Janine Powell
Executive Director for Joan’s House of Refuge, Incorporated
Washington, DC

Janine Powell-Reid

 is the visionary and founder of Joan’s House of Refuge, Incorporated in Washington, DC.  It was in 2000 when Powell-Reid received the vision to provide support, training, and engagement to women from all walks of life who needed a stable residence and assistance with the tools, resources and skillset to enjoy a better quality of life.  This vision includes transitional housing for a women with (1) child who has been challenged with domestic violence, substance abuse, homelessness, aged-out foster care participants, and teenage mothers.  While this is an enormous task, Powell-Reid has stepped up as a leader in her home, local community, and nationally to serve.

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Affectionately known to many as “Angel” because of her birthdate on December 24th, the name is most fitting because her desire to serve and be an angel to others is evident.  Powell-Reid served thirty-seven consecutive years of combined service in the Federal government as well as the private sector, most recently serving as a Paralegal Specialist with the Office of Personnel Management (January 01/2012 - Retired 08/2021), a licensed cosmetologist since 2001, and a licensed foster parent to teenage mothers in the state of Maryland.  In 2023 she returned to work as Rehabilitation Specialist at a Behavioral Health Crisis Center in the state of Maryland helping the underserved community deal with their mental health, drug addictions, poor health and homelessness.  She accepted Christ and converted to Christianity in 1990 and has since served in numerous churches with the women’s ministry & youth departments, as well as the help of ministry through the greeters and sign language teams. 

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Powell-Reid is a sought-after speaker, lecturer, upcoming author, teacher and  Certified Christian Life Coach.  Powell-Reid has her own story of tragedy, trial, and triumph.  Understanding that every life experience has set her up for today and that today is only establishing tomorrow,

Powell-Reid understands the necessity of Joan’s House of Refuge, Incorporated, and why God has charged her to bring it forth.  While the half has not been told, the tragedy of being a victim of gun violence in 1990, she was shot in her head, paralyzed from neck down, the trail of two failed marriages, being a single mother, severely stricken with COVID-19 in 01/2021 and then contracted Transverse-Myelitis from the Covid -19 vaccine in 12/2021 that caused paralysis throughout body, again left wheelchair bound and it all leads to the triumphant life Powell-Reid now lives.  Not perfect but Powell-Reid is an overcomer, a victor in every sense of those words.

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Powell-Reid has been the focus of two documentaries with the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, DC  for the United Way Combined Federal Campaign in 2000.  She served as the cover story for Selise Christian magazine in 2010, appeared in a movie called: When violence is all you know 2021,  and has made countless local and national radio and television appearances to share her story, provide guidance in overcoming tragedy and how to recover from life's trials. 

 

​Powell-Reid is now happily married to the love of her life Mr. Tracy Reid since September 2024 and is the proud mother of one son, Michael Scott-Powell who she adopted in 2003 at the age of 3 months old. Powell-Reid enjoys serving others and carrying out God’s plan as He reveals it to her for her life.  Powell-Reid is an avid reader, enjoyer of music and culture.  A lifelong resident of the Washington, DC metropolitan area and a advocate for women and women’s rights.