Our Vision

StreetLight aims to reflect Christ's heart onto the poor of the community.  God has brought the neediest among us to our door, and it's our responsibility to provide assistance that is mostly lacking in our community.  StreetLight is successful because people who come to our doors are made to feel accepted and welcomed, as they are treated with respect and dignity.   StreetLight's vision is to assist as many individuals and families as possible in leading stronger, more independent lives

Our History

StreetLight began its work over ten years ago through an outreach ministry of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Woodbridge, Virginia.  When the church moved to the Woodbridge Shopping Center, hungry individuals and families began knocking on our doors seeking help with food and financial assistance for rent evictions, utility cut-offs, and other crisis needs.  As we began meeting those needs, we also realized that our church bordered a very unique neighborhood—a neighborhood without homes.  We discovered that many of our neighbors lived outside.  The Vineyard staff was immediately concerned that these people had no shelter to protect themselves from the elements.  We could not imagine where they could take cover during a thunderstorm or other inclement weather.  We wondered how they would survive those blistering dog days of summer, or we feared they would freeze on a bitterly cold winter night. 

Soon, we realized that even during the spring and fall when the weather is mild, liv- ing on the streets didn't offer much comfort.  During the day, our homeless neighbors would walk for miles to find food and to look for work.  At night, the only refuge they had was to sleep under a nearby railroad bridge or try to find a quiet nook behind a building.  Just as debilitating, they would face each morning feeling grimy and disheveled.  They had nowhere to take a shower or brush their teeth.  When they stopped by the church for food, they would often apologize for their appearance and lack of hygiene.  They came for food quite frequently.  Our homeless neighbors were almost always hungry.   Very often, they would go for days without eating.  This left them feeling very weak and unable to focus on day-to-day concerns. 

In general, they seemed traumatized by the circumstances in which they were forced to live.  They were afraid for their safety and well-being.  On occasion, some of our homeless neighbors would be rushed to the hospital due to a poisonous spider bite or physical injury due to assault.  One particularly hot summer day, an elderly homeless man died of heat stroke. 

To address these critical needs, the church formed a tax exempt, non-profit organization called StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries.  Today, through our holistic programs, StreetLight is committed to feeding the hungry, fighting poverty, and ending homelessness in Prince William County and the surrounding areas of Northern Virginia.   God is touching and restoring lives through our work and every day we see the miracles of hurting men, women, and children regaining hope and victory in their lives.