May 16 -29
After receiving two recent donations totaling $150,000, ACT for Alexandria is nearing $1 million for its “ACT Now COVID-19 Response Fund,” and the organization will be taking a break from giving grants to nonprofits to plan for the summer. See full story at ALXnow.
The Art League is offering online courses to help keep participants connected to each other and their creativity. Those interested can connect to online classes using Zoom, and stay in touch with classmates and teachers with Google classroom. Learn more at Art League.
Sarah Meek, senior director of legislative affairs for the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), is quoted in an article about the House approving the COVID-19 relief plan with more payments for people with disabilities. Reported by disabilityscoop.
Congratulations to Beacon House‘s Graduating Class of 2020! Twenty-two young men and women who have participated in Beacon House programs will graduate from high school this year. While they weren’t able to walk across a stage, this doesn’t dim their accomplishments. Learn more in their May newsletter.
Bridges to Independence has received a $20,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation to support the continuation of its Youth Development Program. See full press release at InsideNova.
Casa Chirilagua and the hardships they have faced with COVID are featured in an exclusive story on Alexandria Times. Casa Chirilagua and Neighborhood Health‘s efforts to increase the amount of COVID-19 testing in Arlandria have been rewarded by a $10,000 donation from AT&T split between the two nonprofits. Reported by ALXnow.
Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, is quoted in an article discussing TikTok’s new chief executive and how success may hinge on allaying Washington’s concerns. Reported by The Washington Post.
With more than $2 million from the COVID-19 Response Fund for Northern Virginia, and $1.4 million distributed to local nonprofits, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia announced the ‘Round 4’ grantees.
DC Vote released the first in its limited weekly series “Statehood Matters: At Home Edition.” The limited series kicks off with actress and activist Piper Perabo and continues with weekly guests such as author David Frum, and Representative Deb Haaland (NM-1). Read more at The DC Line.
Generation Hope released a report, “Uncovering the Student Parent Experience and its Impact on College Success”, which features new data on student parents’ experience in college, and recommendations for how higher education can support student parents’ college success. Read a write up on the report in Community College Daily.
Global Impact announced plans for a virtual employee giving hub to support private and public sector employee engagement. See full press release at CSRwire.
Montgomery County has distributed $1.2 million in grants to 38 nonprofits, including Center Members Latin American Youth Center and The Salvation Army, to provide residents with a steady, reliable supply of food. See full list at Bethesda Magazine.
On May 21, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced the award of more than $95 million in grants for state and local criminal justice programs, including more than $1 million for the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter. See full story at Loudoun Now.
Lucy Corr is featured at ABC 8News in a story about the retirement community’s lack of COVID cases, their experience during the pandemic, and how their seniors ‘adopted’ Chesterfield high school seniors.
The John Wall Foundation has partnered with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development and Lydia’s House to raise $300,00 for families struggling to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. See full story at Def Pen.
The Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) is seeking public comment on its draft framework, Real-World Clinical Evidence Generation: Advancing Regulatory Science and Patient Access for In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs). Read more at businesswire.
Leroy Fenner, a man struggling through hard times, health problems and homelessness, and his story of finding a home with Miriam’s Kitchen is featured at WJLA. David A. Acosta, MD, chief diversity officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, and Scott Schenkelberg, president and CEO of Miriam’s Kitchen, published an article on Street Sense Media discussing why housing is healthcare.
Lori Smetanka, executive director of National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, is quoted in an article by USA Today discussing how to protect nursing homes.
Gregory Forrester, CEO of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is mentioned in an article discussing how the NOAA predicts a busy hurricane season as pandemic strains emergency services, reported by Politico.
Although everyone is potentially susceptible, people of color and low-income families are especially vulnerable and have higher death rates from COVID-19, according to research commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation. Read the full exclusive story about their research at The Patch.
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2020 class of 40 Under 40 honorees. This is the fifth class of honorees in the program, which was established in 2016 to recognize individuals under the age of 40 who are outstanding in their fields and shaping the future of the city. Center members Nathan Toews of Senior Services of Alexandria and Marisa Tordella of Friends of Guest House are among those announced. See full list at Connection Newspapers.
The Veterans Consortium (TVC) has announced their 2020 Equal Justice Works Fellows. In September 2020, aspiring public interest lawyers, Chesley Roberts and Nicqelle Godfrey, will begin a two-year Fellowship with TVC working on special projects developed to increase access to justice for veterans in need. Read more at PR Newswire.
Mask makers, translators and grocery bag packers are just a few of the opportunities that Volunteer Alexandria has identified around the city. “Every week, we need more than 100 volunteers to help our community to help people in need,” says Volunteer Alexandria executive director Marion Brunken. Read their full exclusive at ALXnow.
Kurt Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), is quoted in an article discussing how DUI deaths and injuries are down in the DC area, but drunken-driving crashes and arrests are up.Rreported by WTOP.
May 9 – 15
Casa Chirilagua gave out 1,000 meals to families in Arlandria recently and still needs food, cash and face mask donations for Alexandria’s vulnerable Hispanic population. See full story at ALXnow.
Michael Schuttloffel, the executive director of the Council for American Private Education, is quoted in an article about the backlash that is growing for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to push for COVID-19 aid to help all private school students. Read more at Education Week.
DC Central Kitchen, and a growing list of regional food banks and pantries, are in partnership with Future Harvest who is addressing food shortages while aiding small- to mid-scale farmers through its “Feed The Need” Fund. Reported by Coastal Point.
Bethany Rubin Henderson, chief executive officer of DC Scores, is featured in an exclusive interview on The Undefeated about the impact of COVID-19 on access to youth sports.
Frank Yoakum, executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, is quoted in an article by KIOW about the prospect of service members responding to COVID-19 receiving hazard pay.
Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, is featured in an article by Next City discussing the lack of small banks.
Latin American Youth Center and The Salvation Army were among 38 organizations to receive part of Montgomery County’s $1.2 million food access grants. Reported by mymcmedia.
Literary Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV) has replaced in-person classes with Distance Learning programs to continue providing basic English education to students. Learn more about the program at The Patch.
Mei Powers, the chief development officer of Miriam’s Kitchen, is mentioned in an article by The Washington Post discussing how the virus cases in Maryland, Virginia and DC have topped 60,000 as the region braces for a holiday weekend at home. Comments from Gerard Skerrett, the director of street outreach at the nonprofit, are included in an article at dcist about how DC’s homeless residents face disproportionate rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths as they enter quarantine.
Kathy Mears, interim president and CEO of the National Catholic Educational Association, is quoted in an article in America Magazine about catholic colleges and universities’ fight to avert fiscal disaster amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Sweet Monday is celebrating their quarter century anniversary and starting a new movement called Project Cupcake. Learn more at their website.
Tenants and Workers United and its executive director, Evelin Urritria, are featured in an article by ALXnow about the demand for tests and housing options for those that test positive in Alexandria. Tenants and Workers United also led a community-wide protest demanding that Virginia implement a rent freeze for workers affected by COVID-19, as mentioned in a story on ALXnow.
The Veterans Consortium (TVC) has announced their newly elected members of the Executive Board. See press release at PR newswire.
The massive meal distribution effort by Volunteer Alexandria and Alexandria City Public Schools to distribute more than 30,000 meals per week to students and families is featured in a behind-the-scenes video available at Alexandria Living Magazine.
May 2 – 8
Amy McNamer, executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, is quoted in an article by the Washington Post discussing how despite pushback, Sidwell Friends School and other DC area prep schools are keeping their small-business loans.
Adriana Schellhaas, executive director of Casa Chirilagua, is featured in an article about how they’re helping Central American immigrants battle the virus and unemployment in Alexandria. Reported by WJLA.
The Center for Nonprofit Advancement and Greater Washington Community Foundation have partnered together to support housing and homelessness nonprofits on the front lines of battling COVID-19. The partnership was formed to help nonprofits develop proposals for the DC Small Business Recovery Microgrants program. The Community Foundation identified nonprofits in need and the Center provided technical assistance and grant writing support. Read the full story here.
Tamara Smith, president and chief executive of D.C. Primary Care Association, is quoted in an article discussing how black Washingtonians make up less than half of DC’s population, but 80% of coronavirus deaths. Reported by DCist.
Marla Lahat, executive director of Home Care Partners, is quoted in an article by The Washington Post discussing the dire decisions that have to be made for those needing in-home care amidst the pandemic.
Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the nonprofit organization Institute for Local Self-Reliance, is quoted in an article by NBC News discussing Amazon’s contributions to the pandemic, as well as questions of the company’s size and power.
To comply with social distancing policies, Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV) has replaced in-person classes with Distance Learning programs to continue providing basic English education to students. The classes have been reported to be “joyous times” that give both the instructors and students an opportunity to socialize and concentrate on something positive. Exclusive story featured on The Patch.
Shy Glizzy donated $10,000 to Martha’s Table to fight food insecurity in the Washington, DC area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reported by Def Pen.
Mei Powers, chief development officer at Miriam’s Kitchen, joined the live stream with a reminder that not everyone has a home to make staying home possible. Reported in The Washington Post.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care is featured in an article by CNN discussing how families have been banned from nursing homes and the anxiety caused by the situation.
Tenants and Workers United (TWU) has distributed over 220 gift cards to families in need in Alexandria, Woodbridge and south Fairfax County. TWU anticipates an ongoing need for support of this type well into the coming months. As reported in the Patch, 100% of funds donated to their ActBlue fundraiser go directly to impacted community members. Additionally, TWU is leading a local grassroots campaign to #CancelRent. Over 100 cars participated in a caravan and hundreds of people rallied from home across Northern Virginia to demand rent be canceled statewide during this pandemic. TWU’s demand is echoed regionally and nationally.
The United Way of the National Capital Area is partnering with the Washington Redskins football team through their silent auction where all proceeds will go to The United Way organization. Reported on NBC Sports.