A grandmother wanted to give her grandchildren the life they deserved. This building has made it possible.

It was around Christmas 2018 and Jean Simpkins, 79, was looking out the window of her new three-bedroom apartment. Eleven floors above Washington, D.C., the grandmother of two gazed out at the lights of the city and became overwhelmed with gratitude. "The only thing I could say," Simpkins remembers, "was 'Thank you, Father.'"
Almost a year later, Simpkins still can't help but look at the apartment as a miracle — one she desperately needed. Fifteen years ago, when her grandson was born, she became his primary caregiver. Six years later, when her granddaughter was four, Simpkins was awarded full custody of her, too. She's spent the time since trying to give her grandchildren the life she knows they deserve, which has been difficult on a fixed income. On top of that, Simpkins worried that the neighborhood the family resided in wasn't the best influence on her kids. Something had to change.
Then she learned about Plaza West, a new development created by Mission First housing that would reserve 50 of its apartments specifically for families in which a grandparent or other older adult was raising children who were related to them. The waiting list, Simpkins says, was daunting. There are a great deal of grandfamilies in the D.C. area and she was sure it might be years before she got the call. But soon after applying, she was offered a choice between a two-bedroom and a three-bedroom apartment. She accepted the latter, sight unseen. She knew that each of her grandchildren needed space of their own.
Simpkins' apartment is spacious, and the twinkling lights she sees on the horizon every night are a bonus. But the real reward of living at Plaza West is the community that the grandfamilies — 49 grandmothers, three married couples, and one "very popular" single grandpa — have created for their children (and themselves). It's an intergenerational center, one where youth and seniors come together to learn from each other and give and receive wisdom.
At Plaza West, grandparents aren't just responsible for their own grandchildren. They become surrogate grandparents to every one of the kids living in the building. One grandmother, Simpkins says, takes all the children to basketball games. Other grandparents share the task of taking children to school and making sure they're back home safely.
Each month, grandparents gather together for "fireside chats," community meetings where they discuss their goals for the community as well as ask for support and air grievances in an encouraging environment. In the halls and common areas, grandparents hold all grandchildren accountable for their behavior — quickly addressing any symptoms of trouble and always imparting the importance of kindness and respect.
"We're all a family here," Simpkins says, both proud and grateful of the help she gives and receives from the people around her. "It really does take a village."
Grandfamilies, Simpkins adds, need to be a priority when it comes to housing — and Capital One agrees. That's why the bank, which has a long history of giving back to the community, worked so hard to help make Plaza West a reality for the grandparents, grand aunts, grand uncles, and children who need it.
"It's very difficult for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on their own to find decent housing," says Ed Delany, a Capital Officer for the Mid-Atlantic region at Capital One who arranged the financing the bank provided. "There's a huge need, both nationally and in the District, for this type of housing." But that housing is rarely affordable. And when it is, Delany says, it's often sub-standard. Capital One wanted to ensure that grandfamilies in D.C. not only had a place to call home, but a place they'd be proud to live.
In order to achieve this, Capital One provided a $7.5 million construction loan and purchased more than $35 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits to help Mission First make miracles happen for Simpkins, her family, and the other residents of Plaza West. In addition, Capital One left a $200,000 social purpose grant in place. That money is helping provide on-site support for the residents.
Capital One is proud to continue partnering with faith-based developers like Mission First because they help provide housing for those who need it most. They also allow people who've lived their whole lives in suddenly-popular neighborhoods to avoid getting priced out. Developments like Plaza West, Delany says, have had a major impact on quality of life as well as future prospects for the residents of the neighborhoods they serve.
Nothing could be more true for Simpkins and her grandchildren. Though they weren't happy with the move at first — it meant they'd have to leave some old friends behind — now that they've had time to adjust, they're flourishing. Since moving to Plaza West, both grandchildren have made the honor roll. And with more and more activities being added for older kids, including visits by mentors and programs created by Howard University, it's becoming easier to keep them involved closer to home. The neighborhood, Simpkins adds, has only become more safe and beautiful with the addition of Plaza West.
The greatest reward for her family, however, is the social support that living with other grandfamilies provides. The similar experiences they share helps provide both connection and comfort. Parenting is one of the world's hardest jobs, even with a strong support system. It can often make guardians feel isolated and lonely. That goes double for families that would be considered "non-traditional." But at Plaza West, Simpkins says, no one feels alone.
To learn more about Capital One's Community efforts, go to https://www.capitalone.com/about/.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."