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July, 2026
Dear Friend,
During this time of celebration of America’s 250th birthday, I find myself thinking a lot about what American soldiers go through to serve our country, and how we take care of them after they complete their service.
I’ve also been thinking especially of a particular veteran, China Charles, pictured at right, who came to Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington for help in January, after the big plans she’d been working hard to achieve went sideways.
“I didn’t know if I’d be discarded” by society, said the mother of three children who had served as a US Army food inspector for 10 years and done two tours of duty — enough to develop PTSD — in the Middle East before being honorably discharged for health reasons. Most recently, she had been living with her active-duty husband at Fort Belvoir, working towards her bachelor’s degree in business administration at George Mason University, and had set her sights on working for the Federal government again, but in cybersecurity. Unfortunately, she was not receiving the mental health care she needed when a single lost temper and a regretted mistake led to seven months in prison.
“I was admired,” said China, referring to her life before that pivotal moment. “And then coming home, I was like, gosh, is this felony going to wipe all of that out? Because sometimes people only see the bad before they even experience the good.”
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But upon China’s release, Dr. Cheryl Mercer, Samaritan’s STRIVE work-readiness trainer, did not just welcome China with open arms to her STRIVE class. Cheryl also played a momentous role in helping China regain her confidence and dignity, and she provided China with a supportive platform from which she could launch a new career plan that leverages both her valuable tech skills and her generous nature.
What happened was this: When a January snowstorm stranded the trainer who was meant to teach the digital literacy unit of the STRIVE class in which China was a student, China took Cheryl aside and offered to teach the curriculum herself, explaining that she was experienced in teaching similar skills to college students with her Women in Tech group at George Mason.
“Dr. Mercer never made me feel less than,” China said. “She was the person who made me see that I can be valued again. My skills have not been diminished just because I'm a returning citizen.”
With Cheryl’s support and encouragement, China not only taught digital literacy to her own STRIVE class, but has been giving back by teaching it to each monthly STRIVE cohort since then, and started her own digital literacy and career counseling firm, Kenora Coaching and Consulting, in March.
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China is especially drawn to helping returning citizens — a community she hadn’t even realized existed until she became one — so she offers them her services free of charge and partners with NAARC, the Community Assisted Reentry Program, and DC’s The Ready Center to provide similar coaching.
“It’s been an eye-opener,” China said, noting that she had met women in prison — including grandmothers — who had been reincarcerated after being released in the past without education or the kind of support that Samaritan provides to its participants like China, leading the women to resort to desperate measures to provide for their families.
Every story of hope and transformation at Samaritan begins with someone who chooses to care — long before our staff and volunteers even meet our Next Step participants or STRIVE and Adult Basic Education students — and that someone is YOU.
Because of YOUR generosity, compassion, and faithful partnership, we can welcome every person who comes to our doors with dignity, respect, and the belief that a new beginning is always possible.
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As Samaritan’s new Executive Director since April of this 40th year in the organization’s history, the vision I am asking you to join me in realizing is one of renewed and increased strength, stability, and impact. I envision an organization that, through new and deepened partnerships with donors, partner congregations, and the wider community, can provide expanded services that help our students and participants achieve ever greater stability, continued personal growth, and enhanced ability to give back to their communities themselves, just as China is already doing.
But today, much like our participants, Samaritan must first fortify our own financial stability amidst significant financial pressures. Therefore, our Summer of Impact 40th Anniversary Campaign is more than a routine fundraising effort; it is an imperative for keeping our doors open, our programs operating, and our dedicated staff and volunteers serving those who need us most.
We thank you deeply for believing in Samaritan’s mission, and we ask that you join us in securing the legacy and future of what we have built together. Please make a generous 40th Anniversary donation today, either by clicking the pink button below to give online, or by mailing a check to the address below. Every gift matters.
With heartfelt gratitude,
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Jennifer Longmire-Wright
Executive Director
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Make your gift with a credit card by clicking the pink button above, or send a check payable to Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington to our main business office and educational hub:
Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington
3111 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032
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