Little Lights Urban Ministries
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April 14, 2012
As a donor, I am continually amazed how much Little Lights accomplishes with limited resources. I know that LL uses its funds effectively with a laser-like focus on its mission, that is to help the children. The dedication of staff and volunteers is just phenomenal. I am always humbled by their work.
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
May 4, 2011
I had a great experience volunteering at Little LIghts this past year. I tutored one student in math one day a week and really enjoyed my time as a volunteer. That staff are very professional and dedicated to their cause and the students are wonderful to work with.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Watching the students develop academic skills and confidence.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Have even more volunteers because Little Lights has developed a wonderful partnership between volunteers and those being served.
May 2, 2011
I have served with Little Lights as a reading tutor for two semesters. I work with a seven year old boy in second grade.
From my perspective, Little Lights is a phenomenal organization. Little Lights provides structure and teaches discipline, time management, and study habits to children who might otherwise get overlooked.
It is very clear that the staff at Little Lights cares very deeply for their charges and personally invests in each child.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Little Lights administers reading tests to each student participating in Reading Heroes. At the beginning of the school year, almost all students are well behind their peers in their reading abilities. Students are again tested towards the end of the school year. The improvements are drastic and undeniable. Personally, the student that I tutor, has made huge strides in his reading abilities. He has gone from slowly sounding out each letter to smoothly reading full sentences, chapters, and books.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Enlarge the space and staff to accommodate more students.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
A lot
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
April 27, 2011
Lots of fun! Kids love to see tutors show up and the organization truly makes a difference in these kids' lives . If you're looking for something to do for about an hour during the week that makes a huge impact on a underserved child's life, this is it.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
home life
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
give them more money. Seriously.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
April 26, 2011
I have been volunteering at Little Lights for two years. The staff sincerely care for the children; their tears are heard. As a volunteer I am welcomed and made to feel comfortable and needed. LL's training was very helpful in preparing me to serve the best I could. Because of a strong support system I am never alone in working with the children; help and suggestions are always available. We are given wonderful tools to use in Reading Heroes; just the best materials to make the experience meaningful to the children. The structure of this learning environment and the caring atmosphere provide an opportunity for the children to feel safe and loved; the essentials for effective learning to take place.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
The children really are learning how to read and their grades really are improving in school.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Given them more volunteers!
September 27, 2008
A very supporting, caring environment, for both the kids and the staff/volunteers. I could really see their love for the kids show itself in concrete actions, day after day. They always put in the energy and the time, even when they had put in the energy yesterday, and the day before, and for years.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the joy of the kids they work with.
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
always supportive, always loving.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
find a better/bigger place to meet, serve the needs of more kids.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
September 17, 2008
I have visited this great organization several times and watched their staff work with the neighborhood children. Great vision, great people, great focus on the mission at hand! Darrell J. Pearson Associate Professor Eastern University, St. Davids, PA
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
obvious concern and love for kids
Should this review be counted for a specific campaign?
Eastern University
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
September 17, 2008
I first came to Little Lights two years ago as a volunteer during my spring break with a team from my church in NC. While we were only there for a week, the warmth and dedication of the Little Lights staff/volunteers made me feel like a part of the team. We felt appreciated and needed. We could see clearly what drove Little Lights to do the work they did, and they unhesitatingly invited us to share their mission and vision for the community of Potomac Gardens and Washington, DC. I returned the following summer as a camp counselor for Camp Heaven. I had been floored by the love I had received from the Little Lights children I'd met during Spring Break, even though I had been a stranger. I was also curious to get to know more the staff of Little Lights, who had dedicated their lives to serving and loving the community and children of Potomac Gardens. I ended the summer knowing that God was using Little Lights to change DC for the better. The academic programs, the enrichment trips, the community meetings--they're all important, of course. But the one thing that defined Little Lights, and the one thing without which all these other programs could not exist was the genuine love and care for the community they served. Little Lights sees the children of Potomac Gardens not for who they are right now and what struggles they have been through, but Little Lights sees them as who they could be--as God had created them to be. Little Lights is a hopeful, persevering, and genuine place--a real light in the city of DC.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the attitude and academic outcomes of the children.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
meeting the Little Lights staff and summer camp counselors. Their vision and passion for the children and families of Potomac Gardens were inspiring.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
September 16, 2008
I have been volunteering with Little Lights for the past 5 years in the homework club, reading and math tutoring. During those years, I have witnessed countless hours of dedication and hard work by volunteers and staff to provide a service many people tend to overlook. I've also seen the results of their hard work in the lives of the children Little Lights serves. The children grow up in a very difficult environment where it is easy to feel left out and forgotten. Many of them even have the mentality of "who cares?" Little Lights, from the beginning to the present, have been answering that question, not with words, but with action, love, and commitment. In instances where the children do not get the proper positive reinforcements at home, Little Lights fills in that void. I personally have come to love the kids and I have seen the changes over the years. Why do I think the program is successful and worthwhile? Kids show up to homework club with homework instead of attitudes. Kids are at Little Lights instead of running around in the streets. The kids that have been in the programs over the years don't just leave. They come back to visit and tell stories of their successes and some even come back to serve in the ministry themselves. Some kids have been able to go to college. More kids have been able to graduate high school. Parents have also gotten involved in serving. But to bring everything back to the harsh reality, these are very low numbers compared to the number of children in the inner city. Little Lights has made significant changes in the lives of SE DC children since the beginning but surely, they have a long road ahead. I can only hope and pray that this ministry continues and grows with each passing day.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
fun, dedicated and motivated.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
reach out to more children and provide bigger and better programs.
Ways to make it better...
I had more time to volunteer.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
September 16, 2008
Light Lights not only changes the lives of the children and youths, but also the lives of those who get involved. I can say this because my life has been completely changed because of Little Lights. I was a sophmore in high school when I first volunteered at Little Lights. It was then that I learned what it meant to be sacrificial, selfless for others, putting aside differences for a greater good. The lessons that I learned at Little Lights continue to affect me even now when I am working at my professional job. One of my fondest memories I have of Little Lights was during the bonfire at Camp Hope. I was holding onto a little girl as she slept. She looked so peaceful and unafraid. It was such a rewarding feeling to know that for one moment in her life, I was able to protect her from the horrors and hardships that come from the inner city. For that one moment in time, I was able to give this little girl a sense of comfort, peace, and protection. When I need to be reminded of what real living means, I go visit Little Lights and I am refreshed.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the relationships you build with the kids as well as the staff
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2007
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