Welcome!

Courtney

Courtney grew up in an upper middle class, suburban family, but from an early age she felt different – “I didn’t know exactly what I was.” Born Calvin, she felt most comfortable with female friends and enjoyed being “girly.” Like most kids, she just wanted to be herself — unfortunately her parents would not accept her as a girl.

She struggled to survive living her “double life.” She started using drugs and alcohol to cope, but wasn’t concerned because “partying was what young people did.”

NSV Radio: Kenyatta and Jewel

In this special episode, we hear from Kenyatta T. Brunson, CEO of N Street Village, and Jewel McNeill, NSV alumna and former Steinbruck honoree.

Catherine

Catherine worked hard all of her life. She retired from her retail career in 2008 and assumed the full-time role of taking care of her mother in Memphis. After her mother passed in March 2011, Catherine decided to move to DC to be closer to her niece and nephew. She had a hard time finding work and lived in a hotel until she could no longer afford the cost.

On a cold morning in February 2016, Catherine became homeless for the first time in her life. Alone, she made her way to Union Station where she met a woman who told her about the city’s emergency shelters.