In the nearly three years Malcolm Smith has known Marcelles Queen, he has looked to him as an advocate during times of trouble, and someone eager to create opportunities for young people.
Such was the case earlier this year when Smith accepted a volunteer role at Unleashed Potential — a program that Queen’s organization, Representation for the Bottom, started in collaboration with Brandywine Valley SPCA. Two days out of the week, Smith and other young residents of the Congress Park community accompany Queen to the Northeast animal shelter, where they learn to care for hundreds of dogs and cats.
“It opened my eyes to think maybe this could be like a step forward to success or greatness,” said Smith, 18. “I was automatically excited when Marcelles told me about it and he had to meet and greet with the CEO of the animal shelter.”
Since coming on as a volunteer at Brandywine Valley SPCA, Smith has learned how to clean kennels and prepare dog treats. More recently, he and other program participants practiced using those treats and a clicker to initiate dog commands.
From that point, all participants work their way to the point where staff members allow them to walk the dogs around the property alone.
Smith said that over the course of the program, he gathered tools that he can implement as a dog owner and a young man seeking self-sufficiency.
“I was excited about it overall … how it could be some legal income, a step forward, like a career path,” Smith said. “I learned how to use my basic training on animals. I learned what to do with exotic animals and non-exotic animals.”
Marcelles Queen Seeks Support as He Pays It Forward
Queen, a graduate of the Pathways Program within the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE), entered the Congress Park community after the early 2023 death of Martez Toney, known to many in the community as Tez.
Through Representation for the Bottom, Queen conducted programming for Smith and other youth in Congress Park that brought them in contact with elected officials, community leaders and nonprofit organizers. Of the others who assisted in those efforts was James Robinson, a young adult from Congress Park who, like Queen, participated in Pathways and, before his death earlier this year, spent time with youth at Brandywine Valley SPCA.
As the D.C. Council, according to a staffer in D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto’s (D-Ward 2) office, solidifies Pathways’ placement in ONSE, Queen continues to tout the program as the catalyst behind his transformation.
“You have a lot of individuals … coming from situations where you don’t see hope, but Pathways gives you an outlet to meet different people,” Queen said. “You meet your city council members. You meet different people from different wards, different sections [with] different races [and] types of households. It’s all about the experience and how we share it with each other.”
Years later, Queen said he’s made progress with the youth of Congress Park. However, without consistent grant funding, he questions the degree to which he and other providers can keep Smith and other young people out of trouble.
“He knows how to operate as a man,” Queen said about Smith. “But coming from a community like Congress Park, there’s a lot of stuff he has to navigate by himself. He’s always super successful when he … has something positive going on.”
For Queen, Unleashed Potential is another element in what he said needs to be an ever-expanding package of programs that youth can choose between as iterations of the D.C. summer youth employment program.
“In situations like this where I’m able to partner with other good people, Malcolm has the structure that he needs to keep being successful,” Queen told The Informer. “Partnering with the animal shelter [brings] stability to Congress Heights. Sometimes it’s not just about [the] program. It’s really just about people loving and helping other people.”
The Bigger Picture, and Malcolm Smith’s Request
Aaron Johnson, chief operating officer at Brandywine Valley SPCA, said he relished the chance to build upon a volunteer program already in existence at one of the D.C. metropolitan area’s largest animal welfare organizations.
“I think it’s always a great opportunity where you can involve the youth and be able to have good programs that give them some knowledge and also keeps them out of trouble at the same time,” Johnson told The Informer.
During a demonstration that Representation for the Bottom and Brandywine Valley SPCA hosted on July 3, Johnson learned how Smith, a dog owner, applied what he learned at the shelter at home.
He noted that Smith and his peers, from day one, have shown interest in animal care.
“They pick up on these things pretty quickly too,” Johnson said. “Malcolm knows the walking paths already and knows all about the enrichment and training. But these are also skills … they’re learning that they can use in their own life.”
Smith took on his volunteer role at Brandywine Valley SPCA after what he described as a few hurdles, including his involvement with the Prince George’s County, Maryland justice system.
The Unleashed Potential program, he said, is helping him be the best version of himself.
“Every at-risk youth, teenager and adult in D.C. is not actually a bad person,” Smith told The Informer.
With fiscal year 2026 budget deliberations coming to an end in a matter of weeks, Smith had a suggestion about how the D.C. government could best allocate violence interruption resources.
“I want to see Marcelles’ program more active in the ONSE office, and different profit organizations, expanding to help more kids across the city,” Smith said. “If what he’s doing … helps me and my friends and the people I’m surrounded by, I know it can help someone else.”