ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WUSA) -- Twenty four years ago, an organization was started in Alexandria to fight homelessness.
Community Lodgings began providing housing and services to the poor. Recently, the Catalogue of Philanthropy named the non-profit one of the best small charities in the Washington area.
"I've watched families when they come in, like a family will come in with a negative look on their faces and just sadness. After a couple of months, they come in they're saying 'Hello Bonnie' and smiling," shared Executive Director Bonnie Baxley. "It's exciting to watch their attitudes change in terms of I've got a handle on this."
It is estimated that 10% of all homeless people in Northern Virginia live in Alexandria. Besides providing transitional housing, Community Lodgings offers youth and adult education.
Maria Espinoza was able to improve her life and provide a secure future for her two daughters. She is just one of many whose lives were dramatically changes by Community Lodgings.
Espinoza told us, "My older daughter is thirteen. She's in 7th grade. She's doing well, she speaks Spanish, English and now she takes German. She's doing very well with the language and now she got A's and B's."
Each afternoon, low income and prodominently Latino students come there for after school programs. They receive tutoring in English and more importantly learn how to avoid gang activity.
Baxley said, "And they come in and they are demoralized and what we do and what we do is work with them and show them they can save money, the can get better jobs, their children can be educated, they can be educated and they can make it."
Community Lodgings is guiding families to independence and self-sufficiency.
"When we talk about helping the homeless here in Northern Virginia, in Alexandria there is a dire need. We take families from the shelters and work with them until they're independent and it's successful," stated Baxley.
Espinoza said, "When you have people who have people who help you, it's more easy to stay by yourself."