My Girlfriend’s House Provides Shelter Renovations for DC Homeless Women

On April 4th, My Girlfriend’s House will renovate 37 living spaces in Mt. Carmel House, a
permanent supportive housing program for homeless women in Washington, DC.

Prince George’s County, MD (March 26, 2015)- With the number of women in DC’s homeless
population increasing each year, shelters are finding it harder to secure the funds needed to
provide adequate housing and support. On Saturday, April 4th, My Girlfriend’s House will address
this community issue by bringing their Shelter Room Makeover Party to the women of Mt.
Carmel House, a permanent supportive housing program in Washington, DC.

The Shelter Room Makeover Party is a semi-annual outreach program that renovates the living
spaces for women and children residing in area homeless shelters. The program addresses a
major issue that plagues shelters across the country: the lack of resources needed to upgrade
their facilities into comfortable and functional living spaces.

Since 2008, homelessness has skyrocketed by 36.3% in the region. Housing and shelter
resources have not kept up with this increase, leading to unkempt facilities and residents whose
needs are not being met. “Homelessness is a devastating experience for many women living in
DC.” Veronica Eyenga, Executive Director of My Girlfriend’s House shared. “With a decreasing
amount of grant money available for shelter services, the Shelter Room Makeover Party creates
an opportunity for these women to live securely in a space they can call their own.”
While shelters struggle with expense increases and a lack of federal dollars for operational
support, the reoccurrence of yearly deficits is becoming more frequent- making it harder for
them to provide security and comfort to their residents. The Shelter Room Makeover Party
works to reduce the impact of these deficiencies and ensures the needs and basic living desires
of residents are being met.

Created to empower and uplift women, this year’s Shelter Room Makeover Party has already
raised over $8,000 in contributions to renovate Mt. Carmel House with new furniture, fresh
paint jobs and beautiful home décor. The program, which is led by My Girlfriend’s House’s
group of mentees and volunteers, will continue collecting monetary donations and products to
secure the items that are still needed.

To learn more about the Shelter Room Makeover Party, or to make a donation, please visit
www.mygirlfriendshouse.org.

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About My Girlfriend’s House
My Girlfriends House, Inc. is a non-profit organization that works with at-risk middle and high
school girls in DC, Maryland and Virginia. The group’s mission is to empower young girls living in
poverty to break the cycle and maintain a positive understanding of self-worth, confidence, and
professional advancement. This is accomplished through group mentoring, life skills training,
and career and academic planning. For more information and to support this and other efforts
of My Girlfriend’s House please visit us at https://www.mygirlfriendshouse.org.