Sts Francis and Alphonsus

A Simple House serves project and Section 8 neighborhoods in southeast Washington, DC. Our work involves meeting people in their neighborhoods and in their homes, and it is focused on the parents instead of the children.

A Simple House believes that the best hope of every child is their parent, and there can be nothing better for a child than to have their parent transformed in Christ. This transformation may help a mother or father overcome depression, drug addiction, and self-destructive behavior. In addition, a true transformation makes someone embrace family life and their role as a parent. As an article of faith, we know that conversion is possible for every human, but unfortunately, our society has written off most inner-city adults as unreachable. The overwhelming number of families in our neighborhoods are lead by single mothers, and mothers have become the main focus of our ministry.

Home visits are made by pairs of volunteers, and the visits usually include counseling, prayer, bible study, or delivering groceries. We try to include as much prayer and spiritual discussion as possible, but we do not deny our friendship to anyone.

When Simple House volunteers visit someone in their home, a unique honesty and equality results. These visits happen in the environment where the person is most comfortable, and they result in a neighborly and friendly exchange. A living room is a very natural place to share the gospel and the troubles that we are all facing in this life. In addition, a person?s home environment can give a penetrating insight into the material and spiritual needs of a family. Without home visits, many people would never be reached. Many people have spiritual, physical, or material obstacles that make it very difficult and unlikely for them to visit a church.

A Simple House also uses general outreaches to help the neighborhood become more comfortable with our ministry and to find individuals who are the most receptive to our message. General outreaches are religiously focused and require a team of volunteers to minister to the entire neighborhood. They often include distributing religious gifts, seasonal items, and invitations to church. Annual outreaches include deliveries of Easter bags, school supplies, delivering Thanksgiving bags, and Christmas baskets.

In addition to home visits and general outreaches, Simple House volunteers may invite people to church on Sunday, take people on pilgrimages, and have dinner with neighborhood families.