Every young person deserves opportunities to learn, grow, and build a strong future. Thanks to a 2026 Cox Charities Employee's Choice Grant, Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) will be able to strengthen its Youth Initiatives program, which provides therapeutic case management, mental health services, psychoeducational groups, and enrichment opportunities for youth who have experienced violence, are at risk of gang involvement, or are navigating family reunification.
Funding from Cox Charities will allow the Youth Initiatives program to expand access to extracurricular opportunities including sports, art, camps, and other enrichment activities that help young people build confidence, strengthen relationships, and develop important life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and empathy.
“We're grateful for our partnership with Cox Charities and their shared commitment to empowering youth and strengthening families,” said Kate Reen, director of Youth Initiatives at NVFS. “This funding will allow us to provide youth with experiences that help them build healthy relationships, new skills, and create positive pathways for their future.”
For many youth who have experienced trauma, these extracurricular experiences provide safe, supportive environments where young people can explore new interests, build resilience, improve self-esteem, and develop healthy connections with peers and mentors that support long-term wellbeing
Through NVFS’s whole-family approach, Youth Initiatives staff members also connect youth and their families to other NVFS services, including mental health counseling, healthcare access, food assistance, and other supports.
NVFS is grateful to Cox Charities for investing in the future of Northern Virginia’s youth and helping young people build brighter futures.
Explore how NVFS Youth Initiatives is creating pathways to opportunity for youth across Northern Virginia.
"We're grateful for our partnership with Cox Charities and their shared commitment to empowering youth and strengthening families. This funding will allow us to provide youth with experiences that help them build healthy relationships, new skills, and create positive pathways for their future.”
