The Bethel Christian Fellowship Child Dvelopment Center
When theBethel Christian Fellowship Child Development Center was purchased, the building was condemned and had to be brought up to code before the center could even be opened. The building’s facilities are extremely humble. Children have no real toys to play with, there are no swings, climbing facilities or safe landscaped areas with gym equipment. Education is the emphasis at this center. Sign language is taught, as is etiquette, morals and basic life skills. Music and singing are also part of the day-to-day curriculum at the day school. Field trips to both fun and educational venues (Smithsonian Museums, etc. ) are held. Without these field trips it is likely these children would never see the other parts of D.C. that are outside of their impoverished neighborhood. It is the hope that HGTV and its partners can provide this children’s center with a safe playground and a proper learning environment for at-risk children in their own neighborhood.
How am I Historic? - All three building projects are in the historically significant neighborhood of Anacostia. It is the home of a major fort that defended the Capital City during the Civil War. It was also the site of the “Bonus March,” which protested the effects of the Great Depression. In the spring of 1932, a large group of World War I veterans established a camp at Anacostia Flats where they created shanties from cardboard boxes. They demanded a wartime bonus that President Hoover refused to pay and had them removed by force. Anacostia is also known as the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. This site is within 2-3 blocks of each of the project sites.
