During the Summer of 2023, I interned with Mamatoto Village. This was a new partnership between The Center of Excellence and Mamatoto so I am grateful I could get this opportunity! I was working within the Communications and Development team and created 14 housing guides for pregnant women and families who are experiencing homelessness. I went to the Mamatoto office on most Tuesdays to experience the “village vibe”, the family and welcoming spirit that the organization promotes and relies on. It was great being there in person and meeting the many other team members as I learned about their various duties.
With guidance from my supervisor Mariah and coworker Misha, I created 14 different, straight-forward housing guides for those in the DC area. Topics included housing environmental conditions to know, first steps once homeless, and housing self-advocacy. The guides will eventually be posted on their website under the “Know Your Rights” project, which is still being developed. As I am not from DC nor have lived experience in this area, I started with ground-level research and much Google searching. It was interesting to see the cyclical nature of the current, underfunded resources that are available for DC residents. Programs rely on each other for support, but I learned that they are not as comprehensive and available as promoted, which leaves people in desperate situations. I also got to sit on interviews with clients who have experienced homelessness and these helped inform the housing guides and gave me greater insight into the issues.
Getting to work with Mamatoto Village was a great experience as I have been interested in this organization since the first time I heard about it. Their programs and results are great, so it was amazing to get an inside view of how the organization operates. They are celebrating their 10-year anniversary in September and it is exciting to see what the next decade will bring! Thank you to the Communications team for being so welcoming and helpful during my internship!