Local Nonprofit Helps 90 DMV Students Head to College With Dignity—and Dorm Room Essentials

As families in the DMV begin preparing to send their kids off to college – shopping for XL twin sheets, lamps, posters, and more – many students from low-income backgrounds in our community face a different reality. For them, outfitting a dorm room with new items is often a real financially burden.

That’s where My Dorm Room steps in. Now in its fourth year, My Dorm Room (a 501(c)(3) organization) helps graduating high school seniors from low-income backgrounds, including many first-generation college students, outfit their dorm rooms with essentials – a necessity not covered by federal financial aid. Each student receives access to a curated dorm registry and can select $275 worth of items to personalize their college space just like their peers.

"The cost of attending college is already exorbitant, and purchasing dorm essentials creates an additional financial burden for many families," said Debbie Roumell, Founder and Executive Director of My Dorm Room. "My Dorm Room alleviates some of that financial stress while also helping students feel a greater sense of belonging as they begin college."

This year, My Dorm Room excepts to serve 90 rising college freshmen from Washington, DC, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia – bringing the total students served since the organization was founded in 2023 to nearly 235, with total savings of approximately $60,000 for low-income families preparing their children for college.

“It is very important to us that the students can choose all the items for their rooms – we don’t pick for them,” Roumell added. “It’s like a wedding registry, but for dorm rooms.”

My Dorm Room partners with six organizations that identify eligible students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, including The Abramson Scholarship Foundation,College Bound, in Washington, DC,Collegiate Directions Inc.and CollegeTracks in Montgomery County,First-Generation College Boundin Prince George’s County, and Edu-Futuroin Northern Virginia. These students then have the opportunity to use My Dorm Room’s registry to hand select their dorm items.

A participant from Montgomery County had this to say about receiving his dorm essentials: "No one in my family has ever dormed before and trying to find items to purchase alone has been extremely difficult. I wasn’t sure of what I would need to purchase, let alone how expensive the items would be. The things I selected will truly serve me well and I am eternally thankful for the experience."

My Dorm Room relies entirely on donations, primarily from individual supporters. All donations go directly toward furnishing dorm supplies, while Roumell and the rest of the organization’s Board of Directors cover operational expenses out of pocket.

Learn more at www.mydormroom.org.