WISH LIST $85: 1 pair of eyeglasses to help a child see the blackboard; $300: 1 dental cleaning and cavity filling; $400: meals for 100 children; $475: week-long college tour for 1 student

For almost two decades, Horton's Kids has served as a second family to over 1,500 children from the Ward 8 housing projects, where the per capita income is $6,563, schools are the lowest performers in the District, and violence has earned the neighborhood a place on the police department's infamous "Hot Spot" list. There are many obstacles to overcome - hunger, lack of adequate clothing, the need for dental and eye care - before kids can even focus on learning. So Horton's Kids works to resolve these problems and then to focus on serious, structured tutoring in math and reading (three times a week on Capitol Hill and at the US Department of Education) that will bring kids up to grade level and help them graduate from high school. Mentors work on the heartbreaking behavior problems that thrive in tough environments, and Sunday field trips provide an opening onto the wider, and brighter, world. Horton's Kids is the only organization working with children in this seemingly forgotten neighborhood. Your compassionate engagement tells them they are remembered.

Karin Walser, Executive Director 110 Maryland Avenue, NE, Suite 207 Washington, DC 20002 202-544-5033 www.hortonskids.org