Dr. Donald Edward Martin passed away on March 9, 2026, in the place he called home for almost four decades – Christ House in Washington, DC – surrounded by loved ones. Born in 1929 into a traditional Mennonite community, Don’s life began in a two-story log house without electricity, telephone, heating, or indoor plumbing. From […] More…
Fostering Joy, Creating Hope
D.C. friends- have you ever walked past Christ House on Columbia Road and noticed a group of our patients sitting in the courtyard? The beautiful statue of Jesus by Jimilu Mason helps identify us, but otherwise we are tucked into a fairly nondescript building. It would be easy to pass us by without realizing what […] More…
From My Bookshelf: Recommended Reading for Black History Month from Charles Anderson-Gray, Chaplain
When I was asked to write about books on my bookshelf for Black History Month, there were so many titles that immediately came to mind. Howard Thurman’s landmark work Jesus and the Disinherited remains vital and challenging, as does James Cone’s The Cross and the Lynching Tree and Cole Arthur Riley’s This Here Flesh. But […] More…
Exciting News at Kairos House: Introducing Renewed Way
We are pleased to share that a new program has begun at Kairos House, created as the next step for long-time Kairos Members who have completed the New Day classes. Called Renewed Way, this program responds to a growing need for deeper engagement and continued growth in recovery. Since the addictions program began in 2000, […] More…
Q&A with Dr. Lisa Purdy, CEO
What drew you to Christ House, and what made you say “yes” to this role? From the moment I learned about Christ House, I was struck by the depth of its mission—to offer healing and hope to those experiencing homelessness and complex medical needs. That commitment to compassionate, holistic care felt aligned with […] More…
A Neighborhood Tour with Barbara Moore
Barbara Moore speaks beside the Christ statue, “The Parable,” outside of the Festival Center, sculpted by artist Jimilu Mason. Mason also created the Servant Christ statue that kneels outside of Christ House. As Christ House celebrates our 40th year of service in Adams Morgan, it feels important to look around at the many other organizations […] More…
Serving Lunch with Love
Each day, the kitchen staff members at Christ House prepare three delicious and nutritious meals for our patients. The greatest of these, in food quantity and popularity, is lunch! Our kitchen staff serves an average of 35-40 individuals at lunchtime, which includes patients, Kairos Members, and staff. Meal preparation takes approximately one hour, and often varies depending on the complexity of the dish itself. Meals at Christ House typically consist of […] More…
Guest Post by Donna Chacko – Broken
Dr. Donna Chacko lived in Kairos and worked as a family doctor at Christ House as part of the residential community from 2003-2010. She continued working at Columbia Road Health Services until 2013, when she retired from clinical medicine. Now she promotes health of body, mind, and spirit through her website, blog, and various programs […] More…
Resilience During Disquieting Times
Following the Patients’ Lead One of the many gifts patients share with Christ House is their living example of resiliency. This has been true since the founding of Christ House and has become even more apparent during such disquieting times. Christ House remains vigilant to lessening the spread of COVID-19 by following CDC guidelines, implementing […] More…
An Unfolding Story…
Christ House reflects on welcoming 252 Year Long Volunteers in the past 35 years. Woven into the fabric of the Christ House mission of healing and hope are individuals committed to a year of full-time volunteer service among men experiencing homelessness with acute medical needs. The annual welcoming of these individuals, affectionately referred to as […] More…
