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.
“At AT&T, we want to be there when our communities need us,” said Garrett McGuire, the AT&T regional director of external and legislative affairs, in a statement. “Chirilagua has faced many challenges during this pandemic, so we wanted to do what we could to help.”
With a line around the block, Casa Chirilagua and World Central Kitchen gave out 1,500 meals to families in Arlandria on Thursday afternoon.
Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken told ALXnow that there will be a new community food distribution next Thursday at Charles Houston Recreation Center. The food is being provided by Washington Street United Methodist Church, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Royal Restaurant from 4 to 6 p.m.
Uncertainty Lingers for Furloughed Alexandrians — “When Joy Phansond was furloughed from her job as sales coordinator at the Holiday Inn in Old Town, the temporary layoff was initially supposed to last until April 5. Then it was extended to May 5. Then it was extended again until June 5.” [Gazette]
Cinema Del Ray Canceled Due to Coronavirus — “Due to COVID-19, we must ensure the safety of our fellow community members by canceling Cinema Del Ray 2020. We greatly appreciate the support Cinema Del Ray has been shown in the past. We will be back next year, better than ever!” [Facebook]
The following Letter to the Editor was written by Adriana Gomez Schellhaas, executive director of Casa Chirilagua, a Christian nonprofit in the Chirilagua/Arlandria neighborhood that provides help for local low-income families.
“When will we go back to normal?”
(Updated at 10:30 a.m.) Alexandria is now accepting applications for $600 per month for three months of emergency rental assistance for residents affected by COVID-19 and who are living beneath the median household income.
The emergency funds have been made available via $13.9 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and will be provided to residents regardless of their citizenship status, according to the city. Additionally, the program flier has been translated into English, Spanish, Arabic, and Amharic.
Arlandria in Crisis Over COVID-19 Spread — “Azucena Esquival lives in a cramped apartment in the Arlandria neighborhood of Alexandria, where the problem of community spread isn’t just theoretical. The pandemic is in her household. Earlier this month, she tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Another adult in her household paid $300 to get a test, which was also positive. They are living with two people who have not been tested. None of them are currently working, and they have no source of income.” [Gazette]
Alexandria Unemployment Claims Spike — “As of the Times’ print deadline, Alexandria residents had filed 10,609 initial unemployment claims, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. Initial claims began pouring in throughout mid-March, climbing from 33 the week of March 14 to 797 the week of March 21.” [Alex Times]
The following Letter to the Editor was written by John Liss, co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, a statewide racial justice and pro-democracy organization based in Arlandria.
Perhaps no greater community illustrates the tone-deaf nature of ignoring the most vulnerable communities than Arlandria/Chirilagua.
“Northern Virginia is not the only area in the state that should have a delayed opening,” said John Liss, the co-executive director of New Virginia Authority in a Zoom press conference. “This is no consolation for uninsured or underinsured Virginians, for those who have to choose between taking care of their health, paying their rent or putting food on the table.”
Liss was joined by the Arlington NAACP, CASA, Care in Action, the Fairfax NAACP, the Loudoun NAACP, the Prince William County NAACP, the Richmond for All, the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, and the Virginia Student Power Network.
Dr. Basim Khan and community health nonprofit Neighborhood Health have been on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic in Arlandria, the neighborhood with the highest number of positive tests.
Khan spoke to the City Council yesterday (Tuesday) about the progress, and challenges, for testing and providing healthcare options for Arlandria residents.
Another Alexandria resident has died of COVID-19, and there are now 1305 cases, an increase of 35 cases since yesterday.
There are now 31 fatalities related to the virus, but the Virginia Department of Health did not update any of its demographic data for Alexandria and sex, age, racial and ethnic and ZIP code data.
Another local organization has called for the City of Alexandria to do more to help Arlandrians disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hispanic Alexandrians comprise only 17% of the city population but are leading in positive tests for coronavirus at 553 cases — nearly half of Alexandria’s 1,240 total cases. A breakdown of confirmed cases by zip code also showed Arlandria, Potomac Yard, and Potomac West as the highest concentration of cases in Alexandria.
