If you’re looking for a nonprofit organization that focuses on empowering at risk youth to fulfill their true potential despite their circumstances, then you’re looking for Horton’s Kids.
Operating on the mission statement that “circumstances should not dictate a child’s future, and every child should graduate from high school ready to succeed in college, career, and life," Horton’s Kids is living up to that standard by providing 500 children out of Ward 8, where most family’s annual income is at or below 10,000, of Washington DC with various support services, including addressing basic health needs and a Community Resource Center.
Children inWard 8 face numerous challenges, including living with one of the highest crime rates in the city, and underachieving schools where only 15 percent of elementary students are reading at grade level. Horton’s Kids is working to combat these problems by providing a comprehensive model of support.
Horton’s Kids was founded in 1989 by Karin Walsh, a woman who wanted to provide impoverished youth with new experiences that broadened their perspectives on life and opportunities available to them. One evening, Ms. Walsh was approached by several children who asked to pump her gas in exchange for spare change. Instead, Ms. Walsh offered them a trip to the zoo. That was the spark. Since then, Horton’s Kids has grown into a dynamic organization, thanks to an active volunteer force as well as federal partnerships. Learn more and get involved.