Miriam's Kitchen

2401 Virginia Avenue NW
Washington, DC - 20037
(202) 452-8926

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Last-Modified: 2024-08-08 05:26:50

Miriams Kitchen works to end chronic homelessness in Washington, DC. They advocate for permanent supportive housing as a long-term solution, while meeting short-term needs by providing healthy meals and high-quality social services to more than 3,500 chronically homeless individuals each year.

Mission Statement: This is why in 2012 Miriam’s Kitchen changed our mission from just responding to homelessness to fighting to end it. In doing so we held ourselves accountable for every action needed to accomplish this goal: Over the years we expanded our programs and built partnerships that brought nurses, social workers, psychiatrists and lawyers on site—all aimed to help our guests improve their health, increase their income and obtain housing We established a housing program to make sure that when clients move into housing, they have the support they need so they don’t fall back into homelessness; We added an advocacy program—because we’re trying to end homelessness not just for the guests that walk through our doors, but for all individuals who are experiencing long term homelessness in DC; And we recently received a federal grant to launch a new Street Outreach Program, which takes the quality services that we provide in our dining room onto the streets—wherever individuals experiencing homelessness might be (under bridges, in parks, in museums…) The good news is that we are making progress in ending chronic homelessness in DC! Chronic homelessness in DC has declined 19.7% from 2012 (when we changed our mission) to 2016. Additionally, MK and our partners have helped house more than 1,570 veterans since 2013!

Important Top Tips Before Applying

If you Interested in applying to Miriam's Kitchen, we recommend that you call them and find out some answers to some or all of the below questions:

What type of housing do you offer? Is it shared or private housing? Is it furnished or unfurnished?
What are the length of stay requirements? How long can I stay in the program?
What kind of support services do you offer? Do you offer job training, case management, or other support services to help me achieve permanent housing and self-sufficiency?
What are the rules and policies? Are there any rules or policies that I need to be aware of, such as curfews, visitor restrictions, or substance abuse policies?
What is the cost of the program? Is there a monthly fee? Are there any other costs associated with the program?
Is the program accredited or licensed? This will help ensure that the program meets certain standards of quality.

In addition to these general questions, you may also want to ask more specific questions about the program, such as:

What is the staff-to-resident ratio? This will give you an idea of how much support you can expect from staff.
What is the success rate of the program? How many residents have gone on to achieve permanent housing and self-sufficiency?
What are the cultural competency practices of the program? Is the program staffed by people who are culturally competent and able to meet the needs of a diverse range of residents?
How does the program ensure the safety and security of residents? What safety measures are in place?
What is the process for resolving disputes? Is there a clear and fair process for resolving disputes between residents and staff?