GET INVOLVED

Homelessness is Growing and So Must We.
Help HCPP Expand to 2 New Sites!

Help us reach our goal to raise $30,000 per site to bring our program to Park Road and D.C. General where hundreds of children have no other weekly programs. There are many easy ways to give, including mailing a check to the address below or giving online.

HCPP is funded exclusively by small individual contributions and family foundation grants. We need your support as we expand to meet the growing need for our services.

Give the Gift of Play Online!

You can now support HCPP with a secure online donation through Network for Good! Just click the “Donate Now” icon below and follow the simple steps that even give you the option to give the gift of play to someone you love. Your donations will directly impact the lives of children who live in shelters and participate in playtime each week. Help us reach our goal to raise $60,000 to expand to two new sites where hundreds of children have no other weekly programs to meet their needs.

Volunteer!

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Program Assistant Lana Tilley at lana.hcpp(at)gmail.com. Volunteers who have experience with children and an interest in social justice are encouraged to apply to volunteer with HCPP. Consistency and trust is often lacking in the lives of children who are homeless, so interested volunteers should be prepared to make a weekly commitment to playtime. Volunteers are also required to undergo a background check and attend a training session which lasts about 4 hours and occurs on a quarterly basis throughout the year. In return, this position offers an exciting opportunity to build meaningful relationships with children, become immersed in the community, and get involved in advocacy work around issues effecting homeless families in the District. Thank you for your interest in giving of your time, the most valuable gift of all!

IMPORTANT: Please do not show up at any of our site locations without prior approval from our Program Coordinator or Site Coordinators. The privacy of shelter residents and program rules must be respected. Thank you for your cooperation!

Inkind Donations to HCPP

There are a variety of ways that individuals or groups can contribute to our program! Please email playtimeproject(at)gmail.com if you are interested in organizing a drive to benefit the children and families in our program. Due to storage limitations and the volunteer nature of our organization, please ask us if we have a need for what you are interested in donating before dropping off your treasures.

What we need

* Gift cards: Giant, Safeway and Target are what we need most to purchase weekly fresh snacks and supplies for each of our seven programs
* Sports equipment: basketballs, wiffle balls and bats, kickballs, footballs
* Art supplies: paper, markers, drawing paper, workbooks, art project kits, coloring books
* Costumes: Dress-up clothes and hats
* Board Games: Chutes & Ladders, Memory, Candy Land, Bingo, educational games
* Furniture: Plastic storage tubs, throw rug and pillows for reading corner, play kitchen and play dishes and food, small bookshelves or carts
* "Boy Toys:" Transformers, matchbox cars and trucks, trains and train tracks, kinetic building toys
* Other Items: Musical Instruments for kids, puppet theater and puppets (people of color or animals), toddler toys, books, educational projects to teach skills like reading and math, science, telling time, etc.

What we do not need

* Used stuffed animals
* Broken or worn toys or clothes
* Dolls that are caucasian and do not reflect our population of children
* If you are interested donating children's toys for the holidays, please contact jamila.hcpp(at)gmail.com for more information on opportunities to give toys to children who may not receive any otherwise.

Workplace Giving, Matching Gifts, Bequests or Memorial Gifts

Our generous donors have honored loved ones to mark such occassions as the birth of a child, a wedding, the loss of a loved one, a friend's birthday or other special events. Donations in honor of or memory of a family member or friend are acknowledged in specific accord with the donor's wishes. If your workplace conducts an annual charitable gift drive or has a matching gift program, consider designating HCPP. The Homeless Children's Playtime Project also welcomes bequests and special gifts as a means of ensuring that our mission and programs continue into the future. As a 501(c)3 organization, HCPP can be named as a full or partial beneficiary in a will, life insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity or trust fund. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these giving options and provide copies of the necessary documentation to facilicate such a gift. Please contact jamila.hcpp(at)gmail.com for more information.

Join our Mailing List
If you would like to receive our monthly online newsletter to receive regular playtime updates, please email playtimeproject(at)gmail.com.