In the News 2018

December

• 19 – Hunters Aim To Fight Hunger By Donating Meat – KUNC
  NVFS Hunger Resource Center manager Darrell Dixon notes the value of meat donations from the Hunters for the Hungry organization.
• 3 – Northern Virginia Family Service – Inside Scoop
  Andrea Eck, EVP of programs; Meredith McKeen, director of Multicultural Center and youth initiatives; Julie Mullen, director of workforce development; and Ondrea McIntyre-Hall, director of health access and nutrition services share details regarding NVFS services and initiatives around mental health, social determinants of health and workforce development.

November

• 20 – NVFS Among First to Receive Grant from Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to End Family Homelessness in Northern Virginia
  • CNBC: Jeff Bezos’ Day One Fund gives $97.5 million to 24 groups helping the homeless
  • Forbes: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos To Spend Nearly $100 Million To Address Homelessness
  • GeekWire: Jeff Bezos awards $97.5M to the first round of recipients of his Bezos Day 1 Families Fund
  • Philanthropy News Digest: Bezos Day One Fund Awards $97.5 Million to Address Homelessness
  • Prince William Living: NVFS Among First to Receive Grant from Bezos Day 1 Families Fund
  • Prince William Times: Northern Virginia Family Service to receive $2.5 million from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
  • Virginia Business: Two Virginia nonprofits receive $2.5 million from Bezos Day One Fund
  • Washington Business Journal: Bezos’ Day One Fund awards $10M to three D.C.-area nonprofits
  • Washington Post: Bezos gives $5 million to nonprofits fighting homelessness and Amazon FAQs: What Northern Virginians are asking — and being told — about the impact of second headquarters
  • WSLS 10: Jeff Bezos gives $5 million to Virginia nonprofits fighting homelessness
  • WTOP: 3 local nonprofits receive total of $10 million from Jeff Bezos’ fund
• 17 – NOVEC collecting toys for tots, teens – InsideNoVA
  Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) is collecting new toys for children and new gifts for teens in support of NVFS’ Gifting for Families program.
• 14 – What are your plans for #GivingTuesday? – Stanley Martin Homes
  Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) is a proud partner with Stanley Martin Homes in its #GivingTuesday initiative. Because November is National Homelessness Month and in the spirit of giving back, Stanley Martin is matching donations made by all from 11/14 through #GivingTuesday to local organizations that provide aid to those in need of shelter.
• 8 – NVFS CARE Awards – Your Need To Know
  Stephanie Berkowitz, NVFS president and CEO, and George Lane, CARE committee co-chair, speak to the importance of NVFS’ CARE Awards and the awards’ impact since 1992.
• 1 – NOVEC Seeks Contributions For Operation Turkey – Manassas Patch
  Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) is supporting NVFS’ Operation Turkey food drive for low-income households in the Greater Prince William area.

September

• 30 – Feeding the Hungry – Prince William Living
  NVFS is among several nonprofit organizations that provide food and additional services to Greater Prince William families and individuals. This article features NVFS’ Hunger Resource Center, which serves nearly 5,000 people each year.

July


• 25 – Arlington citizenship fund has too much cash; county says donors should give elsewhere – Washington Post
  Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol suggests that residents who are inclined to donate give their money to other organizations that help immigrants, including Northern Virginia Family Service.
• 13 – Nanci Pedulla Champions Benefits Of Home Visiting For Child Development – Voices for Virginia’s Children
  Nanci Pedulla, director of NVFS’ Healthy Families program, explained to Voices for Virginia’s Children the value of home visiting on the relationship between parent and child, and the resources our employees provide to new parents to help children in our community thrive.

June


• 1 – Making Northern Virginia a Better Place – Comcast Newsmakers
  (Video) Ondrea McIntyre-Hall, NVFS’ director of health access and nutrition services, discusses social determinants of health and how they affect Northern Virginia families.

May


• 31 – SPAN Workshop – Suicide: Determining Who is at Risk and What to Do About It – Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
  NVFS Mental Health Therapist Saara Amri and Clinical Program Manager Hiyawkal Gizachew presented at a SPAN (Suicide Prevention Alliance of Northern Virginia) workshop panel on assessing suicide risk in a multicultural context, including how to recognize and respond to suicidal risk in older adults and what emergency psychiatric resources are available across the region.
• 2 – 100WomenStrong Announces Grants for 28 Loudoun Programs – LoudounNow
  NVFS receives a $5,000 grant from 100WomenStrong to provide resiliency-based parenting intervention.
• 1 – Creating a CARE-ing Community – Northern Virginia Chamber
  NVFS kicks off its CARE Awards process with its first Virtual Week of Service to promote corporate social responsibility.

April


• 16 – STERLING, VA: Una feria de trabajo presentará oportunidades de empleo – El Tiempo Latino
  (In Spanish) NVFS workforce development services featured at a Sterling, Va. job fair.
  
• 10 – Saines and INMED hosting Sterling Spring Job Fair – Loudoun Times-Mirror
  NVFS workforce development services featured at a Sterling, Va. job fair.
• 5 – Influx Of Non-European Immigrants Defines America Today – NPR
  Alvaro Alarcon, youth counselor at NVFS, easily relates to his clients due to having grown up around gang-frequented areas in Fairfax County.
• 3 – Claude Moore foundation dishes out more than $1.3M in grants to Loudoun groups – Loudoun Times-Mirror
  The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation awarded $50,000 to NVFS for Loudoun-based programs in 2018.

March


• 25 – Washington-area appointments and promotions for March 26 – Washington Post
  Clifford Yee was hired as NVFS’ executive vice president and chief financial officer.
• 20 – Claude Moore Foundation Announces $1.3M in Loudoun Grants – LoudounNow
  The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation awarded $50,000 to NVFS for Loudoun-based programs in 2018.
• 7 – Community Conversation on Youth Anxiety Imparts Information & Inspiration – Fairfax County
  NVFS’ Meredith McKeen and Kate Reen participated in a recent panel through the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) to explain the trauma often experienced by recently immigrated youth, how that makes them more vulnerable, and the resources and support we provide to help them better navigate their new lives.

February


• 28 – Residents of Woodbridge Homeless Camp Kicked Out – WUSA9
  After a 10-acre space was closed to the 40 people living there, NVFS’ Hilda Barg family shelter helped provide emergency shelter to local homeless.

January


• 26 – Volunteers count the number of homeless in their community – LocalDVM.com
  NVFS coordinates volunteer efforts in the annual “Point in Time” count for homeless individuals in Prince William County.
• 9 – It’s cold. Shelter officials share how you can help others through the winter. – LocalDVM.com
  (Includes video) NVFS Vice President of Programs Lorena McDowell and NVFS Shelter Director Debra Rapone provide insight into winter homelessness and how community members can help.
• 9 – Citizens Shape Virginia Assembly Agenda – Connection Newspapers
  Speakers from several social service organizations, including NVFS, urged the Virginia General Assembly’s Fairfax County representatives to consider the needs of the community’s less fortunate.