Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriele Tibbs.
Hi Gabriele, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A Light in the Darkness: The Story of StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries
Every Wednesday evening in Woodbridge, Virginia, something remarkable happens.
People from all walks of life gather around tables to share a meal. Some come for fellowship. Some come because they are lonely. Some come because they are hungry. For many, it is a place where they are known by name and welcomed without judgment.
The gathering is called the Harvest Banquet, and for nearly 30 years it has been the heart of StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries.
What few people realize is that this simple Wednesday night meal, together with a small food pantry that began in 1996, sparked a faith-based ministry that today provides housing, shelter, healthcare support, outreach services, and hope to some of our community’s most vulnerable residents—and a food pantry that has grown over the years to serve around 250 households a week.
The Story Begins
Moved by her Christian faith and a deep conviction that every person is worthy of dignity, compassion, and love, StreetLight founder Rose Powers, alongside her husband Ken, began responding to the needs they saw around them. Together, they opened their hearts, their church, and their lives to those who were struggling. In 1996, a food pantry was established at Vineyard Christian Fellowship to serve families and individuals facing hardship. Then, in 1997, the Harvest Banquet was launched. What started as a shared meal quickly became something much larger.
Week after week, Rose, Ken, and a growing team of volunteers encountered neighbors struggling with homelessness, poverty, illness, and isolation. Relationships formed. Trust was built. Lives were touched.
For Rose and Ken, the ministry was never simply about providing services. It was about seeing people the way God sees them and creating a place where everyone felt valued, welcomed, and loved.
As Rose often says:
“God impressed upon me the importance of reaching out to all who are suffering. Those who feel invisible. Those longing for a friend. Those simply needing a hand to hold and a reminder that they still matter.”
As the needs grew, so did the ministry. Outreach efforts expanded, and in 2004 Rose Powers formally established StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries as an independent nonprofit organization, transforming a grassroots ministry into a lasting community resource dedicated to helping individuals move from crisis to stability while honoring the worth and dignity of every person served.
In 2010, StreetLight reached a significant milestone when we purchased our first home, opening the door to permanent supportive housing and a future that would include multiple homes and apartments dedicated to helping formerly homeless individuals rebuild their lives.
While Rose provided the vision that would become StreetLight, Ken was an instrumental partner throughout the journey, faithfully serving alongside her and helping build the foundation upon which the ministry continues to stand today.
Yet despite the growth, StreetLight has never lost sight of its roots.
Our ministry remains grounded in faith and guided by a simple belief: when people are hurting, they deserve more than assistance—they deserve community, compassion, and hope. We believe every person is created in the image of God and worthy of dignity, belonging, and the opportunity to flourish.
My Journey to StreetLight
That belief would eventually shape my own life as well.
Years ago, after moving to the United States from Germany, I found myself searching for a church home. One day, I happened to drive past Vineyard Christian Fellowship and felt compelled to visit the following Sunday.
I never expected that decision would change the course of my life.
The love and welcome I experienced were immediate. I knew I had found a place where I belonged.
As a social worker, I was naturally drawn to the Harvest Banquet and the relationships being built with individuals experiencing homelessness and hardship. What stood out was not just the service being provided, but the genuine connections being formed.
People were not viewed as problems to solve. They were neighbors, friends, and valued members of the community.
I began volunteering and later served on the Board of Directors while working for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. Though my career took me in many directions, StreetLight remained close to my heart.
In 2010, I joined the organization as Director of Supportive Services, working alongside StreetLight founder Rose Powers to help shape and expand programs that addressed the growing complexity of homelessness and housing instability. Together, we developed and strengthened programs that would move StreetLight beyond emergency assistance and into permanent supportive housing, healthcare partnerships, outreach, and long-term solutions for some of our community’s most vulnerable residents.
In 2023, I became Deputy Director, and in September 2024, I stepped into the role of Executive Director.
Having served alongside Rose for more than a decade, I have had the privilege of witnessing StreetLight’s transformation firsthand. I have watched God work through countless staff, volunteers, community partners, donors, churches, and supporters who have made this mission possible.
StreetLight Today
Today, StreetLight owns five homes, leases seven apartments, and provides permanent supportive housing to 29 formerly homeless individuals. We operate an eight-bed supportive shelter for medically fragile and disabled individuals in partnership with Prince William County, manage the county’s winter hypothermia shelter program, provide outreach to unsheltered individuals, operate a food pantry serving approximately 250 households weekly, and continue the Wednesday night Harvest Banquet that started it all.
What makes StreetLight unique is our commitment to walking alongside people through every stage of their journey—from living unsheltered on the streets, to emergency shelter, to permanent housing, healing, and long-term stability. Our team combines housing, case management, outreach, and healthcare support to serve individuals whose challenges often extend far beyond homelessness alone.
But for me, the most meaningful measure of success cannot be counted in houses, beds, meals, or statistics.
It is found in the lives transformed.
It is the former shelter resident who now has a home of their own. The medically fragile individual who receives care and stability. The person who thought they had been forgotten and discovers that someone still believes in them. It is witnessing hope return where despair once existed and seeing lives restored through faith, community, and compassionate care.
Dedicated staff, committed volunteers, generous donors, community partners, and strong outcomes allowed StreetLight to continue growing.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
As StreetLight enters its next chapter, I do not see myself as the author of this story, but as a steward of a legacy that began with faith, compassion, and a simple desire to serve those whom society too often overlooks.
This story begins with the faith, vision, and perseverance of StreetLight founder Rose Powers and her husband Ken, whose commitment to serving those often overlooked laid the foundation for everything StreetLight is today.
It also belongs to the volunteers who faithfully served meals, the staff who walked alongside people through their hardest moments, the donors and partners who believed in the mission, and most importantly, the individuals whose courage and resilience inspire us every day.
Nearly three decades after the first Harvest Banquet, the tables are still full.
The mission remains the same.
The light is still on.
And because of that light, countless individuals and families have found their way home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The Challenge of Being Seen
For much of its history, StreetLight focused on the work rather than the recognition.
While the ministry was transforming lives, expanding housing programs, serving individuals experiencing homelessness, and developing innovative supportive services, many people in the community remained unaware of the depth of its impact. Like many growing nonprofits, StreetLight faced the challenge of raising awareness, building its brand, and communicating the excellence of its work beyond those directly served.
Securing larger funding opportunities often required proving what staff, volunteers, and clients already knew—that StreetLight delivers meaningful outcomes through compassionate, professional, and effective services. As community needs grew and housing costs increased, so did the need for sustainable funding, strategic partnerships, and broader community support.
Yet through every challenge, StreetLight continued to grow. Guided by faith, dedicated staff, and a commitment to excellence, the organization expanded from a simple Wednesday night meal into a trusted community resource providing housing, shelter, outreach, healthcare support, and hope.
Today, the challenge is no longer whether StreetLight is making a difference. The challenge is ensuring that more people know the story, believe in the mission, and join in sustaining the work for generations to come.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I currently serve as the Executive Director of StreetLight Community Outreach Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to serving individuals experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and complex health challenges. For me, this work is not simply a career—it is a calling rooted in faith and a lifelong desire to be the hands and feet of Christ to those who are often overlooked, forgotten, or hurting.
I grew up in Germany in a family deeply rooted in faith and service. My grandfather founded a church after World War II, and my father later continued that ministry as its pastor. From a young age, I witnessed the power of God’s love in action and learned that faith is not just something we believe—it is something we live. As a teenager, I would seek out individuals experiencing homelessness in my small hometown, invite them to church, and advocate for them to have a warm meal, a safe place to sleep, and a sense of belonging. Some later sent me postcards as they continued their journeys, thanking me for seeing them and caring for them. Those experiences shaped my heart and confirmed what I already felt God was calling me to do. When God places a vision, an idea, a nudge, or a dream in my spirit, I pursue it with boldness, fearlessness, and determination. I move forward knowing that what He has begun will come to fruition, no matter how impossible it may appear. Faith leads the way, and I trust Him with the outcome.
Later, I moved to Berlin, where I encountered even greater needs and developed a deep passion for serving vulnerable populations. There, I earned my degree in Social Work and gained a deeper understanding of the challenges people face when struggling with poverty, homelessness, trauma, and isolation. During my studies, I completed an internship in Washington, D.C., an opportunity that ultimately led me to the United States, where I built a life with my husband, stepson, and daughter.
Throughout my professional journey, I have remained guided by one core belief: every person is created in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and love. I have witnessed countless examples of God’s healing, reconciliation, and restoration in the lives of people who had lost hope. Those experiences continue to strengthen my faith and my commitment to this work.
What I am most proud of is helping create pathways not only to housing and stability, but to renewed purpose, belonging, and hope. Whether serving an individual living unsheltered, supporting someone with significant health challenges, or helping a person move into a home of their own, I believe God’s love shines most brightly when we walk alongside people in their hardest moments.
What sets me apart is the conviction that lasting transformation happens when professional excellence is combined with genuine compassion and faith. I believe God calls us not only to care for individuals, but to help transform systems and communities so that all people have the opportunity to flourish. Every day, I am humbled to be part of that work and to witness lives being restored through the power of faith, community, and love in action.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was curious about everything. I was adventurous, energetic, and happiest when I was outdoors exploring nature or meeting new people. I have always been someone who makes friends easily and genuinely enjoys learning about people’s lives and stories.
Animals were a huge part of my childhood. Much to my parents’ amusement, I seemed to bring home every creature imaginable—from frogs and hermit crabs to dancing mice, rabbits, and cats. Today, that love continues with my dog, Harley, who is a beloved part of our family. I was also passionate about horseback riding, sports, and spending time outside, yet I was equally fascinated by cities, cultures, and travel. Even as a young girl, I had a sense that there was a much bigger world waiting to be discovered.
One thing that has remained constant throughout my life is my faith. I have always had a very personal relationship with God—not one rooted in religion or obligation, but in friendship, trust, and a deep awareness of His presence in my life. That faith gave me confidence to take risks, explore new places, and embrace new opportunities, including eventually moving from Germany to the United States.
Looking back, I can see how many of the qualities that shaped my childhood continue to shape me today: curiosity, compassion, a love for adventure, a heart for people, and a belief that every person and every situation holds the possibility for hope and transformation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thestreetlight.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/streetlightoutreach
- Other: gtibbs@thestreetlight.org; contact@thestreetlight.org
