The Denney House

Join us for our first Good News segment as we highlight the great community service work of The Denney House and its founder, Khalilah Denney.  Take a listen and learn more of their programs - The Empowerment Institute, Project Clean Water, Transitional Housing Program and TDH Works visit:  The Denney House Inc. – Serving the vulnerable populations of Prince George's County, Maryland!

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Tamara Davis Brown 0:05

So, welcome to another episode of All Politics is Local with me, your host, Tamara Davis Brown. I am excited today to have our first good news segment. You may recall from my introductory podcast that I mentioned that I was so exasperated by the local and national, regional news. Seems like every time you turn on the television, all you hear is death, destruction, violence. Nothing good coming out of our local and national news. And so with this podcast, what I'd like to do is feature segments that talk about some of the good things, the positive things that are happening in our community. And my first guest for our good news segment is Miss Khalila Denny. She is the founder and president and executive director of the Denny House, and she'll tell us all about who she is and what the Denny House is. But I wanted to let our listeners know that I first met Khalila, I believe, at a campaign function. I think if we probably our pasts have probably crossed out in the community somewhere, but I think I formally met her and introduced uh she introduced herself to me when I was running for District 9 County Council. And that became my first introduction to her. And then um, although our past didn't necessarily cross again, we attended some coffee club meetings and local community meetings uh together. What I liked about her and what I observed was the actual work she was putting into the community. And so I thought it would be great to talk about the good things, the good news that she is doing and sharing in the community, and am excited to have her today. So welcome, Khalila. How are you today?

Khalila Denny 1:57

I am great. Thank you for that. Um I am great. Um I'm just so excited to be here. And I I would just want to say thank you for even thinking of us to spotlight the good work that we're doing, and we are so appreciative of you, Tamara. So thank you so much for having us.

Tamara Davis Brown 2:17

You're quite welcome. Thank you. So we'll get right into it. Um, folks may not know who you are and and what you do and what the Denny House is. Let's just start personally about just tell us a little bit about yourself. Who who is Ms. Khalila Denny?

Khalila Denny 2:33

All right. Well, I'll I'll I'll start from from the beginning. Um Khalila Denny, yes. I um am, as you said, the executive director and founder of the Denny House. Um I was uh born in Washington, D.C., but raised um in Prince George's County uh from the age of two until I aged out of foster care. Um I have uh my mom and my dad um were both um uh get caught up in the crack epidemic in DC, and and um my dad was incarcerated, and my mom got um herself fed up in the in DC and decided she wanted to come um to Prince George's County, and um here I am. A little bit about myself. I am uh one of five. My mom had five kids, and I am the baby out of the five. All of my siblings ended up in foster care in DC, and um I was the only one who were was uh you know brought over to Prince George's County with my mom. And so I grew up in foster care in Prince George's County, and you know that's where I I really got my my burning desire to serve um others and understood and knew from the very beginning that um I wanted to help young people uh find access to opportunities.

Tamara Davis Brown 4:06

Okay. So tell us how you started the Diddy House. What what made you uh actually start this nonprofit foundation?

Khalila Denny 4:15

As I shared just a few seconds ago, that my um my background really is what what is the reason. Um, but um the catalyst to me starting is um as I grew up in foster care, I realized and knew that I wanted to be a foster parent and affect change in that system. Um so I began to foster and raise uh teenage girls and boys. Um and there was a group of teenage girls who really just took to the service part of the work that I was doing. Um I have always been one out in the community, giving of my time, giving of my talents, um paying, you know, out of pocket for food and uh hygiene products and things like that, and so and just giving them out in the community. And um the the girls were like, Ma, you're doing it wrong. You're spending all your own resources, and you know, there's a better way, and you should start a nonprofit. And I was trying to figure out like, what's this nonprofit thing? I hadn't really thought about it or knew much about it. And they were like, Yeah, we should start the Denny House. So that's how the Dinny House was born. Um, with uh my ladies uh who are now the grown women serving in the community, um decided to uh help me help others. Um and um that's how the dinny house was formed.

Tamara Davis Brown 5:42

That's an amazing story. I don't think out of the mouths of babes, right? I mean, I know they probably were teenagers, but they had the foresight to say, you're doing this wrong, you're paying out of pocket, you should start a nonprofit. That is so amazing that they they they actually knew that and knew that there was a better way for you to do this and do it on a full-time basis and you know, do all the good work that you do. So I applaud those young women. They were very insight insightful. And um I I I think I said this uh to you once before in starting this podcast, it was my daughter's idea, actually. We had been talking about it for a couple of years, and I just decided to jump out there. She's like, Yeah, you just gotta do it, you just gotta do it. So that's amazing that um the young women, uh young ladies were so uh uh foresightful to help you get this get this started. So tell us about the Denny House, what type of work you do, um, how does the community benefit uh, you know, just uh all about the Denny House and exactly um what you guys do.

Khalila Denny 6:50

Okay, so yeah, we um our mission is to um help uh vulnerable populations in the state of Maryland to discover who they are, um to use their gifts and talents in the community for others. Um we do that due um through a uh number of initiatives and our four-pillar programs is our um Empowerment Institute. Um our Empowerment Institute is where our awareness events and um our mentoring and tutoring um programs lie. Our no-entry navigator initiative is housed out of our empowerment institute. Um we also have a transitional housing program for um returning citizens, uh women who are fleeing domestic violence, um, as well as uh transitional age youth who are 18 to 24 and veterans. So we uh serve them in that capacity, and then we have our workforce development program, which is TDH Works, where we are um training up individuals in the area of landscape management, um heavy equipment operation, and serve safe certifications. Um and we uh just we that's one of my programs that's near and dear to my heart. Um we also serve in a way of environmental stewardship through our Project Clean Water Um initiative, which is uh where we house our community gardens, our community cleanups, our um information sessions on environmental um stewardship and um how you can uh reduce your carbon footprint in your community and beautify your community. Um so those are the four pillar programs um that we have in our in our um under our house.

Tamara Davis Brown 8:46

Those are all great initiatives, and I know I've personally seen you and some of your volunteers and the the young uh students and so forth out in the community, particularly with the environmental. I know that you have the community cleanups. In fact, you gave me a call because I had put in a service order for cleaning up uh parts of uh uh Clinton Temple Hills uh area. And so I appreciate you following up, um following up on that. And so um we didn't talk about this before, but uh tell us how your organization kind of works with the local county here in Prince George's County to do some of that environmental work as well as you may, you know, do some work with state and other organizations. So how uh first, how do you kind of find out? Because I was a little surprised that you actually gave me a call and said, Hey, you put in a ticket. Um, for I was like, Yeah, I drive by that area every Sunday, and whenever I go to church, which I'm going to today for our women's uh program, and I see it, and I just like I'm so sick of seeing this trash on the side of the road. Sometimes it's yeah, it's almost it, I almost I almost want to bring a trash bag and just stop on Sunday mornings and just pick this stuff up. And it's just it's so much and it's so unsightly. So anyway, but yes, tell us how you um are partnering with the county and with the state in terms of uh, and and maybe there's you know someone listening who wants to do something similar. You know, how did you get started with those those partnerships?

Khalila Denny 10:27

I just want to first say I I hear you, and uh my heart is is with you when when I see this trash on the side of the roads. Um that's the reason why we got into you know environmental stewardship. And we have um, you know, just a heart for our community. We just it's important to us to serve in a way that um is impactful. And um, you know, one of the things that we noticed when we first started this environmental arm was no one else who looked like us was in the space of making um a um change uh in our community, especially when it comes to the trash and and and just the uh growing your own food and you know, just having these sustainable um conversations with our young people and allowing them, giving them the knowledge that they need to understand and know that there is opportunities in this space. There's employable uh employment opportunities in this space. Um and uh it is uh a very noble cause to serve in that way because not only are you helping others, you're helping your planet. You're helping, you know, um keep our earth and our our waterways um clean. So, you know, um for us, we we have never been able to do anything on our own. It's always been in partnership with um other community organizations, our our county government, as you uh mentioned. And, you know, uh we started out uh working um in this space with an organization called um the interfaith um partners of the Chesapeake. And that is what really started us out. But today we are partnering with our our local um uh councilman, councilman Everborrows, um to support District 8 um with uh environmental um cleanups, community cleanups, and um, as you said, illegal dumping and and you know picking up of the litters, and we're partnering with them and Camp Springs Civic Association as well as Forest Heights, the town of Forest Heights, to just keep our community clean. Um I will say that we have um been you know supported uh by the Department of the Environment for Prince George's County for a lot of our initiatives. Um Ms. Linda Lowe is always ready to support and uh help us with um supplies and things of that nature. Um and because we took the initiative to adopt a road in our community, Temple Hills Road is one of those that we adopt. We partner with uh Department of Public Works and Transportation to support and sustain and clean a section of Temple Hills Road. So um if anybody's interested in serving and learning more and figuring out how they can get started, that's one of the things that I love to do is just educate, you know, others in the community, other organizations who want to do this work. So I'm available to support in any way I can.

Tamara Davis Brown 13:49

That's great. And and towards the end, we'll make sure that you give your contact information, social media handles, all of those, all of those good things. And you kind of led us, it gave us that was a good segue into the the the next question. How do um I guess because you were part of the foster care system, you and you are a foster parent yourself, you kinda know uh how to navigate and find persons who need help. But what if someone is looking for help? What if someone um how do they when I say how do they find you, not necessarily find the dentity house, but how do they kind of reach out to say, hey, you they may not know they need workforce development. They just say, hey, I I right now I just want something to eat, I want a job, I you know, I just want to be able to take care. Um, I I believe you help young young ladies with, you know, clothing and interviewing and all those things. Um do you find that you go out into the community and find these young people and bring them in? Or is it is there a referral service, you know, break that down for me.

Khalila Denny 15:27

Yes, yes, I hear, I I hear exactly what you're getting at. So yeah, um one like I one of the things that really, really sets us apart, or I I wouldn't even say set us apart, that really um allows for us to be successful is our partnerships. Um the that I I mean I can't I can't say it enough. The the organizations that support the work that we do that we do are how we get our referrals. Um we do go out in the community and um will people attack tap us on the shoulder or someone to send send an individual our way when they know you know we do uh have the necessary uh commodity, if you will, that the the in the client is needing. Um but for the most part our partners, um, the Bridge Center Adams House uh Health Department for Prince George's County is a um uh a great resource for individuals in the community who um need support. And we refer pretty much any and everybody uh to them who comes our way. They um also serve the same populations that we serve, veterans. Um uh they serve returning citizens and transitional age youth. Um, and we partner with the other organizations who partner with them. Um they are um there's employee Prince George's, uh one of the uh my favorite nonprofits, uh fastly growing in our community that you know support our workforce development um efforts. Um they are they have several initiatives for our vulnerable populations that we serve. They're their Pathways to Success program, as well as their um keys program for their transitional age youth. Um, and they, you know, support us with referrals as well. So it's really through those um those partnerships that we're able to receive referrals for individuals who need our support and vice versa. We do the same as kids come our way and um as uh individuals come our way who need support.

Tamara Davis Brown 17:36

Well, absolutely, and we we need to talk a little bit too, because I am a member of the board of directors for the Gateway Second Chance Foundation, and you've probably heard of them because they're out of Temple Hills as well, and it's the Carters, and they provide after school tutoring and educational service through their boarding academy for young men who are struggling, they may have um failed out of school or um, you know, just really struggling academically, and they give them the basics, particularly in math and reading, and help them out. And I believe we had talked about um you do some after school um tutoring programs as well, is that correct? And which and which schools uh do you touch?

Khalila Denny 18:25

So, yes, we do have a mentoring and tutoring program. Um, it is now uh called our no entry navigator uh program. And it is uh we actually support the problem solving courts of Prince George's County. So any youth who are truant in the Prince George's County, found truant in Prince George's County Um have to come through our program. And that's they pretty much come from all schools in Prince George's County, um, as well as our um their diversion uh program um and then their uh juvenile drug court uh students. So all of our um mentoring and tutoring uh kids are coming from that portal as well as um the uh promised place shelter uh in Prince George's County. Um and we're working on Heights, right? Uh collaborative effort heights, right? Promised Place. Okay. Yes, ma'am, it's in Capitol Heights. It's um with um uh Sasha Bruce is the managing partner uh of the Promised Place shelter for for um youth who are 12 to um 21, I believe. And then um we're partnering uh with uh we're um the job corp in Laurel to uh support their students as well.

Tamara Davis Brown 19:48

So wow, you you have you have a lot of partnerships there. You are you're just naming and rattling off those all these organizations. I don't know how you keep it all together, but um I I I looked at your website recently and I saw you have some really good board of directors, a few people familiar faces that I know. I'm not gonna name names, but um you have a good um board of directors, but gosh, you do have quite a few partnerships, and that's great. That's great. So when people see or hear the Denny House, I think they think that there's a actual physical location. And so tell us how the the house portion, um I I know you said it started because you were fostering some some young ladies and they said you, you know, again, you're doing this all wrong, you should shouldn't be paying out of pocket. But tell us about um the Denny house and and when I say that I mean um you know the the physical location and some of the places that you utilize to help either foster um teens, either help them uh get housing, the veterans. I think I may have heard you uh um um mention for for those who are um were recently incarcerated and coming out and doing transitional housing. Um explain some of those partnerships as well and how people can get access to your services.

Khalila Denny 21:12

Okay, so yes, we do have two physical locations where we provide our transitional housing um services, um, both in southern Prince George's County. Um we um also have our headquarters where we provide a lot of our workforce development um services, which is in Clinton. And then um we typically uh receive referrals from our partners in the community um who are also serving these individuals and find that they need housing. Um we partner with um the Department of Corrections as well as from the state's um uh level as well as our county level. Um so we receive referrals from them. We receive referrals from the um the parole and probation office for um Prince George's County in the state of Maryland. Um but also uh through the many partners that I just that I just mentioned, um we do have an application for transitional housing on our website. Um so everyone's referred to to complete that application and we take them through a process of interviewing um to ensure that they are ready for the program because it's a very structured program. It is um uh not a party house. Um, our community uh partners uh that live in the neighborhoods and around the neighborhoods. We want to be good stewards of you know that partnership. So it's very important to us that you have the right character and that uh you are you know really looking to uh move towards independence and being a productive um member of the community. So, you know, it's it's it's it's through these partnerships. And I I I say it, you know, there's a lot of nonprofits across the nation that aren't really doing as successful, or they're not as successful as they possibly could be because they don't understand the power of working together with others who are doing like work. So it's that's if I had anything to say or any way to encourage others in this in this space is you need to work together. Find people who have the same heart, who serve in the same population, and see how you can, you know, serve together.

Tamara Davis Brown 23:42

It's interesting that you say that it brings to mind a a quote of my um former Episcopal pastor, Pastor John Cherry. And he used to say, we don't lack resources, we lack togetherness. And so that's that comes to mind. And so what you just said just really resonated with me. Tell me some of the uh long-term goals of the Denny House. What are some things that you're looking out on the horizon that you would uh like to accomplish and and do that you maybe um it's in your long-term strategic plan. You haven't done it yet, but there's some other things that you've got cooking, because I know you you're just you're so dynamic every time I see you. I was like, gosh, she's in everything. She's doing everything. So I'm just so impressed with all the good work that you're you're doing. But uh share with us maybe one or two long-term goals that you may have for the Denny House.

Khalila Denny 24:36

Well, I appreciate those kind words. Thank you so much. But um, so for us, it we just really want to um double down or triple down on the work that we're doing. Um, we're not looking to get into any new spaces, but if if we wanted to um do anything, I would say strengthen our transitional housing um program. Um we are definitely looking to purchase uh homes that we can turn into spaces that will assist individuals who are struggling in this housing market to really be independent and and sustain their their independence. So affordable housing is really uh um near and dear to my heart, and I want to make sure that the populations we serve have affordable housing opportunities. So um that is one of our uh the most um important um initiatives right now, and I would say just if not um just as important, it's a close second as our no entry navigator initiative. It is very, very much a need, a crisis right now in our community of uh young people who are are needing uh good quality mentors who are gonna come alongside them and ask them the question of, you know, where do you want your life to go? Where do you, what it is you see yourself doing? What are you good at? And how can we help you navigate towards that goal? Um it's very important that we come alongside these young people who are um, you know, committing crimes, um, you know, of, you know, stealing these cars, this carjacking and and um theft of automobiles is one of the highest um crimes that we're seeing right now uh committed by, you know, individuals who are under the age of 18. And um it's just it's breaking my heart. And I really want to make sure that everyone is singing the same song, that they're getting the same message, that they're hearing the same thing across the board, from their parents to educating the parents, to educating the schools, to educating our our our county officials, um, and coming alongside our police department and juvenile justice system and making sure that we're singing the same song and sharing um the good news of um how we can help these kids reach their goals um in a positive and effective way.

Tamara Davis Brown 27:05

That's great. That's great. So finally, would you just tell us how either our youth or if you have volunteers that want to get involved, how can they contact you? Give us, you know, the website, you're like in your social media, and all of that information. We'll be sure also to include in our um show notes the uh those contacts as well.

Khalila Denny 27:29

So um for us, um, we're on all platforms um uh at the Denny House. Um and Denny is spelled D-E-N-N-E-Y. So that's Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, um, and Facebook. Um and we are our at our website is uh www.thedinnyhouse.org. Um and anybody who's interested in serving with us, who like to, you know, donate, or you know, you can um check out our our um contact page on our website um and send us a note to to um share what it is you'd like to do, and we'll definitely reach out to you and plug you in because there's many things for that we need help with.

Tamara Davis Brown 28:15

Okay, great. What's the uh uh most immediate thing that you have coming up uh in terms of a project that people can get involved in and can look forward to right now, where you may need some volunteers or help?

Khalila Denny 28:28

So our No Entry Navigators Initiative, we definitely need mentors. We need male mentors, female mentors, but we definitely need more males to come alongside our young men. Um so if you're looking to serve, um we're looking for committed, um, dedicated uh individuals with um the character of you know uplifting and motivating and inspiring our young men. Um so that is definitely where the need is. And if you're interested in that, please reach out and let us know. Um, but we do have a couple community cleanups coming up. Um, and that is um March 12th with Camp Springs Civic Association. We're doing our kickoff event with them. And then we're having our another one for uh the Growing Green with Pride Initiative is countywide on April 22nd, and we're partnering with um the um Town of Force Heights and our and our councilperson um Edward Burroughs to uh kick those two events off.

Tamara Davis Brown 29:34

Well, I may come and join you guys on March 12th and get that area right off right off of Branch Avenue onto Allentown Road. Oh gosh. Yes, ma'am. I may come out and join you guys on that day. So uh, folks, you've heard again. Um, the website was www.thedenny d e n e y house.org. Uh feel free to go to that website to find. Out a lot more information. I'm sure we're just scratching the surface here as to uh what the Denny House does and the good work that Miss Khalila Denny is doing. I'm so excited about all of the good work that she's doing and wanted to share with you some of the good news of things going on in Prince George's County and our state of Maryland. It's not all bad news. Turn that TV off sometimes and find out what are some of the good things that are going on. So, Miss Denny, thank you so much for joining us uh on this segment of All Politics is Local, the Maryland edition, with me, your host Tamara Davis Brown. I've truly enjoyed speaking with you, learning a little bit more about you, particularly your background, because I was not aware of your personal history. And it's truly an inspiration to see how you have turned that into a passion for good for the community. And I truly applaud the work that you're doing. And like I said, I'm gonna get out there and roll up my sleeves and help you you guys out, not just on the community cleanups, but some other areas where I just got piqued uh interest in as well. So thank you so much. And I know you've got a busy day today, and so I won't hold you to hold you much longer your time, but thank you for for joining us today.

Khalila Denny 31:24

Oh well, thank you. Thank you for having me. And I am just great, um, greatly appreciative of your of your service and the work that you do in our community, and I applaud you as well. Just um, you are a breath of fresh air and a shining light for all of us to shining example for all of us to see. So thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

Tamara Davis Brown 31:56

Thanks for joining me today on this episode of All Politics is local, the Maryland edition, where we hope to inspire and activate a new generation of informed voters to move beyond the ballot box and take action. Remember, all politics is local.