Casa Chirilagua gave out 1,000 meals to families in Arlandria on Thursday afternoon, and still needs food, cash and face mask donations for Alexandria’s vulnerable Hispanic population.
Taco Bamba in D.C. and Alexandria Restaurant Partners provided the meals, which were distributed by a cadre of community volunteers over the course of a half hour. The meals were made of chicken, vegetables and rice. The food distribution was organized by World Central Kitchen, which has given out millions of meals across the country during the pandemic. Alexandria Police officers maintained order, and Hunger Free Alexandria and Volunteer Alexandria gave out all the food.
Kate Garvey, the director of the Department of Community and Human Services, said that the food distribution will alternate weekly outside Casa Chirilagua on Mount Vernon Avenue and William Ramsay Elementary School every Thursday after 5 p.m.
“We’ll be doing a weekly, and next week will be at William Ramsey,” Garvey said.
City Councilman Canek Aguirre said that the food drives like this are crucial.
“People have lost their jobs,” Aguirre said. “They don’t have money to pay the rent, they barely have enough money for paying basic necessities like food, and this is a huge hill to climb, especially when you don’t have any money at all. So, being able to keep our families fed here in the city is a paramount importance and we’re going to continue to do what we can to make sure that happens.”
Casa Chirilagua works with more than 120 families living below the poverty line, and so far nonprofit has also paid more than $25,000 in rent and utilities for families impacted by COVID-19.
Last week, Tenants and Workers United led a community-wide protest demanding that Virginia implement a rent freeze for workers affected by COVID-19. The Arlandria neighborhood is one of the poorest in the city, and is located in the 22305 ZIP code, which has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the city.
OEM Training Officer Brent Ruggles and Marion Brunken of Volunteer Alexandria showing support at World Central Kitchen yesterday.
Posted by Office of Emergency Management, City of Alexandria, VA on Friday, May 8, 2020
Staff photo by James Cullum
Recent Stories
Stunning reno w/resort like amenities on almost 1 acre w/4 car garage; 6BR-5.5BA
Two of Alexandria’s three Democrat mayoral candidates sparred onstage Tuesday night, expressing vastly different ideas on how they would manage city affairs. In the Alexandria Democratic Committee‘s debate hosted by…
If you’ve had trouble getting a spot at Thompson Italian in Old Town, you could be in luck soon. The acclaimed Italian restaurant could be getting a new third-floor expansion…
A new tour will bring locals on a tour around the ‘Lost Buildings’ around the historic Black neighborhoods of the Berg and Parker-Gray. The Berg is a neighborhood around North…
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Potomac Harmony is Back! Following a gap year of competing, then virtual rehearsals during the pandemic, followed by the well-earned retirement of our long-term director, a year of a director search, Potomac Harmony hit the regional contest stage in Concord, North Carolina in March for the first time since 2018! It was exhilarating, reaffirming, and rewarding!
The chorus hit all of its goals, the biggest of which was to have fun and sing our best on contest stage — we did both! Because we earned a score over 400 points, our new Director, Allison Lynskey, was awarded the Novice Director award, photo above. Additionally, one of our charter members, Jackie Bottash, was nominated for and honored with the Leadership Excellence award. It was a celebratory weekend!
What’s next? So much! We now look forward to upcoming performances, growing our membership, and expanding our musical product with new arrangements and an education component each week. It’s an exciting time to be part of this ever-growing ensemble!
Alexandria NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, DPC to hold City Council…
The Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, and The Departmental Progressive Club to hold the City Council Candidate Forum for ALL Candidates in the City of Alexandria Virginia. The event is Free of Charge and Open to The