UPO in the Media
Remembering King Through Prayer
UPO and MLK Jr. Holiday DC hold King-Centered Prayer Breakfasts
UPO Trains Students for New Careers
We introduce high school students to new career paths. The UPO Workforce Institute and our CARES Act team guide them to skilled careers with job security.
Trust Chef Jerald Thomas to Train Cooks to Enter the D.C. Workforce
At the back of Chef Jerald Thomas’ classroom inside Frederick Douglas Early Learning Center on Stanton Road SE is a flashy bulletin board full of wisdom for anyone who’s being hard...
Advocates Make Final Push To Involve Hard-To-Count D.C. Areas In The Census
Olivia Henderson was cajoling, dancing and yelling outside the Bald Eagle Recreation Center on Joliet Street in Southwest D.C. the other day. She wasn’t trying to entertain pedestrians or drivers....
At this D.C. day care, few kids, lots of hand-washing, and a savior for a single health-care worker
Now, Nacole Thrower can relax. Her son gets education, love, and support at a UPO emergency child-care center. That makes the COVID-19 crisis easier to bear. Read More at the...
“Incredible people” drive in bone-chilling cold to help the homeless
When DC activated a Cold Emergency Alert, Fox5 reporter Josh Rosenthal wanted a compassionate lead story. He interviewed UPO outreach worker Vincent Blackson, whose kindness is in his blood: Blackson’s...
Making college dreams come true
Each year, UPO gives a $10,000 scholarship to each of 5 outstanding DC high school students. Keiri Sanchez, one of the scholars, aspires to become a pilot.
‘I Pull Joy From Them:’ To Cope …
Wanda Dudley gives hope to people who think life has dealt them an unbearable hand because she once felt that way, too. She found healing by helping others at UPO’s...
Foster grandparents volunteer and share their love at schools
In our series, A More Perfect Union, we aim to show that what unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us. We look into a program that...
A big balloon of joy: D.C. grandparents give students mentors, and themselves a purpose
Cynthia Brown-Thomas’s job requires her to rise before the sun. It pays a meager stipend of $2.65 an hour. An exhausting display of patience is a must. She credits the...
A robotics team that is inspiring students to pursue a career in STEM
With a mission to help inspire students to pursue an education and careers in STEM, professor Ramona Hutchins and the United Planning Organization created the Robonauts robotics team. She is here along...
Students return from robotics competition .
“A group of amazing kids in the district is fresh off a trip from a world championship competition.” Watch on NBC4
UPO “works overtime to protect homeless people from the cold”
Reporter Mark Segraves wanted to spark awareness about the needs of homeless people. To start this heart-to-heart talk with the public, he interviewed UPO staffer Vincent “Bones” Blackson. For 16...
On a bus for the homeless, humor and a human touch
“Orlando Gore is a one-man generator of small acts of kindness, driven by his own memories of tough times in his native North Carolina and his early years in Washington,...
UPO Foster Grandma Virginia McLaurin: At 106, she’s still dancing and serving her community
Part of what keeps Grandma Virginia young is working with her community’s youth. For 21 years, she’s helped children with severe disabilities learn skills. All of this comes through the...
Kids find role models in UPO Foster Grandparents
In this Making a Difference report, NBC interviewer Chelsea Clinton visited a group of retirees—“foster grandparents”—who are aiding children in some of the nation’s toughest school districts. Watch on NBC Nightly News
UPO Foster Grandparents at work with preschoolers
Data shows us that children who are touched by Foster Grandparents have a higher educational achievement level…and it’s not just kids who benefit: older Americans who volunteer report lower levels...