Frontline Heroes

Frontline Heroes is a giving circle and network of community heroes raising funds to support The Fishing School (TFS), a DC-based nonprofit providing high-quality afterschool, summer, and parent engagement programs for over 450 students and their families in underserved communities. If you are a first responder, join today and create a lasting impact in our community!

The Fishing School was founded by Tom Lewis, a retired police officer. Mr. Lewis began his career with the Metropolitan Police Department in 1965. After being on the frontlines of the police force, Lewis was tapped for a new program called the "Officer Friendly" program, where he regularly visited DC schools and spoke with the students in an effort to rebuild trust between the force and the community. Mr. Lewis firmly believed first responders paved a pivotal role in the wellbeing of communities, and what he saw and what he heard often broke his heart.

Young children, whose familial relationships were problematic, responded positively to Mr. Lewis. Some would take Mr. Lewis's hand and ask if he would be their father. More than once, Mr. Lewis had to step out of the classroom and into the hallway where tears would fill his eyes.

"I saw myself in those kids." 

Determined to make a difference, Lewis had a vision. Seven months later, Mr. Lewis had converted an abandoned crack house into an afterschool center and The Fishing School was born. His mission was to help neighborhood children become fishers in the rivers of the mind based on the old proverb that if you give a man a fish you will feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you will feed him for life.

TFS’ Frontline Heroes giving circle will change the lives of DC’s youth by furthering the spirit of our late founder, Mr. Tom Lewis. By joining, you will support our academic, life skills, and parent engagement out-of-school-time programs for over 450 students and their families across Washington, DC, many of which live in the city’s most underserved communities. The Frontline Heroes giving circle is intended to unite first responders, fire fighters, and police officers seeking unique philanthropy and leadership opportunities, and who understand the critical importance of robust academic and life skills interventions for young students.

To learn more, please contact Travis Clark, Senior Development Manager, at tclark@fishingschool.org.

About The Fishing School:

The Fishing School is a registered non-profit operating in the District of Columbia for over 31 years. To date, we have provided over 7,500 students and their families high quality, no-cost afterschool programming to improve their academic and socio-emotional wellbeing in additional to valuable life skills. The Fishing School does not discriminate in the students we serve and are proud to offer 750 hours of crucial academic and life skills intervention to each child.