Cierra brand new laptops to use at college. They were also personally chauffeured to their prom by Little Lights Executive Director Steve Park! Tyeisha received a brand new digital camera to record her travels with the military. WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF THESE THREE YOUNG LADIES.

Cierra, Tyeisha, and Geizel with family and friends.

one life could be changed in just four days is virtually impossible. But we know that with God, anything ispossible. We all need to assess our faith and gauge just how much we think God really can do. And if we really do believe that God can do anything, programs like Little Lights and retreats such as Camp Hope truly can be life-changing experiences.

Spending four days with the children of Little Lights was invalu-able, but for all involved, being able to spend that time with the Lord was what made camp truly amaz-ing. And that time with the Lord was what made camp so hard to leave. If we could only devote our lives to God like we did those four days at camp, how much greater would life be?

MANY THANkS TO ANGELO CAPILI ANDCHINESE bIbLE CHURCH OF MARYLAND.www.CbCM.ORG

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

SPRING 2011 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES 5

CIERRA PETERSONBeing in Little Lights has been both a fun and fulfilling experience. I have learned a lot but it has also helped me grow as a person. I was and am able to meet new people and gain work experience. As a child at Little Lights, I was able to learn and grow academically. Overall I have had many benefits attending Little Lights Urban Ministries.

TYEISHA C. FORDWow…What can I say?! Little Lights has been a huge blessing for me. Working here as a Teen Intern has made me learn and grow a whole lot. It has taught me how taking care of children, teaching them, helping them, and watching them grow is important to their lives. Doing that makes a big impact on their lives and is quite a great and memorable experience for me as well. Seeing them learn from me and be under the influence of my good deeds and services is a great happiness to me, because it’s always a joy to have ones younger than me to look up to me as a role model or positive influence. It has been a great joy being able to work here. My first job at Little Lights Urban Ministries is an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

GEIzEL GUERREROLittle Lights has done a lot to make me a changed person. Without Little Lights I would not like to read books. Little Lights has made me a wonderful, smart young lady. I would like to thank Ms. Mary, Mr. Steve, Ms. Linda and Mr. Rice. These people have been there throughout my time at Little Lights. I also would like to thank Little Lights as a whole. Thank you for supporting me and my family.

CIERRA wILL bE ATTENDING

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

GEIzEL wILL bE ATTENDING TRINITY COLLEGE

TYEISHA JOINED THE NATIONAL GUARD

6 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES SPRING 2011

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHTkAMARIA SwAN, ELEMENTARY HOMEwORk CLUb

HOw DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN wORkING wITH LITTLE LIGHTS?Giving back to the community is something that I’ve always felt is important. And I have also enjoyed caring for young children for as long as I can remember. So volunteering and working with youth organizations has been something I’ve been doing for years now. Once I got to Howard, though, I kind of slacked in that area. So I made it a mission of mine to find a youth organization where I could volunteer this year. I’m not sure which exact search engine got me to the Little Lights website, but once I found it I was really touched by the videos of the children. The videos are what really made me want to work with Little Lights more so than any of the other organizations I found.

wHAT wERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE HOMEwORk CLUb PROGRAM?My first impression of Homework Club was that it was very well organized. The system was easy to understand as well. And I also noticed how well behaved the students were. The organization and discipline practiced at Little Lights is so necessary in order to provide the children with the best help possible.

wHAT IS ONE OF THE bIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE HAD TO OVERCOME? AND HOw DID YOU OVERCOME IT?I must admit that I haven’t had many problems while working with Little Lights. But one of the few I’ve had is getting certain children to follow directions during homework time. Occasionally I will work with a student who just is not in the mood to do homework that day — which is under-standable of course. So it becomes my job to push them to continue and stay focused and to not take their frustrations out on me. My best methodfor this is talking to the student about why they don’t want to do their assignments that day and also giving them options (for example: “we can either continue to do your homework, get it done as quickly as possible and then get on the computer for fun time OR you can continue to pout and we can sit here doing homework for a really long time…” ). It’s also important to encourage them and let them know they’re doing a good job.And continuing to remind them that we only have a few more problems to do always helps, too.

wHAT HAS bEEN THE MOST REwARDING ASPECT OF VOLUNTEERING AT LITTLE LIGHTS?Working at Little Lights really makes me feel as if I’m benefiting children who don’t have the same guidance that I had growing up. That alone warms my heart becuse I feel like every child should have the same opportunities to succeed. It’s really rewarding just to know that I am helping to change a little person’s life. Also, I have formed some great bonds with the kids and just really enjoy coming to Little Lights after a long day ofclasses and tests. When I’ve been away from the kids for too long I miss them!

THANkS kAMARIA!

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?Volunteers are the backbone of our after-school programs. We could not provide the same quality after-school and summer programs without the help of caring and compassionate individuals such as yourself! Consider joining our fun and supportive Little Lights family in helping out with any of the programs that we offer, and make a difference in the life of a child, a community, and a city. Contact us at 202.548.4021 or email volunteer@littlelights.org.

CHANGE THE CITYCAN DRIVE

CHANGE THE CITY was a great experience. Just

the thought of how these coins are going to benefit people really

makes me feel that as a kid I can make a difference. Also, it was

great to know that every coin will help someone else out in DC.

- Lauren kim, 8th grade, Christ Central Presbyterian Church

To get involved and CHANGE THE CITY, contact giving@littlelights.org or call us at 202.548.4021!

Kamaria with Taionna and Lashawn.

CCPC ‘s youth group participated in our Change the City can drive!

IGNITE THE LIGHT is Little Lights Urban Ministries’ monthly partnership program, made up of committed supporters who understand the value of investing in the future of the children we serve. Without these committed supporters, our work would not be possible. To learn more, visit www.littlelights.org and click DONATE!

bECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER!

DONOR SPOTLIGHT NAME: SAM SIERRAAGE: 28OCCUPATION: IT ENGINEER

HOw LONG HAVE YOU bEEN INVOLVED wITH LITTLE LIGHTS, AND HOw DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED?I was originally introduced to Little Lights in the 90s when it became a partnering organization with The Hope Center which was working with families in the Potomac Gardens apartments. After some years away, I was reconnected with Little Lights through my church, as my Bible study was looking for organizations to partner with for ongoing service opportunities. It was a nice reunion.

wHY DID YOU DECIDE TO bECOME A MEMbER OF IGNITE THE LIGHT (OUR MONTHLY GIVING PARTNERSHIP)? As my Bible study continued to serve in Southeast with Little Lights, we became familiar with more events they were having. We were invited to the Ignite the Light Banquet, so my wife and I attended to show our support and represent our Bible study’s commitment to the organization.

YOU’VE INVESTED TIME AND MONEY IN LITTLE LIGHTS. HAVE YOU SEEN A RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT? We have. We see it in the steady growth of the ministry and new programs that continue to be developed. More than that, we see the return on our investment simply in the way Little Lights is able to remain and serve in the community. It is our hope that our investment in Little Lights makes it a little bit easier for them to do the wonderful work God has bestowed on them.

TELL US AbOUT AN ExPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD wITH THE kIDS HERE.We serve on a regular basis with the Saturday Drop-In Program where kids from the community can come, be partnered with a buddy, and play for a few hours. At first, we didn’t know the children and they didn’t know us. But over time they started remembering us! And now, when we serve we see familiar faces and pick up where we left off on previous Saturdays.

wHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE kIDS AT LITTLE LIGHTS?My hope is that Little Lights can remain a pillar of strength in the Southeast community. More importantly, my hope is that Little Lights continues to get the funding it needs to pour into scholarships and grants to fund the older children’s progression into college.

It has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated organization that serves selflessly in a community that is often forgotten. The growth they have seen testifies to the blessing of God on their diligence and obedience. I look forward to the future of Little Lights and its children.

Sam Sierra pictured on left.

8 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES SPRING 2011

GENUINELY EXCITING MOMENTS

2011 NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORSSTAFF WRITERSDIANA bANTUMIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM COORD.

bETH DEwHURSTACADEMIC & PROGRAM DIRECTOR

JASON EDwARDSMIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM SPECIALIST

TIFFANY GIbSONVOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

STEVE PARkExECUTIVE DIRECTOR

VOLUNTEERSCHRIS GNIPCAMP HOPE 2011

THOMAS TAYLORCOMPUTER CLASS

EDITORJOSIE ORTEGA

DESIGNTIM RODGERS JR.

Every so often the staff here at Little Lights like to get together and share GEMs (Genuinely Exciting Moments). It’s good to stop for a moment in our work day to think about all that has transpired during the week, whether it’s a student who has improved in reading, or a huge hug we received from a child we were having trouble connecting with. We hope these moments encourage and bless you too!

At Youth Night, we talked about the resurrection, and I almost cried when Justin answered my question, “Why is Easter more important than Christmas?” by saying, “Because Christmas is when Jesus came to the world, but Easter is when he did what he came to do.”VINCE bANTU

“Lee” started Homework Club this semester refusing to bring homework, then refusing to do it when he brought it. Now, with rare exception, he completes his homework and even chooses to spend some or all of his Chill Time finishing it; including a poster of internet research and photos of cheetahs!bETH DEwHURST

As the end of the school year approaches, we started writing personal thank-you notes to our volunteers. It’s been really special and fun to see the kids write notes and draw pictures for their tutors. You can tell when someone has had a deep impact on a child. How beautiful to see the fruition of many dedicated hours of serving this year.TIFFANY GIbSON

I was returning to my car after picking up my kids from school. I heard my name from a distance: “Steve!” It turned out the person calling my name was one of the first students in the program. Franklin was now a grown man but he still had the warm and cheerful smile that he had as a child. He was now working full time at Giant and was also working part time in his union. It was great to see Franklin, and it brought unexpected joy.STEVE PARk

Birthdays are when you receive tons of gifts, friends take you out to dinner, etc. I always find it inspiring when people give up all the luxuries you can receive to give back to an organization that you feel close with at heart. So this year I decided to do a birthday giveback to Little Lights in lieu of receiving gifts or having a party. I raised over $3000, with the help of generous match donors! I realized how blessed I am to have generous and supportive friends that continue to have my back as I’m serving at Little Lights.JANE PAk

Please spread the word to your friends in the DC-MD-VA area! Little Lights is open for tours!

Little Lights LIVE — one - hour introductory tours of our mission—will be held on the second Monday and fourth Saturday of each month at the Little Lights Center (760 7th St. SE, 20003). Here are the upcoming dates for summer:

JUNE 13, 6 PmJUNE 25, 10 Am

JULY 11, 6 PmJULY 23, 10 Am

AUGUST 8, 6 PmAUGUST 27, 10 Am

Help us increase awareness about the work of Little Lights in our community. Contact josie@littlelights.org with questions.ACT JUSTLY. LOVE MERCY. wALk HUMbLY wITH GOD.

LITERARY

MAGAZINELittle Lights kids are talented! This is just a

small glimpse of the many things produced this

semester during our after-school programs.

10 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES SPRING 2011 LITERARY MAGAZINE

GIVE ME A VOTE TIM RODGERS

The Give Me A Vote project’s vision is to put a spotlight on the struggle for DC voting rights with public art that inspires discourse on democracy. www.GIVEMEAVOTE.ORG Little Lights partnered with DC Housing Authority and Albus Cavus, an arts non-profit in DC, for Little Lights students to paint a large sculpture of a hand being raised to be displayed on the grounds of Potomac Gardens. The project is part of Give Me A Vote, where painted hand sculptures are being placed in various locations around DC to draw attention to DC’s lack of voting rights. DC residents are the only citizens who are taxed federally without representation. The 7-foot sculpture represents the importance of “raising your hand and being counted.”

Peter Krsko, the director of Albus Cavus, presented the project to the kids, and we began to work on sketches. Once those were ready, we set aside a day to paint the hand. Shout out to elementary students Thaddeus, Trevon, Taionna, Lauren, Heaven, Amari, and George for their hard work. Many thanks to Ms. Katie Keister for her help, and also DC Housing Family Commissioner Aquarius Vann-Ghasri for being in attendance and painting along with us.

Many thanks to Albus Cavus and DC Housing Authority.

The hand is located on the corner of G Street SE and 12th Street SE inside Potomac Gardens.

LITERARY MAGAZINE SPRING 2011 LITTLE LIGHTS URbAN MINISTRIES 11

Last weekend I performed on Friday. On

Saturday I went to tap and ballet and

then I went to my cousin’s house and

we played. On Sunday I went uptown,

downtown, and across town and I went

home with my mom.

Heaven watson, 10

Last weekend I went to my cousin’s

house. Me and my cousins played hide

and seek and we played outside. We

had fun. We did all kind of things. We

went to the grocery store and we went

to the ice cream store.

zyanne williams, 10

I stayed in bed until the end of the

night and unlocked my brother’s code

to the xbox and played Dragon Ball

Z. Also the game worked until it had

to load and I was so mad that I didn’t

even play that game again. On Sunday I

played basketball with my brothers.

Thaddeus Campbell, 7

MOMMy mom likes to eat

My mom does not like fighting

My mom is so smart

Queshawn Wheeler, 12

TOYSThey’re good when they’re new

When you’re old, they get boring

(And when they get old.)

Charles Augburn, 11

THE zOOAnimals play there

It has elephants and pigs

But it smells so bad!

Marquelle Wheeler, 11

HOT DOGSThey’re sold everywhere

They’re good with chili and cheese

Tasty, but messy

Charles Augburn, 11

HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR weekend?

HAIKUS FOR YOU!

HEAVEN, 10AGE: 10 GRADE: 4TH

SCHOOL: FRIENDSHIP PUbLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

FAVORITE SUbJECT: ART AND DANCE

LEAST FAVORITE SUbJECT:READING

FAVORITE bOOk:wILLY wONkA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

HOw LONG HAVE YOU bEEN AT LITTLE LIGHTS?3 YEARS

FAVORITE MEMORY AT LITTLE LIGHTS?I ENJOYED CAMP HOPE. IT wAS FUN!

wHEN YOU GROw UP?DANCER, SINGER, OR CLOTHING DESIGNER

SHAMYA, 9AGE: 9 GRADE: 3RD

SCHOOL: TYLER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FAVORITE SUbJECT:SCIENCE

LEAST FAVORITE SUbJECT:MUSIC

FAVORITE bOOk:AMELIA bEDELIA

HOw LONG HAVE YOU bEEN AT LITTLE LIGHTS?SINCE I wAS 4

FAVORITE MEMORY AT LITTLE LIGHTS?LEARNING AbOUT OTHER COUNTRIES AND THEIR FOOD

wHEN YOU GROw UP?DOCTOR

AMARI, 9AGE: 8 GRADE: 3RD

SCHOOL: FRIENDSHIP PUbLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

FAVORITE SUbJECT:MATH

LEAST FAVORITE SUbJECT:SCIENCE

FAVORITE bOOk:JUNIE b. JONES

HOw LONG HAVE YOU bEEN AT LITTLE LIGHTS?2 YEARS

FAVORITE MEMORY AT LITTLE LIGHTS?I LOVE CHOIR. wE LEARN SONGS AND DANCEMOVES ALL FOR JESUS.

wHEN YOU GROw UP?I wANT TO bE A FOOTbALL PLAYER

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