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

Each year, Global Harmony Through Personal Excellence hosts children and parents who reside at Community of Hope. In 2013, we focused on a temporary housing unit in southeast that is isolated and does not receive many invitations. The families are working very hard to get some economic footing. For 23 years, our organization has been honored and delighted to host this event for homeless families and to work with Community of Hope, an award-winning nonprofit.

The families affiliated with the Community of Hope and the volunteers from Global Harmony through Personal Excellence sing Christmas carols and holiday songs to the elderly at the Washington Center for Aging Services, a nursing home in northeast DC. As we carol through the halls, the children visit the elderly and hand out many homemade holiday cards. The residents are thankful for the attention and clearly touched by the goodness and humanity of the children.

The families from Community of Hope are then transported to a private home in northwest Washington where they eat lunch, play games, share, and hear stories. As they depart, each person is given a beautifully decorated bag of useful and fun gifts. The gifts are chosen carefully, and they are donated from a wide community of generous people. “Many hands make light work,” and like many of you, our donors are special people who support and root for the wholeness and success of everyone.

To learn more about how you can help, please click here.

Below is a short video from 2011 and here is a link to some photos from 2010.