Alexandrians are being encouraged to open their pocketbooks and find a cause to support as Spring2ACTion’s main fundraising day arrives tomorrow (Wednesday).
The 16th annual Spring2ACTion aims to raise $2.5 million through at least 10,000 donors, according to organizing nonprofit ACT for Alexandria. Brandi Yee, chief program officer at ACT for Alexandria, told ALXnow that $640,000 had been raised through early giving as of Monday evening.
Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s annual day of giving, kicks off early giving today (Wednesday) — two weeks before the main event.
The fundraising campaign supporting local nonprofits is marking its 16th year on Wednesday, April 22. Early giving runs through April 8 up to the event date.
The Twig organization has committed to giving $2 million toward the new medical campus at Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark.
Inova representatives say the hospital is on track to open by the end of 2028 and will name its conference center in honor of The Twig for the contribution. Since 1933, the nonprofit has served as the Junior Auxiliary of Alexandria Hospital and has provided more than $7 million to the hospital through its thrift shop at 106 N. Columbus Street and other fundraising efforts.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins launched the “Fresh Start Initiative” today (Thursday), rallying the city’s faith and nonprofit leaders to pay approximately $1 million in back rent for nearly 450 residents living in the city’s public housing properties.
The initiative brings together the city, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the Department of Community and Human Services and nonprofit fundraiser ACT for Alexandria to create a temporary charitable fund to “connect residents to financial empowerment resources, and to ensure improved systems at ARHA,” according to the city. Alfred Street Baptist Church has pledged to raise more than $1 million to cover the back rent. The initiative is solely funded through private donations.
Former Alexandria City Councilman Frank Fannon is hosting his 18th annual Alexandrians Have Heart food and clothes drive in Old Town on Saturday, Feb. 14.
Fannon started the drive after getting elected to City Council in 2008, and says that he’s hoping this year to deliver a record six Ford F-150-sized truck beds full of food and clothes to ALIVE!, Carpenter’s Shelter and Christ House.
Some Alexandria businesses closed and others encouraged civic involvement last week during nationwide strikes protesting immigration enforcement.
In Old Town, businesses like fibre space, Friends to Lovers Bookstore and Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop made posts encouraging actions such as donating money or supplies and contacting lawmakers to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after agents shot and killed Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and detained a 5-year-old child.
Friends of Guest House residents will have a comfy new year, as more than 75 sets of new pajamas and cozy socks were donated to the nonprofit and handed out on Christmas Eve.
The donations are enough to keep the residents outfitted with pajamas for an entire year, and were made possible by Maureen Clyne, a local realtor, who started the holiday effort seven years ago.
If you visited Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library recently, you might have noticed a colorful collection of pom-poms planted in the grounds outside.
The whimsical pom-pom garden encouraged donations to the Alexandria Library’s annual Yarn Storm drive, which collected some 400 hats, mittens and scarves for donation to an Alexandria shelter.
In a room packed with toys and books, the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office gathered more than 50 gift bags for kids today (Tuesday), hoping to spread cheer to children of inmates this holiday season.
Since last month, the office has collected gifts for the families of 55 inmates, with kids receiving five gifts each. It’s all part of Operation Elf, the office’s annual holiday toy drive.
An Alexandria nonprofit that teaches trades to underserved youth received 100 refurbished laptops and $10,000 from AT&T and Human I-T today (Thursday).
Apprentices at Cornerstone Craftsman will each receive one of the laptops after they graduate from high school. The donations were made by AT&T after Garrett McGuire, the company’s regional director of external and legislative affairs, spoke with Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins about workforce development.
An Alexandria nonprofit is requesting donations of women’s pajamas for its residents who are transitioning back into the community after incarceration.
Friends of Guest House, located at 1 E. Luray Avenue, is collecting women’s pajama sets to provide for its residential program participants during the holiday season. Realtor Maureen Clyne has collected hundreds of sets since starting the annual effort seven years ago.
