WISH LIST $100: emergency food for family of 4; $1,000: academic enrichment and SAT prep for 1 teen; $5,000: emergency funds for eviction prevention and job readiness program.

Frustrated by the lack of government intervention and support to address the challenges facing DC’s poor, Eugene and Patrice Sheppard created Lydia’s House to provide social services, emotional support, and educational resources for families at every stage of the poverty cycle. Its After School Advantage and Tech Zone programs are designed to improve the academic outcomes of under-achieving students with tutor- and computer-led programs. Two networked labs, and the first publicly accessible technology facility in the community to access the Internet with a T1 line, mean state-of-the-art facilities for everyone. Improving adult literacy (in language and computers) is also front and center, and here, too, classes are both instructor- and computer-led. Financial education covers topics such as Understanding How Credit Works, Basic Banking, and Managing My Money, and the new Women’s Financial Education Center teaches women and girls about creating personal wealth. Lydia’s House also provides group workshops and one-on-one counseling to move families to home ownership. It’s a full plate: Catalogue readers, your philanthropy affects the life of a whole community.

S Patrice Sheppard, Founder 3939 South Capitol Street SW Washington, DC 20032 202-373-1054 www.lydiashousendc.org