|
Executive Director
Brenda K. Chamberlain is the Executive Director of Horton’s Kids, Inc., a popular non-profit tutoring and mentoring program that serves hundreds of children who live in one of the most violent and low-income neighborhoods in Washington, DC. The organization’s purpose, as reflected in its mission statement, is to “educate and empower the children of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 by providing comprehensive, direct services which improve the quality of their daily lives and nurture each child’s desire and ability to succeed.”
Ms. Chamberlain was hired after an extensive, national executive search and a resounding unanimous vote by Horton’s Kids’ Board of Directors. Ms. Chamberlain began her career with Horton’s Kids as one of its volunteers. She began tutoring on Tuesday nights at the Anacostia Public Library. She says she was “hooked from the first second.” After a year and a half of volunteering, Ms. Chamberlain was hired as the growing organization’s first-ever Director of Volunteers – a position in which she quickly excelled. After creating one of the largest volunteer groups in Washington, DC, Ms. Chamberlain became known as one of Washington’s experts in recruiting, training, and managing volunteers. Ms. Chamberlain was later promoted to the position of Operations Director and was responsible for the myriad logistics of a multi-site, volunteer-staffed tutoring program for children ages four through eighteen. She later was promoted to Deputy Director working closely with the organization’s founder, Karin Walser, and eventually taking over all aspects of managing the organization during the executive transition.
Through Horton’s Kids, busloads of children from Anacostia participate in Sunday field trips and tutoring sessions in federal office buildings each week, including two evenings in the Rayburn Congressional House Office Building. They also attend regular dental and eye appointments; enjoy birthday and Christmas celebrations; receive clothes, shoes, and backpacks; participate in community service projects; and attend summer camp activities designed to prevent the “summer slide.” Most importantly, these children benefit from the attention, love, and dedication of more than 700 volunteers who help make their childhood as enriching, educational, and secure as possible. Horton’s Kids was formally incorporated in 1991 and received its 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in 1993.
The organization depends on the financial contributions of individuals, foundations, corporations, and civic groups, but its greatest resource remains a large group of dedicated volunteers, many of whom work on Capitol Hill. Through partnerships with other organizations, Horton’s Kids has been able to grow and expand the services it provides.
Over the years, the organization has been highlighted in national news outlets such as The Washington Post, The Washington Times, CNN, National Journal, and The Washington Business Journal, as well local news sources such as Roll Call, The Hill, Fox Morning News, Channel 9, WETA, WAMU, and NBC Nightly News.
Ms. Chamberlain grew up in southern Wisconsin and gradated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has taken continuing education courses in non-profit financial management, human resources, grant-writing, development, personnel management, youth development, capacity building, program evaluation, and risk management. In addition to non-profit management, Brenda has expertise in designing homes and public places to better accommodate elderly and disabled. She enjoys art, traveling with her husband and family, and volunteering in the community.
|
|
