Our Mission
New Endeavors by Women (NEW) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to partnering with women experiencing homelessness to build brighter, more sustainable futures.
Through tailored support and a comprehensive range of services, NEW works alongside women to break the cycle of homelessness. NEW’s initiatives include secure housing for mothers and their children, life skills development, access to education, and pathways to employment, all aimed at fostering long-term independence and success.
Our History
The idea of NEW was a novel idea 35 years ago: Give women more than a bed for the night, give them a chance for a brighter future.
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In 1988 in DC, most shelters were only emergency shelters, meaning at 7 p.m., people could get dinner and a place to sleep, but by 7 a.m. the next morning, everyone had to be out, dragging all their belongings with them. There were some daytime drop-in centers here and there, “but if you were trying to get your life together and find a job, it wasn’t exactly an easy thing,” said Mary Popit, who was the Executive Director of NEW from 1996-2005.
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A group of (now unknown) women working in the emergency shelters for women saw this problem first-hand and decided to do something about it. They asked city officials if they could start a transitional housing program, giving women a place to live for three months, allowing them more time to get their lives in order.
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The city gave them 611 N Street and some money and the story goes that on July 4, 1988, these women were making up four beds. The next day, four women came through NEW’s doors with a desire to get their lives back on track. Each one got a case manager, an education consultant, an employment professional and a housing professional.
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New Endeavors by Women was born.
We believe all women can embrace who they are,
can define their future, and can change the world.