CARES Act Impact
Pandemic Response
As the pandemic took a toll on our beloved city, UPO was needed more than ever. UPO is the designated Community Action Agency for the District’s residents with low incomes,...
Feeding his hunger to succeed
How did DC native Freddie Jeffcoat wind up diving into IT? He has a different job at a DC Public School but one day he volunteered to oversee the school’s...
New skills + new mindset = a powerhouse
Southeast resident Gina Miller was unhappy as a contracted security guard. She was grateful to be working during the pandemic but was not fulfilled — she imagined more for her...
He’s paving a road to success
Angelo Brandon was in the prime of his life — at 30 years old, he was a talented artist and painter. He was also a single dad with no job....
“I’m going forward.”
Alexis Scott never had much support for her education yet she hungered to learn more. When she saw a chance to take her next step, she grabbed it. She saw...
Now she can reach her goals
DC native Alexis Simmons is the oldest of 8 siblings. She would often help her younger brother with his schoolwork — he had developmental delays and needed her aid. As the...
A Senior’s Peace of Mind
Victor Kolako was a DC senior citizen with a low income and a problem to solve. His laptop was old and its glitches kept getting worse. But new laptops were...
A Mother’s Ambition
DC native Lena Coleman always knew that education was her calling. She attended Morgan State University and earned her BA in Applied Liberal Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education....
She can stay in her home
“People are out here working, but they are still behind, and they need to know there is hope, that there is help – and they don’t know that. I have...
Her computer is “a blessing”
For Sharon Gray-Rush, securing a laptop was a game-changer, especially during the pandemic: Her background in data entry meant that she had basic computer skills, but she didn’t own a...