Thank you to all the volunteers, assistants, and donors who made the 24th Annual Christmas Caroling event possible! Your generosity is much appreciated.

This year over 45 people, including families affiliated with Community of Hope and volunteers from Global Harmony through Personal Excellence, sang Christmas carols and holiday songs to the elderly at the Washington Center for Aging Services, a nursing home in northeast DC. As we caroled through the halls, the children visited the elderly and handed out homemade holiday cards.

The carolers then gathered to eat lunch, play games, and share stories. We were able to provide a beautifully decorated bag of useful and fun gifts for each of the families from Community of Hope. One mother wrote us to say that her children had their best Christmas ever because of the generosity of everyone who supported this event. Once again, thank you for making this event possible!

We’re excited to report that NBC 4 and WUSA9 featured our 2014 Celebration of Youth essay contest. Watch “DC Students Win Prizes for Essays on Courage” (WUSA) and ”D.C.’s Brightest Young Minds Honored” (NBC) to see the student winners share their essays.

We are delighted to announce the Winners and Honorable Mentions for 2014. Congratulations to all the students, teachers, parents, and principals. We could not be more pleased. We are very proud of you. We received quality essays from both DCPS and Public Charter schools. THANK YOU to all the students who submitted essays and shared your stories of courage. You are awesome. In June, there will be 25 more awards given out. These are called Special Mention awards.

To see the Winners and Honorable Mentions of the 26th Celebration of Youth essay contest, click here.