The WTOP Charity of the Month is
Beacon House was founded in 1991 by Reverend Donald E. Robinson in Northeast Washington, D.C.’s Ward 5 and was built on the foundation of caring for and empowering youth. What began as homework help in a basement apartment has grown into a trusted community anchor, serving about 400 children and families in the Edgewood neighborhood through holistic, out-of-school-time programming.
Our mission is to close the opportunity gap for children and youth living in and around Edgewood Commons, a large affordable housing community in Ward 5. We provide year-round education, athletics, and mentoring programs that support academic success, socioemotional development, and thriving futures.
For over 30 years, Beacon House has stood as a place of safety, stability, and strength for Black youth and families in the Edgewood community of Washington, DC. In a city – and a country – where systems have failed Black communities for generations, Beacon House has endured as a trusted source of care, connection, and possibility. We are a neighborhood institution created by and for the community: a space where Black children are seen, supported, and surrounded by people who believe in their brilliance and refuse to give up on them. We are a neighborhood institution created by and for the community.
Over the decades, Beacon House has steadily grown and evolved to meet the needs of our community. In the late 1990s, we expanded to include our now-flagship Athletics Program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Our football teams have not only competed on national stages but have also become a pipeline for mentorship and academic achievement. Alumni return year after year as coaches and mentors, continuing the cycle of support they once received. Our Athletics Program is now a point of pride for families across the District, and it has helped drive a culture of discipline, community, and success.
Alongside athletics, our Education Program has deepened significantly beyond homework help to robustly support academic exploration through project-based learning, STEM, life skills, and college and career readiness. This fall we are launching ‘The Path Collective’ – a trauma-responsive, healing-centered space for middle and high school students navigating the complex realities of growing up in under-resourced communities.
For more information, visit https://beaconhousedc.org or look up beaconhousedc on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
