Mothers of the Village

Erna Steinbruck has spent most of her life caring and advocating for those in need. She and her husband, Pastor John Steinbruck, arrived at Luther Place in 1970 and they quickly began serving people experiencing homelessness in the District.

Born Erna Guenther in Philadelphia, she was instrumental in establishing N Street Village and quickly saw that women were most in need of dedicated services. In 1973, the Steinbruck’s opened Deborah’s Place, the first home for women experiencing homelessness on N Street, and in 1981 they opened Bethany Women’s Center, which continues to provide food and day services at the Flagship location. Erna was known to work tirelessly behind the scenes, preparing food, fixing the plumbing, making beds, and more. She operated the day center for seven years before switching to a shelter in Alexandria, Virginia. In March 2012, N Street Village dedicated a new permanent supportive housing program for women with a history of chronic homelessness in honor of Erna, naming it Erna’s House.

N Street Village is indebted to the vision and dedicated service of Erna Steinbruck!

Joan Dodek founded Washington Hebrew Congregation’s Soviet Jewry Committee in the early 1980s. She traveled to the Soviet Union three times and wrote, “I had traveled to the Soviet Union in 1974 as a tourist. In 1978 I traveled as a Jew.”

D.C.’s Soviet Jewry movement lasted from 1970 to 1991, with a daily vigil and numerous rallies and marches (most notably, the 1987 rally on the National Mall). Through this work, Joan became connected to the Steinbruck’s who invited her to the Village. She immediately became committed to the mission of N Street Village and became a key part of the NSV interfaith support coalition that was so instrumental to its success. Joan became a committed volunteer at Bethany Women’s Day Center, serving lunch weekly for over 25 years. She was honored for her long and committed service when N Street Village celebrated its 40th anniversary.

We thank Joan for her long-term dedication to the women we serve.

Carol Marsh is the founder of Miriam’s House, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., serving women living with HIV and AIDS. Carol served as Project Director, managing the purchase and renovation of the 13,000-sq-ft building over a three-year period. She created a residence with a focus on compassionate, professional care that served the whole person. Miriam’s House welcomed its first residents in February 1996, and Carol served as Executive Director from then until December 2009. In 2011, Miriam’s House merged with N Street Village. Carol lives in D.C. and is an author and health and wellness coach.

We are so grateful to Carol for her vision in creating Miriam’s House, which continues to be an important part of the Village. Read more about Carol at: https://www.caroldmarsh.com/

Sharon Hart joined N Street Village on Jan. 15, 1988—Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday—and after 30 years of service, she retired in the spring of 2018.

When Sharon joined the team, N Street Village occupied the townhouses on N Street in northwest D.C., and during her time here, she witnessed the nonprofit’s tremendous growth and expansion of services into a multi-site housing community.

She began her decades-long Village career as a program associate, working the 2 p.m.-10 p.m. shift, and served in a variety of roles including a temporary six-month position as manager of the night shelter, coordinator for the families and after school programs at Eden House, office manager for N Street Village, and community organizer.

As community organizer, Sharon was the epitome of the Village’s radical hospitality, welcoming all who came to our doors. Her mentorship and friendship meant a great deal to the clients, residents, staff, and volunteers. She facilitated classes in the Wellness Center, provided tours to potential donors, managed events, and shared her love of art with the community. Sharon’s love of art inspired her to use it to help clients address their trauma. Through her weekly classes, many attendees began their healing journeys.

We are deeply grateful to Sharon for her dedication to changing the lives of so many women.

Evelyn Green came to N Street Village in 1988 as a client, after years living on the streets. She got a safe place to stay and treatment for her drinking, but after two years, she fell back into her old ways. One morning she was lying on a park bench, thinking about the care she’d received from the staff at N Street Village and decided it was time to try again. Evelyn returned in July 1991, and hasn’t looked back. In 1994, she began working as a volunteer and a year later joined the staff as a program assistant for Bethany Women’s Center. She made sure the center was open every day, providing women with breakfast, lunch, snacks, and more. In 2003, she became Program Director.

“I really believe that N Street Village saved many lives,” she said, “and I’m at the top of the list.”

In 2018, she was appointed Director of the Greenhouse Program, a specialized recovery program named in her honor. Today, Evelyn continues to mentor women coming out of homelessness.

We greatly appreciate all that she has contributed to make the Village a dignified and caring community.