ABOUT US 

Founded in 2019, One Love Life Center, Inc. (OLLC) , Inc. is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes under Section501©(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. OLLC is a dedicated non-profit organization committed to serving the needs of all communities in the Metropolitan DC area, including Washington, DC, and Maryland. Our mission is to foster community support, promote social justice, and enhance the quality of life for those facing economic hardships and health disparities. At OLLC, we believe in the power of community and the importance of giving back. Additionally, our programs are designed to address the diverse needs of our community members, with a special focus on supporting families impacted by Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and other challenges. We aim to provide resources, support, and a sense of hope to those who need it most and foster resiliency.

Mental Health & Violence Prevention through Arts Therapy

OLLC provides an evidenced-based comprehensive intergenerational Arts and Cultural Engagement model that is fun, appropriate and life changing. In response to the needs of the community, OLLC  arts-related services and programs targets communities across the DMV. OLLC’s Arts Therapy model is driven by the positive youth development (PYD) framework. Rather than relying on a deficits model, which views youth as “broken” individuals who need to be fixed, PYD focuses on their assets and healthy development. OLLC’s programs incorporate PYD which takes a strengths-based approach by providing youths and adults with opportunities for prosocial involvement, enhancing skills, and facilitating the development of positive relationships 

Under OLLC, the Arts bridge the gap in differences in the community and make people more receptive to engaging in critical dialogue, mining human experience, and personal growth through Cultural Enrichment and Life Skills activities that are fun and engaging. OLLC’s Art therapy offers an opportunity for the creative process with therapeutic techniques to provide a space that encourages people to explore their own unique self. Art therapy will be used as a complement to OLLC’s traditional clinical mental health/coaching treatment. Our aim is to manage behaviors, process feelings, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase self-esteem. Self-discovery: Creating art can help you acknowledge and recognize feelings that have been lurking in your subconscious. 

OLLC’s underlying goal is to use the medium of art to create a therapeutic relationship between OLLC’s therapists and participants, which allow participants to deal with trauma or other negative experiences by providing an alternative way to express negative feelings, insecurities, and vulnerabilities, rather than acting out in destructive ways. While the primary focus will be on young people, OLLC will layer on top of the model an intergenerational component where family members including seniors will engage with our young people. Community and social connectedness are important aspects of the OLLC model, bringing various generations together  strengthens not only the family unit but the entire community is made whole. 

For adults, OLLC offers a transformative mental health program through arts therapy, specifically targeting domestic violence victims and abusers, gun violence victims, and dating violence victims. Our mission is to provide a healing and supportive environment where individuals can express their emotions, process trauma, and rebuild their lives through the power of art. By fostering creativity and self-expression, we aim to promote mental well-being and empower participants to find hope and resilience.

Domestic Violence – Restorative Justice

One Love Life Center, Inc. (OLLC) serves as a PG County Intimate Partner Violence Rehabilitative & Community Justice Support program. The IPV Rehabilitative & Community Justice Support Program is designed to provide comprehensive services to individuals who come to the attention of the legal system as a result of domestic violence, with the goal of offering an alternative to the punitive legal approach. The program employs a holistic and trauma-informed approach to address the underlying factors contributing to domestic violence, promote accountability, and support survivors in their journey towards healing and empowerment.

For OLLC, restorative justice serves as an alternative to retributive justice which views domestic violence crime primarily as acts that violate criminal laws established by governments. While OLLC fully supports and recognizes the need for law and order in society, we also believe that sometimes a community approach such as rehabilitative justice is needed in order to take a therapeutic approach that addresses an offender’s need for treatment. OLLC is fully committed to an approach that centers on repairing harm by centering the survivor’s needs and holding the abusive partner accountable. We believe that this approach is critical especially when the survivor shares children or financial commitments with the abuser. Keeping families intact has to be a goal of our domestic violence response. Additionally, we are working to address the impact of crime on communities, something the legal system is not designed to do, in addition to OLLC’s restorative and transformative approaches to addressing harm. Beneath the surface, communities and activists have long been pushing for more community-based pathways and are especially motivated by connections to the movement to end mass incarceration.

OLLC’s Safe Streets: A Hospital-Based Model to End Gun Violence

The One Love Life Center’s Safe Streets program offers evidence-based services to gunshot trauma survivors, including crisis intervention, art therapy, and wraparound services addressing social determinants of health. Additionally, the program collaborates with hospitals, trains staff and law enforcement, and engages community organizations in violence prevention efforts through seminars, focus groups, and outreach initiatives. By providing comprehensive support to survivors and fostering community collaboration, Safe Streets aims to address the complex impacts of gun violence and promote healing and resilience among survivors and their communities.

The foundation of OLLC’s violence intervention/prevent approach is predicated on a Restorative Justice framework, as it emphasizes healing and repairing harm caused by violence through a collaborative and inclusive process involving victims, offenders, and the community. In the context of providing wraparound services to victims of gunshot wounds, Restorative Justice principles guide the approach to addressing the complex consequences of violence. By providing comprehensive support to violence survivors, addressing social determinants of health, building community awareness and collaboration, and evaluating program effectiveness, OLLC aims to create a safer and more resilient community. These efforts are significant as they not only seek to address the immediate needs of violence survivors but also work towards preventing future incidents of violence and promoting long-term healing and well-being. Through a collaborative and data-driven approach, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals affected by violence and contribute to building a healthier and more connected & safer community for all PG County residents.

Resilient Pathways: Addressing Social Determinants of Health
One Love Life Center is dedicated to addressing and supporting the social determinants of health for its participants through comprehensive programming. Our mission is to create a holistic environment that fosters both individual and community resiliency. We believe that health is not merely the absence of illness but the presence of social, emotional, and economic well-being. Our programs are designed to tackle the root causes of health disparities, providing support in areas such as education, employment, housing, and social connections.
The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) model encompasses the various conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that influence health outcomes. Key elements include:

Economic Stability: Access to employment, sufficient income, and financial security.
Education: Quality of education, literacy levels, and opportunities for lifelong learning.
Social and Community Context: Social support networks, community engagement, and the impact of societal norms and discrimination.

Health and Healthcare: Access to healthcare services, health literacy, and overall quality of care.
Neighborhood and Built Environment: Safety, access to nutritious food, green spaces, housing quality, and environmental conditions.
These determinants interact to shape an individual’s health and well-being. Addressing these elements requires a holistic approach, focusing on improving living conditions, fostering supportive communities, ensuring access to education and healthcare, and creating opportunities for economic stability. By targeting these areas, the SDOH model aims to reduce health disparities and promote equity.

To support SDOH, OLLC serves as a linkage to affordable housing programs to ensure safe living conditions, work readiness & job training, and employment services to promote economic stability. Access to quality education and literacy programs to enhance lifelong learning opportunities. Healthcare services, including preventive care and mental health support for overall well-being. Community engagement initiatives to foster strong social networks and improving neighborhood environments through safety measures. These support services collectively work to improve health outcomes and promote equity.

Our philosophy centers on the belief that every person has the potential for growth and recovery, and that strong, resilient communities are built through collective effort and support. By nurturing individual strengths and fostering a sense of belonging, One Love Life Center strives to create lasting positive change in the lives of those we serve.