Lydia's House in Southeast

Our mission is "Growing Children, Strengthening Families and Changing Neighborhoods" to ensure that low income at risk families receive quality services, when they need them, regardless of why, from caring people. Lydia's House, established in 1990 by Eugene and Patrice Sheppard, takes a holistic approach to family development and provides multi-faceted services to end the cycle of poverty. Over the past 16 years, Lydia's House has grown to provide youth intervention services, including a homework center for children ages 6-12, tutoring, and mentoring for youth ages 13-17, teen parenting/ pregnancy prevention. Lydia's House adult intervention services include adult literacy , entrepreneurial development, computer training, substance abuse prevention counseling and housing for seniors. Their work with families living in far southwest and southeast neighborhoods of Anacostia, Bellevue, Congress Heights and Washington Highland began in 1989 at a shelter for homeless families. Under their leadership, Lydia's House has served hundreds of families, often paying rent to prevent eviction, providing food and paying utility bills. Lydia's House provides fist time homebuyer training and works with lenders, real estate brokers and other industry partners to promote home ownership.