Meet the Founder
From overcoming adversity to empowering others, a life transformed into a mission of hope, healing, and opportunity.
Charles King is more than a founder. He is a survivor, a mentor, a community leader, and living proof that your past does not have to determine your future.
Born and raised in Northwest Washington, D.C., Charles grew up during one of the most challenging periods in the District's history. Surrounded by poverty, violence, substance abuse, and limited opportunities, he experienced firsthand the systemic and personal obstacles that continue to affect underserved communities today.
Born with a physical disability and raised in a household impacted by addiction, Charles faced adversity long before reaching adulthood. By age 13, he had entered the juvenile justice system, beginning a difficult journey marked by incarceration, exposure to street violence, and profound personal loss.
As a teenager, Charles survived a shooting that left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Through extensive rehabilitation, determination, and perseverance, he regained his ability to walk. Yet the challenges of his environment continued to shape his decisions. At just 21 years old, he experienced the devastating loss of his mother to homicide. Shortly thereafter, Charles faced federal incarceration, ultimately serving more than 17 years in prison.
But Charles's story did not end with incarceration. It became the foundation for his purpose.
Upon returning home in 2015, Charles made a conscious decision to rebuild his life and redefine his legacy. He secured employment, embraced personal accountability, and committed himself to becoming a positive influence in the very communities where he once struggled.
What began as a personal journey of transformation quickly evolved into a calling to serve others.
Recognizing the need for credible mentorship, positive role models, and meaningful opportunities for young people, Charles founded Helping Others With Life, Inc. (H.O.W.L.) in 2018, a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved individuals and families through mentorship, youth development, workforce readiness, life skills, and community engagement.
Drawing upon his lived experiences, Charles developed an approach to service rooted in empathy, accountability, resilience, and the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to change the direction of their life.
His professional experience includes serving as a Residential Counselor and Family Engagement Specialist supporting young people involved with the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). Through his work, Charles has helped individuals and families navigate difficult circumstances, strengthen relationships, overcome barriers, and identify pathways toward stability and success.
Under his leadership, H.O.W.L. has continued to expand its impact through strategic partnerships, community initiatives, youth mentorship, and workforce development programming.
In 2026, H.O.W.L. expanded its mission through the TradeWorks Carpentry Program, providing justice-involved and underserved youth with hands-on skilled-trades instruction, OSHA-30 training, career readiness, mentorship, and paid work-based learning opportunities. Through two 12-week training cohorts, the program successfully graduated 14 young people ages 16–21, helping participants gain valuable skills and exposure to career opportunities in the construction industry.
For Charles, this work represents something much greater than operating a nonprofit. It is about interrupting cycles of incarceration, creating alternatives to violence, restoring hope in families, and building pathways toward economic independence.
Today, Charles continues to use his voice, experience, and leadership to advocate for individuals who are too often overlooked, underestimated, or written off by society.
His journey is a powerful reminder that transformation is possible, second chances matter, and meaningful change begins when someone is willing to reach back and help another person move forward.
Charles King is not defined by the obstacles he has faced, but by the lives he is committed to changing.
A Message That Defines His Mission
“Before we can truly help others, we must first be willing to accept help, take responsibility for our own growth, and use what we've learned to lift someone else.”
Charles King's life embodies the very meaning of H.O.W.L.: Helping Others With Life.
Restoring Hope. Transforming Lives. Building Stronger Communities.
