St. Matthew's Social Justice Committee continues its annual tradition of hosting Simple Lenten Meals, promoting almsgiving during the Lenten season. Due to the pandemic, this year's program will be virtual. Join us online on Fridays of Lent, 6:30 to 7:30pm, to hear from local organizations that practice acts of charity and learn about their mission and how you can support their good works. It's also a chance to practice Lenten almsgiving by donating to our featured charitable organizations.

March 5 - Horton's Kids

Please visit the Horton’s Kids website https://www.hortonskids.org/ from which the following is excerpted and summarized. 

Who We Are - Horton’s Kids - The Neighborhood and Those We Serve

For over 25 years, Horton’s Kids has served Wellington Park apartment complex in Ward 8, one of Washington, DC’s most at-risk neighborhoods.  This Section 8 housing community is geographically isolated and has one of the city’s highest rates of violent crime, gang activity, and substance abuse.  We work with over 500, grades K-12 children, who must overcome the effects of multi-generational, urban poverty, and their neighborhood’s inherent risk factors.  Many participants live in food-insecure households with annual incomes under $10,000, well below the poverty line.  Local public schools chronically underperform; of elementary students, only 15% read and 17% perform math, at grade level.  About 80% of the neighborhood adults do not have high school diplomas.

What We Do - Our Mission

Horton’s Kids’ mission is to empower at-risk children and prepare them for successful and healthy lives through educational opportunities and comprehensive programs tailored to their needs.  We provide a holistic, research-based continuum of academic, enrichment, and basic needs supports, designed to empower children to succeed.  We believe circumstances should not dictate a child’s future, and that every child should graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career, and life.

Join Webex meeting:

Join Simple Lenten Meals each Friday at: https://gwu.webex.com/gwu/j.php?MTID=m57c297e581b95770c4198bde365a4c3b. (ID: 1203061213, password: rUB9AsJY)

Join by phone: (US toll) +1 202-860-2110 (access code: 1203061213)

If you have questions, please contact Channing Pejic. We invite your donation via check (payable to Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle with "Horton's Kids" organization name on memo line) or make an online donation by following the instructions listed below.

Make a Donation 

To make a direct contribution to the good works of Horton's Kids, visit their donation page at this link

You may also donate through the Cathedral by following the instructions listed below.

  1. Choose the “Donate” button at the top.
  2. After filling out the form with your address and credit card information, click “Review Donation and Continue.”
  3. Choose “Comments” and in the comments window, indicate you would like to make the donation for Horton's Kids. If you would like to receive an email confirming your donation was assigned to Horton's Kids, please email Norma Canedo.
  4. If you wish your gift to remain anonymous, please indicate that as well.

Many thanks for your support!