Our Foundation
DC127 was founded in 2013 and was given its name to reflect James 1:27, which mandates believers to care for orphans and widows in their distress. Pastor Aaron & Amy Graham, of The District Church, co-founded this Christian, non-profit organization in response to the need in Washington, DC to preserve families and safeguard children.
Members of The District Church organized and gathered people from churches across the city around the guiding principle that our church communities are uniquely positioned to serve families whose children are at risk of entering foster care. At DC127's inaugural meeting in 2013, more than 400 people joined our mission to build a community network to protect and sustain vulnerable children and at-risk families, regardless of faith or background. As we developed the groundwork of our organization, we partnered with the DC Child & Family Services Agency (CFSA) --to focus on foster care prevention and foster family recruitment.
Today, DC127 is focused on the following key priorities as we continually strive to carry out our mission to support families at risk of separation as well as kinship, foster, and adoptive families.
- Church Mobilization: DC127 is committed to working in close partnership with the local Church and will carry out its mission by recruiting, equipping, and mobilizing volunteers from across multiple church bodies.
- Organizational Sustainability: DC127 is committed to growing its ministry in a sustainable, thriving manner - expanding its reach and increasing its impact.
- Communities for Families: DC127 is committed to identifying and working to preserve families who have one or more risk factors that may increase their potential for family disruption, leading to a child(ren) experiencing foster care.
- Foster Care Support - DC127 is committed to supporting kinship, foster, and adoptive families as they provide love, security, and stability for the children in their care.
