Honoring our commitment to our partners and our core value of collaboration, the Bainum Family Foundation continued its annual tradition of participating in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 16. Fifteen Foundation staff members rolled up their sleeves at Big Mama’s Children’s Center — a licensed child development center in the District of Columbia’s Ward 8 — to deep-clean and paint the center’s classrooms and common spaces.

“Big Mama’s is a vital resource for the children and families of Ward 8, and has been for 35 years,” says Henrena Brunson, the Foundation’s HR Generalist and an organizer of the service activity. “We are happy to have helped this outstanding organization continue its mission, especially on a day when we are reminded of the importance of coming together as a community.”

Big Mama’s Children’s Center is affiliated with our partner, UPO, through the District’s Quality Improvement Network (QIN), a multi-year strategy launched by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and supported by the Foundation to increase the availability of high-quality early learning seats in the District. Since the QIN’s launch, Big Mama’s has received several enhancements to its facility, including new floors, new windows and classroom dividers, and other support to staff, including coaching, family engagement support and leadership development.