♥ Student-Led Volunteer Organization

Turning a space
into a home.

The Welcome Home Project provides essential items to individuals and families in need — because everyone deserves a place that truly feels like home.

4-5
Families — Our 2026 Goal
50+
Items to Collect This Year
1
Mission — Turning Spaces into Homes
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Community Built Together

The essentials that make it home

We focus on the items that bring comfort, dignity, and warmth to a new space.

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Bedding & Pillows

Sheets, blankets, and pillows for a restful night's sleep

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Kitchen Essentials

Pots, dishes, and utensils to cook and eat at home

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Hygiene Items

Toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, and personal care basics

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Cleaning Supplies

Brooms, mops, and cleaners for a healthy space

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Lighting

Lamps and bulbs to brighten any room

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Furniture & Storage

Small furniture and organizers to create real living space

Meet Our Founder

Ava Ghassemi, Founder of The Welcome Home Project
Ava delivering a microwave to one of the families she is helping — The Welcome Home Project in action. ๐Ÿ’š
Ava Ghassemi
Founder  |  11th Grade, Sidwell Friends School, Washington D.C.

Some people see a problem and look away. Ava Ghassemi saw one and got to work.

As an 11th grader at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C., Ava founded The Welcome Home Project after witnessing something that stayed with her — families moving into city-subsidized homes with nothing. No furniture, no bedding, no kitchen essentials. Just four walls and a floor. For families who had already been through so much, many with young children simply hoping for stability and safety, an empty house was just another obstacle.

Ava believed it didn't have to be that way. She believed that with the right community behind them, these families could walk into a home that felt warm, safe, and truly theirs from day one. So she built that community herself.

Beyond her work with The Welcome Home Project, Ava is a varsity volleyball player who has competed on Sidwell Friends' varsity team since her freshman year, and a passionate home cook who loves experimenting with new recipes — perhaps one reason she understands better than most just how much a fully equipped kitchen means to a family.

She is proof that you don't have to wait to make a difference. You just have to start.

Who We Are

The Welcome Home Project is a student-led volunteer organization dedicated to one simple belief: that every person deserves a home that feels like one.

We collect and distribute essential household items — from bedding and kitchenware to hygiene products and lighting — to individuals and families transitioning into new spaces.

Founded and run entirely by students, we partner with local shelters, community organizations, and generous donors like you to turn empty rooms into real homes.

Compassion
Community
Action
Inclusivity

Connect With Us

Ready to make an impact?

Every donation turns an empty space into a home. Join us in building stability, one family at a time.

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