The Hatchet’s Best of Northwest guide aims to strengthen human connection in our community by highlighting the people, places, food and experiences that define our quadrant. But in conversations about building community at GW, in Foggy Bottom and throughout Northwest D.C., we often leave out one group: our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
A year ago as part of the “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” executive order, President Donald Trump mandated the prompt removal of all unhoused encampments on federal land in D.C. Since then, the National Park Service and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services have escalated encampment clearings on both federal and District land throughout the city, including Foggy Bottom. Many GW students misunderstand homelessness, in part because they come from privileged backgrounds — next year’s cost of attendance will near $100,000. Preconceived notions about people experiencing homelessness or simply not engaging with their stories often prevent students from connecting with the unhoused community. But they are part of our community, and at a time when President Donald Trump actively degrades them and makes their lives harder, we must stand with them and deepen our connections.
Building meaningful connections begins with learning about the diverse experiences and perspectives around us. Vendors for Street Sense Media, a publication covering homelessness across the District, sell papers directly outside the Foggy Bottom-GWU Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority station. Cultivating empathy and awareness among GW students can start with reading the stories and perspectives of people experiencing homelessness and learning about the policies that affect their lives. Several members of our editorial board said they buy a paper from Street Sense vendors whenever they see them on the street. We strongly urge everyone to do the same — not just to support the vendors financially but also to take the opportunity to start a conversation. In line with the Best of Northwest guide’s mission to strengthen human connection, we can all benefit from taking the time to talk to one another, learn about different perspectives and recognize the shared humanity that connects our entire community.
Student organizations have many ways to support our unhoused neighbors. They can encourage members to volunteer with groups like Miriam’s Kitchen, which directly assists people experiencing homelessness, or develop partnerships with such organizations to involve the broader student body in meaningful service. Students can also gain professional experience while making an impact — for example, Street Sense offers internships. With a little effort and research, student organizations can uncover opportunities that let GW students contribute, learn and strengthen connections with our unhoused community.
GW also offers platforms like GivePulse, which make it easy for students to sign up for volunteering opportunities. We urge the University to play a bigger role in showing how students can directly support the people around them and emphasize the importance of community engagement. Programs like Green Move-Out also redirect items students would otherwise discard, and these donations could be extended to shelters and organizations in need, maximizing their impact on the local community.
As GW students, many of us are ambitious and eager to make a difference, whether politically or socially. One of the most immediate ways we can have an impact while at GW is by supporting our community and the people around us, including those experiencing homelessness. This is our community, our neighbors and many of us are in a position to help.
The editorial board consists of Hatchet staff members and operates separately from the newsroom. This week’s staff editorial was written by Opinions Editor Andrea Mendoza-Melchor, based on discussions with Contributing Opinions Editor Ava Hurwitz, Research Assistant Ethan Tsai, Sports Editor Grant Pacernick and Social Media Director Max Gaffin.