Some names have been changed to protect privacy.

Children’s chatter echoes through the Greentree Shelter complex as volunteers filter in and out through the homes, each built with identical wooden frames and stone bases. This layout is by design; developers understood the importance of creating a sense of safety, normalcy and comfort when designing the shelter.

Greentree, a homeless shelter for families in the Bethesda area, is within a quick 10-minute drive of Walt Whitman High School. Despite the compound’s integration with the community, only a small portion of nearby residents understand its real, significant impact.

In 1915, the D.C. Baptist Convention of churches created the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) for 14 unhoused children living in Washington, D.C. Today, their operation has broadened to multiple programs serving over 51,000 children and adults in the D.C. area. 

Erica Garcia is the Program Director for the Greentree Crisis Shelter and has worked with NCCF for nearly nine years. 

“Families, especially children, want a place that’s welcoming,” Garcia said. “They want a place where they feel supported. They want a place where they have things to do. You know, where all the barriers that their parents are facing aren’t something that they’re constantly reminded of.”

Garcia said the organization’s impact fits within four major categories: foster care and adoption services, out-of-school programs, in-school programs and site-based programs.

Each year, the NCCF receives about three million dollars in donations from both large-scale charities and individual donors. The organization offers extensive services like the Family Focused Initiative, a well-researched matching system connecting D.C. children in search of a home with Maryland foster parents recruited through extensive vetting processes.

In 1931, the NCCF moved its base of operations onto Greentree Road in Bethesda, Maryland. The location accommodates 115 children and their families yearly through four programs: The Futurebound Transitional Housing Program, The Futurebound Teen Parent Program, The Futurebound Independent Living Program and The Residence. Each initiative works with a specific demographic, offering support through counseling, job training, GED classes and substance awareness and prevention training. NCCF also gives young residents opportunities to participate in tutoring, extracurriculars and celebrations. Greentree hosts birthday parties, holiday celebrations and cultural nights for the residents.

Jane has been a resident at Greentree for six months. Having escaped domestic violence, Jane wanted to find a safe and happy place for her children. The Greentree staff was completely adaptive and responsive, she said.

“They’ve been very helpful with helping me find extra employment and other resources for not only myself, but my children,” Jane said. “There’s always an activity for the kids. They’re always an ear when you need to vent or cry and just can’t figure out what the next step is.”

NCCF’s GAP-R program houses boys aged 12-20 placed at Greentree by the Maryland Department of Social Services or the Department of Juvenile Services. Many of the residents have experienced severe trauma or significant difficulties in their early life, with some having experience in the D.C. or Maryland juvenile justice systems. Upon arriving at Greentree, they can access multiple resources, including group therapy, positive youth development and educational services. 

Though Greentree houses a large population with diverse needs, the largest sector of the shelter is dedicated to families experiencing homelessness. Rachel Spassiani, the Communications Director for the NCCF, believes that the most important thing for these families is that they stay together. 

“Most homelessness programs are not set up to keep a family together, and it’s extremely unhealthy for children to be separated from their parents, particularly when there’s no need for them to be,” Spassiani said. “Their parents aren’t abusive. They’re not harmful. They just simply can’t afford their rent.”

Childhood poverty directly correlates with slower social-emotional development and raises the risk of mental health issues in children. For this reason, Greentree seeks to provide an environment where children can thrive without these external stressors. 

“It does not compare to a lot of these other shelters,” Garcia said. “We definitely provide more of a sense of home for our families, especially the children. We’re really big on providing stability for our children, keeping them busy and giving them a sense of normalcy, which is why we have so many activities set up for them.”

Unlike many other shelters nationwide, the NCCF Greentree shelter is located in an affluent residential area. Bethesda residents had a median household income of over $191,000 in 2023, which is over two times the country’s median household income.

Greentree’s location brings both advantages and challenges to its residents. High-income areas provide better public resources, including local public schools and libraries, which can lead to a better education and a healthier environment for residents. However, the median house price in the U.S. is $419,000, almost a third of Bethesda’s $1.5 million median house price. The upscale suburb can sometimes lead residents to struggle with feeling at home and securing long-term affordable housing.

“In a lot of family homelessness, folks do work,” Spassiani said. “Sometimes they work two or three jobs. This isn’t necessarily an unemployment crisis. It’s a cost-of-living crisis.”

An ample reason for NCCF’s success is its large number of volunteers. The program interviews and screens individuals before they can engage with Greentree residents. The NCCF has over 2,000 volunteers in total, and in 2024 alone, the organization tracked over 7,000 volunteer hours at its multiple locations.

“Volunteers are such a blessing for us,” Garcia said. “We have a tremendous list of volunteers that donate their time. All the activities that we have are all due to our volunteers. Greentree Shelter means so much to us because we want to provide an environment where the children actually enjoy being.”