MEET THE PARTNERS Dorothy M. K. Whiteford Dorothy is a native and lifelong resident of the Washington Metropolitan area and is the step mother to two teenage boys. She has more than 17 years of business experience and currently owns and operates additional businesses, including: WhiteMatter Consulting, Inc., a business development consulting firm in Arlington , Virginia Whiteford Associates, Inc., a proposal staffing firm in Arlington , Virginia WhiteBooks Learning Center, a children’s book store and learning center in Colombia , South America A firm believer in paying it forward, Dorothy is dedicated to lending a helping hand to those who are in need. She is the founder and director of the Whiteford family’s D-Tour Foundation dedicated to raising funds to alter the course of the lives of needy and underprivileged children worldwide. In order to help fund the foundation, she is in the process of writing three children’s books based on her real-life experiences with her boys. One hundred percent of the book proceeds will be donated. In addition, a portion of the profits from her other businesses will also be donated. Dorothy is also interested in establishing another non-profit foundation specializing in microcredit. The goal is to help impoverished people in developing countries become entrepreneurs, allowing them to generate an income. Bessie Thibodeaux-Belcher Bessie was born and raised in south Texas, the youngest of seven children. She is a long-time resident of Capitol Hill, where she currently resides with her husband Joel and two children, Dante and Bernadette. She moved to Washington D.C. after graduating from college to attend graduate school at George Washington University where she received her Masters in Political Management. Bessie planned to spend only a few years here -- that was fifteen years ago. Bessie spent most of her career in direct marketing fundraising. As a former Vice President at The Lukens Company, she was involved with many political and social organizations including the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial - Build the Dream project. She has always found time to volunteer in her community and for causes she supports. She serves as a moderator of Moms on the Hill, has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Washington D.C., teaches Sunday school and serves on the Parish Council at St. Peter's on Capitol Hill, served as a lunch buddy at Glen Carlen elementary school in Arlington, Virginia, and volunteered at Habitat for Humanity's Musician's Village in New Orleans. Now a mother, Bessie has become actively involved in her son's school, Robert Brent Elementary School. An active PTA member and chair of the Local School Restructuring Team LSRT, Bessie is committed to improving education for our children. Bessie's love of children and spirit has driven her to her current project, She recognized the need of such a facility on Capitol Hill and has worked tirelessly (and continues to do so!) to bring a safe, clean, fun atmosphere to the children of Capitol Hill and the area. Bessie's vision for The Family Room is that it becomes an integral part of the vibrant Capitol Hill community and a valuable asset for our city's families.