Jonathan Allen Unveils Innovation Lounge, Donates $45K To Homeless Shelter

Redskins defensive lineman Jonathan Allen said one word about what it was like living in a homeless shelter: tough.

For a 7-year-old Allen, it was a harsh reality. Long before he was an All-American at Alabama and a stalwart along the Redskins' defensive front, he was living in a homeless shelter without much family to speak of besides his older brother, who was adopted two weeks before him.

The experience had a lasting effect on Allen, who grew up in Ashburn, Virginia. And he knew that as soon as he had the opportunity, he would do whatever he could to help youths who are in a similar situation.

On Tuesday, that became a reality. With help of Microsoft and Papa John's, Allen and his wife, Hannah, unveiled an innovation lounge at The Bruce House in Northeast Washington D.C. to help kids interact with one another and engage in schoolwork and employment readiness skills.

"I came here on a tour and I figured out that this is definitely the place I wanted to help," Allen said. "So my agency came up with the technology center idea and I loved it."

Papa John's DMV locations have been running a season long special offer with Jonathan, the Team93 Special, and a portion of every one sold is being donated to Sasha Bruce Youthwork to help fund renovations. Additionally, the local Papa John's franchisees have been and will continue to provide monthly pizza drops to the youth at Bruce House to socialize, perform school work, and learn important employment-related skillsets.

The lounge was filled with laptops, televisions and video game consoles to fulfill Allen's goal of giving kids at Sasha Bruce Youthwork the tools to succeed. Jonathan and Hannah also announced a $45,000 challenge gift match in support of the Sasha Bruce Rapid Response Fund to encourage others to give back to homeless youth.In addition to the Allen family's donation, the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation donated $10,000 to the cause.Allen knows what it feels like to be alone as a child, and he wants to make sure the kids at Sasha Bruce Youthwork know they have someone who wants to help them."Anything I can do to help these kids out and give back," Allen said.

How can I help?

The Sasha Bruce Rapid Response Fund provides the organization with the resources to help address the immediate needs of youth experiencing homelessness. In addition, the fund allows us to make strategic investments in our programs to improve our effectiveness and bring us closer towards ending youth homelessness.

Please consider sponsoring an education session in the lounge, or making a one-time gift today.

What services will be offered?

The Lounge serves as the education site for the Lukey Kaempfer Transformation Project, which helps formerly homeless youth pursue a higher education and vocational training.

• Youth will have access to support services such as:

• Mentoring

• Career Exploration

• After School Tutoring

• Art Therapy

• Life Skills Coaching

Interested in supporting innovation?

Consider sponsoring an education session for our youth or volunteering your talent.

The lounge is named in honor of Jonathan Allen, Defensive Lineman for the Washington Redskins, and his wife Hannah, in recognition for their commitment to improving the lives of homeless youth in the DC Region.

About Sasha Bruce

Deborah Shore founded Sasha Bruce Youthwork in 1974 as the Washington Streetwork Project. With a small staff and a few volunteers, Shore counseled homeless youth and out-of-town runaways in the Georgetown and Dupont neighborhoods of Washington, DC, where they congregated.

In 1976, Shore and the Washington Streetwork Project came to the attention of Evangeline Bruce, wife of Ambassador David Bruce, following the tragic death of their daughter Sasha. Evangeline Bruce donated funds to start a youth shelter in memory of Sasha, and Shore opened the Sasha Bruce House in 1977, Washington DC’s premiere 24 hour homeless youth shelter.

Presently, Sasha Bruce Youthwork is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in Washington, DC. Sasha Bruce helps young people find safe homes, achieve and maintain good physical and mental health, create and strengthen supportive and stable families, and explore opportunities in education and careers.

Help prevent youth homelessness in DC by donating now.

The Jonathan and Hannah Allen Innovation Lounge – a multidisciplinary space designed by youth for youth – is located in DC’s only homeless youth shelter for minors. The lounge offers a fun and innovative space to inspire creativity, open-mindedness, and the entrepreneurial spirit among homeless and runaway youth. The Lounge is outfitted with:

• New Microsoft Surface Pro Laptops

• Wireless Access Points

• Dedicated Study and Learning Spaces

• Gaming and Entertainment Systems

The lounge is named in honor of Jonathan Allen, Defensive Lineman for the Washington Redskins, and his wife Hannah, in recognitition for their commitment to improving the lives of homeless youth in the DC Region.