Bringing the love to a busy corner in Northwest DC.

How Joe Edwards turns safe passage into a joyful experience every day.

“Knowing that those kids look forward to me coming, that motivates me each and every morning to get on my feet and get to the corner. I want to make sure those kids have a great start to their day.”

If you live anywhere near Connecticut Avenue and Fessenden Street in Northwest DC, you probably already know Mr. Joe Edwards. He’s the crossing guard with the contagious smile – the one who greets every child, parent, and passer-by with a wave, a fist bump, or a hug.

Rain or shine, sleet or heat, Joe is there for six hours a day, every day, helping families cross safely, and brightening the mornings of everyone who passes through his intersection. He often knows the parents and kids who come through his intersection by name, and somehow he manages to check in on them, offering an extra kind word when they need it.

Recently, the Mayor’s Office recognized him with a Certificate of Appreciation for his “outstanding character and impact,” highlighting the way his “joyous demeanor, attentiveness, and warmth brighten the days of residents and scholars year-round.” Anyone who’s been lucky enough to cross Joe’s path knows that description couldn’t be more accurate.

A surprise passion

Joe’s journey to this role started in an unlikely place: a Nationals baseball game. Leaving the stadium one evening with a friend, he noticed a crossing guard handling the swirl of cars and crowds. “I thought, hmm, that looks interesting,” he says. “Maybe I could do that.”

He went home, applied through DC’s Department of Transportation, completed a month of training, and was soon assigned to his first – and only – post: Connecticut and Fessenden Streets NW.

“When I first started, I didn’t know a soul,” he recalls. “The parents didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them. But after about two months, they started warming up. Then the kids started warming up too. Once they started to feel my love and gravitate to me, I just took off like a rocket. I started to develop a passion for it.”

That “rocket” was powered by heart. Joe began to see his role as more than directing traffic or ensuring safety (though of course those remain top priorities), it became about creating connection, belonging, and joy. “I put my heart on my sleeve for those kids,” he says. “They feel my love.”

The corner that cares

After just four years, Mr. Joe has created a truly special intersection, and he already feels like a neighborhood institution to many. His corner is where elementary school students learn confidence and middle schoolers find kindness at the end of a long day. “Those Alice Deal kids can’t wait to get to me every afternoon,” he laughs. “They come to my corner for the love.”

His love often shows up in small acts. Like the time a mother approached Joe to share that her son, a quiet, shy boy carrying a green backpack, talked constantly about how much he liked “Mr. Joe.” Joe didn’t recognize the name, but kept an eye out. That afternoon, he spotted a boy standing alone by the curb. “I saw the green backpack,” he says, smiling. “I walked over and said, ‘Hey kid, you know me?’ He said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you, you’re Mr. Joe.’ I said, ‘don’t tell me you’re John*.’ He said, ‘I am.’”

Joe’s eyes brighten as he recounts the story. “That was amazing. I didn’t even know him, but I’d been making his day without realizing it.” Now Joe keeps an eye out for John to give him a high five and an extra boost of joy every time he crosses.

Another neighborhood family shared that “My girls and I consider Mr. Joe a part of our family. He greets everyone with genuine compassion and a smile that instantly lifts your day. His kindness and consistency make him a true fixture in our neighborhood – the kind of steady, caring presence that reminds us what it means to build a village around our children.”

Grace under pressure

Joe’s intersection is no easy post. Cars fly up and down Connecticut Avenue and make harried turns to and from Fessenden, dozens of pedestrians cross every hour, and tempers flare. And yet Joe stays unshakably calm. “It’s hard,” he admits. “But I just move my attention toward the kids. I don’t let angry drivers ruin my day.”

The mindset, he says, is a choice he makes every morning. “If the kids got to come out, I’m coming out with them. Every season – rain, snow, sleet. And I’m going to do it with a smile.”

Drivers sometimes lose patience. One once shouted, “Why’d you stop me?” Joe simply pointed to the dozen kids waiting to cross and kept going. “I just let it roll off,” he says. “I’ve got more kids to deal with. And not one of them has ever seen me have a bad day.”

Faith, purpose, and showing up

When asked what keeps him motivated, Joe is clear: “Every day I come out here for a reason, and that reason is those kids and those parents.”

His advice to others struggling to find motivation right now? “Get up and go about your day the way you do. And leave it in God’s hands,” he says. “Everything is a temporary setback. God’s going to give you a door to walk through.”

Joe’s corner

The way Joe shows up every day creates waves of positivity that reach far beyond his corner. Parents trust him, kids light up when they see him, and neighbors always leave his corner smiling.

He reminds us that it doesn’t take grand gestures to make the world a better place. Sometimes it just looks like consistency, kindness, and heart – shared with others every day.

“I’m going to do my job with a smile,” Joe says. “And each and every day I’m going to be the best that I can be. Every day.”

To Joe, it’s simple: love people where you are, and make your corner of the world a little brighter.

* Name has been changed for privacy.

Meeting the moment with kindness.

How Elizabeth Workman and Goods For Good are connecting neighbors to meet real needs, one small act at a time.

“We can’t solve everything. But we can fold the clothes, cook the meals, deliver the toys – and in doing these small things, make the world a little better.”

When Elizabeth Workman talks about Goods For Good, her voice carries the kind of steady optimism and clarity that comes from doing, without hesitation. What started as a small family yard sale has grown into a community-wide effort that has provided over 35,000 meals, countless essentials, and immeasurable comfort to people across Washington, DC.

But this is not the story of a grand plan. It’s the story of listening, adapting, and saying “yes” to whatever is needed next. That same instinct has guided Elizabeth throughout her career in the nonprofit and social service sectors – when you see a need, meet it.

From yard sale to community connections

It all began with a family project: a 50-cent yard sale in 2008 where Elizabeth’s children chose local nonprofits to receive the proceeds. Friends and neighbors loved the idea and began dropping off their own items to sell. When the Workman house had filled to bursting, the family organized a full-scale rummage sale.

That single event raised more than $5,000 and sparked a question from Elizabeth’s daughter: “What if we had more space and more time, could we raise more money?” It seemed likely that the answer was yes, and so they tried it.

Twice, Elizabeth tracked down large spaces near her home, worked with the owners to utilize them for free or reduced rent, rallied volunteers, and held massive community sales – raising an astonishing $32,000 for two local nonprofits. Elizabeth was prepared to continue this effort, but in 2020 the pandemic made these gatherings impossible.

Following the need

The organizations Elizabeth and her children had supported through the rummage sales were suddenly facing new challenges. Shelters where children once played together in shared spaces now needed individual games and toys for separate rooms. Food programs designed to provide dinner were now responsible for feeding families three meals a day.

So, Elizabeth jumped in to help fill the gaps: collecting board games and puzzles, then cooking extra meals to drop off where food was short. Soon, friends and neighbors joined in, and Goods For Good evolved from occasional fundraisers into a dynamic network of community care with Elizabeth serving as an all-purpose intermediary.

Soon Elizabeth’s home was once again overflowing with donated goods, and she realized it was time to find the project its own space. She reached out to the Director of the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC), whose large building in the heart of the neighborhood had caught Elizabeth’s eye. After several conversations, ECC committed its support to this community effort, and generously offered to provide a large space at greatly reduced rent. Since then, Goods For Good has filled the space with donations, volunteers, and a constant positive energy.

Goods For Good now works with over 50 local nonprofit partners – connecting volunteers and donations to the ever-changing needs of neighbors across Washington, DC. “We never start a project based on what we think people need,” Elizabeth explains. “We listen. We let our partners and communities guide our work.”

Their annual soup drive has become a beloved neighborhood tradition, with volunteers preparing hundreds of servings of homemade soups, stews, and chilis each winter (nearly 4,000 to date!). Refrigerators at the many homes serving as Goods For Good donation drop-off sites are often filled to the brim with labeled containers ready to be delivered. “It’s not just about the food,” Elizabeth says. “It’s something warm, nutritious, made with love. It’s a message that says: we see you; we care.”

Another volunteer favorite is the ongoing “birthday in a box” effort, through which volunteers create birthday kits for children living in shelters. These beautiful packages are filled with birthday treats, gifts, decorations, and goody bags for siblings. Elizabeth works directly with partner shelters to learn about each child and their family to help create the truly special birthday celebration every child deserves.

While the organization got its start with in-kind and financial donations from friends and neighbors, word quickly spread about the impactful work they were doing. Goods For Good now receives funding from one foundation grant, a number of small family foundations, and many, many generous individual donors. They continue working to grow and diversify their funding sources, and they spread the word through a monthly newsletter, social media, and their website.

The power of small acts

When asked what has been most meaningful for her in this work, Elizabeth doesn’t talk about grants or numbers at all. She tells the story of Kesha, a young refugee from Afghanistan who arrived in DC with her mother and six siblings after fleeing unimaginable violence.

At a Goods For Good clothing and toy pop-up, Kesha and her family found more than material comfort – they found potential. The younger children played with musical toys and Kesha gathered new clothes – clothes that would enable her to finally return to school. For perhaps the first time since they fled their home in the dark of night, the family could envision a hopeful future for themselves.

Elizabeth had to step around the corner to collect herself. “Seeing it through their eyes and realizing how something so simple could restore joy, it was overwhelming,” she says. Moments like this are what keep her going. She acknowledges that Goods For Good can’t solve the big issues out there facing the world, but she knows that every single life they touch is changed for the better.

Why it works

When Elizabeth is asked why Goods For Good has thrived, she doesn’t hesitate: “Our volunteers are amazing.”

Every new project draws a wave of people eager to help. They cook, fold, sort, package, drive, and deliver – and in doing so, remind each other that goodness still exists. “On the hardest days,” Elizabeth says, “they walk through the door with their positive energy and make my heart soar.” The Goods For Good space is often filled with busy volunteers turning the chaotic piles of donated items into neatly organized shelves of clean toys, bundles of toiletries, and beautifully folded and packaged bags of clothes ready for delivery.

Elizabeth believes in keeping things simple. “Don’t look too far ahead,” she advises. “Just take one challenge at a time. If you try to tackle everything at once, you’ll freeze. But if you keep showing up, the next step will reveal itself.”

Elizabeth’s advice

Elizabeth’s message to anyone seeking inspiration right now is to “Shake off the bad news and volunteer somewhere. You’ll feel the energy of others trying to make a difference – and you’ll remember that you can too.”

This holiday season you can help provide families with the essential tools they need to cook, gather, and celebrate together by donating a new set of new pots and pans (example set here). Learn more about Goods For Good at goodsforgooddc.org.

Cultivating community in Northwest DC - how Judy Ingram and NW Community Food are nourishing hearts and bodies.

“Do the work and hope will follow.”

When Judy Ingram talks about NW Community Food, she describes it as “an improbable miracle of sorts.” Somehow, the math always works out – enough food shows up, enough volunteers arrive, and hundreds of families leave with groceries, cleaning supplies, and – hopefully – some new friends.

But miracles, as it turns out, require a lot of hard work, organization, stubborn optimism, and the right kind of leadership – the kind that refuses to fail.

A seed of purpose

Judy’s path to this work started early. As the daughter of a long-time volunteer coordinator for Travelers Aid Society, community service is in her blood. Her commitment to food security took root when she joined the gardening club at Murch Elementary School, where her children were students. Digging in the dirt, watering the plants, and harvesting the rewards proved to be deeply satisfying – and cultivated a newfound interest in food security and preventing food waste.

That interest also offered a sense of meaning that her day-to-day work lacked, and it stayed with her long after her kids moved on. She began volunteering with Food Rescue US, and later with Ward 3 Mutual Aid, shuttling food from grocery stores to neighbors in need during the pandemic.

“I’m ashamed to say it came as a shock to discover how many people just half a mile away from my comfortable life were struggling,” she admits. At the time, the hunger rate near the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) was a staggering 35%. The scale of need, and the inefficiency of delivering food door-to-door, sparked an idea. Most families were seeking similar essentials. What if, instead of spreading volunteers thin, there was one central place where families could pick up what they needed?

By turning a challenge into a solution, NW Community Food was born. 

Building something from scratch

Judy partnered with a fellow activist who had an existing nonprofit organization that could serve as a fiscal sponsor. Together, they worked with the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission to approach UDC about using one of the university’s vacant spaces. UDC eventually offered a rent-free location to house the new pantry. “It was a tremendously generous act by UDC,” Judy says. That act of generosity – spurred by months of advocacy – set everything else in motion.

Judy’s original goal for the pantry was ambitious: to provide cleaning supplies and fresh produce to 100 families a week. She started by calling on the connections she had built over the years: friends, neighbors, local schools, and faith communities. This outreach generated enough funding to purchase 50 weekly shares from a community-supported agriculture farm and a steady supply of essentials. As awareness about the pantry grew, so did the support.

The pantry is a hands-on effort. Today it takes over 100 volunteers to make the pantry function each week. They collect and organize donations, sort produce, portion food, set up tents and tables, and make home deliveries to those who can’t make it in person.

Judy describes the pantry as a “seat of the pants” operation. But in listening to her, I would call it resourceful and efficient. For two years, the pantry operated without its own formal nonprofit status, a step Judy took only when it became necessary in order to receive grants and partner with larger organizations like the Capital Area Food Bank.

Turning obstacles into opportunity

The pantry’s biggest test came in early 2025 when UDC informed Judy that the pantry’s space would soon be reclaimed for university use. By then, the pantry was serving more than 300 families weekly. Closing wasn’t an option.

The news might have crushed a less determined leader, but Judy refused to consider the possibility of failure. It was an existential threat that led to what Judy calls “a virtuous circle,” forcing the team to raise the pantry’s profile and kick fundraising efforts into high gear, deepen their commitment to transparency, and learn to “ask boldly” for help. Once again, UDC stepped up, providing a new home for the pantry. Other supporters followed, providing generous donations that enabled improvements to the pantry’s operations and guest experience.

The ability to turn setbacks into catalysts has defined Judy’s work. She might not describe it this way herself, but it’s clear that Judy sees every challenge as a hidden opportunity – often leading her somewhere unexpected.

A different kind of community

The sense of belonging Judy has created is what makes NW Community Food truly special. Some volunteers are also guests, spending time “on both sides of the table,” which reflects Judy’s cultural vision for the organization. On any given Sunday, you’ll find people swapping recipes for unfamiliar vegetables (how does one prepare kohlrabi?), sharing housing leads, or simply catching up like old friends.

The pantry’s benefits flow in all directions. Having built such a welcoming community gives Judy a deep sense of satisfaction. “We didn't want this to be just a place to come and get food. We wanted it to be a place where people come and they don't draw help just from us, but from each other.”

Judy also notes that “the greatest successes are the ones that you don’t really see” – because families stop coming. They no longer need food support, though they often remain friends.

Why it works

Judy attributes much of the pantry’s success to proximity: “We have a deep well of need in a pretty affluent community. In fact, there are still plenty of untapped volunteers and donors right here in the neighborhood.”

But watching her work, it’s clear that the pantry thrives not just because of geography, but also because of Judy’s relentless creativity, determination, and ability to make something out of nothing. She spots the potential in every connection, every space, every obstacle.

Her advice to anyone looking for inspiration right now is simple – and lived: “You keep putting one foot in front of the other. You will find stuff that needs to be done, and that hopefully will give you some energy. And ultimately the hope will come.”

 To donate, volunteer or learn more about NW Community Food, click here.

Count her in.

How Jenn Hwu and Strength in Numbers DC are making a difference – one student at a time.

“Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you need to do something big for it to matter. Tiny differences add up.”

In the hallway of a busy DC elementary school, a student with significant social-emotional challenges was having a tough day. Being pulled out of class for a special math session triggered a visceral reaction — until Officer Ervin, the school’s beloved security guard, stepped in. With her gentle presence, she “whispered” the child back to calm.

After a successful session, tutor Jenn Hwu suggested they make something together to thank Officer Ervin. Using a compass — Jenn can find a way to work math into anything — they drew a circle and a heart, wrote “Thank you, Auntie” in careful cursive, and taped a Jolly Rancher to the card. When they handed it to Officer Ervin, she was visibly touched. “It was a little thing,” Jenn said, “but it was one of those moments that builds connection for all of us.”

Jenn is the founder of Strength in Numbers DC, a tutoring program that works with kids in Title I* DC public schools. What began in 2021 as a reaction to drastically uneven pandemic learning experiences has grown into a small and deeply impactful nonprofit. “Some kids had tutors, some were back in school quickly, and some just… disappeared from learning spaces,” Jenn recalled. As a long-time educator in the DC area, Jenn saw an opportunity to use her unique skills to address the learning needs of kids who lacked access to other resources.

The program began at Takoma Elementary School and has since moved into other schools with similar needs. At first, Jenn’s focus was solely on students who were underperforming in math due to no fault of their own. Over time, Jenn also noticed “overperforming” students whose talents weren’t being nurtured because schools lacked the capacity. “There was a really gifted 5^th grader at one of my schools who was testing off the charts. His experience made me realize I needed to expand my mission a little bit,” Jenn explained. She now supports students who are referred to her for a variety of different needs.

When she decided to launch Strength in Numbers DC, Jenn had never applied for a grant before. She braced herself for a lot of rejections, noting “you hear stories of people who apply for 30 grants before they get one.” But her very first application — to a small foundation called the Wild Gifting Project — came back with a yes. “They were building the plane as they flew it, just like I was, so it was the perfect partnership.”

Jenn says that when she was designing the program, “I asked myself three questions: Where can I have the biggest impact? Who can I partner with? And what do I do really well?” That clarity has kept Strength in Numbers DC grounded in its mission and niche. She also established a Board of Directors with a wide range of experience, talents, and connections to shape the direction of the organization.

Jenn feels most rewarded by the relationships she’s built with students and teachers alike. “The chance to touch base over and over again, to go back and talk to a teacher who taught a kid two years ago — it helps me understand the child’s whole story,” she said. “It’s meaningful to everyone involved that somebody’s still looking out for this student.” Jenn’s love for her students, and the respect she has for the educators she collaborates with, comes through in volumes when she talks about her work.

Part of the program’s success lies in staying intentionally small. By working outside the formal DC Public Schools system, Jenn can collaborate with educators on her own terms. “I’m not trying to scale up to something big,” she said. “That allows me to relieve pressure from DCPS teachers, while knowing everybody is collectively stronger on behalf of the kids.” Jenn is able to focus on real impact for individual kids — and also maintain balance in her own life so she doesn’t burn out.

When the work feels overwhelming, Jenn focuses on keeping things in perspective. “I know I won’t fix the entire system,” she said. “But I also know this isn’t just a bandage. So I ask myself: what can I do today? What can I plan for in the next couple months? What does this student need next year?”

Her advice to anyone looking for inspiration is simple: “Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you need to do something big for it to matter. Tiny differences add up. Do those things — and then let yourself appreciate the difference you made.”

Want to support the amazing work Jenn’s doing with Strength in Numbers DC? You can learn more and donate here.

* A DCPS school is eligible to become a Title I schoolwide program if the poverty rate of the student body is 35% or more.

Lately, it feels like the news is one gut punch after another. In conversations with friends, neighbors, and clients, I've realized that many of us are feeling powerless and ineffectual.

This is the motivation behind The Inspiration Series: short, true stories about everyday people doing inspiring things. Not superheroes. Not billionaires. Just neighbors, teachers, friends — people who saw a need and did something about it.

My hope is that a steady stream of positive stories can remind us all that we do have the power to make the world a better place.

Keep an eye on this space for routine posts, and please spread the word!