A local nonprofit is donating a $50,000 scoreboard at the Kelley Cares Miracle Field outside the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center in Old Town.
The scoreboard is a gift to the city from the Miracle League of Alexandria and it will be presented to City Council for approval on April 2. Additionally, the $3,000 installation for the scoreboard’s support beams is being donated by the Simpson Development Company.
MLA built the synthetic baseball diamond in partnership with the Kelley Cares Foundation in 2012. The field is next to the Ruthanne Lodato Memorial Playground for people with special needs.
Kelley Cares Miracle Field is named in honor of Kelley Swanson, a T.C. Williams High School student who died after a graduation trip in 2005.
The scoreboard was paid for by Sheri and Mark Jessell in honor of their 18-year-old son, Dan, who loved baseball and died in 2018, and Sheri Jessell’s sister, Loey Seligman, who died in 2020.
“The scoreboard will enhance the experience for players in the Miracle League, as well as for others who use the field,” MLA Board Chair Mac Slover wrote in a letter to the city. “The scoreboard will be installed beyond the right field fence and will be 10-feet-wide and 16-feet-tall. It will be raised another six feet so that it can be above the sightlines of the existing fence.”
The Jessell family lives in Florida and were inspired to donate to the Alexandria nonprofit after seeing an MLA video. At first, MLA received a $50 donation from the Jessell family in last year’s Spring2ACTion fundraiser, and after corresponding with the family, Slover was informed months later that the family wanted to make a substantial donation.
“In 2020, we had done a video about how much we missed our players because of Covid, and it brought her (Sheri Jessell) to tears,” Slover said. “She and her family wanted to donate $50,000, and we were able to get the scoreboard, which has been a dream of mine since we built the field in 2012.”
Slover wants to install the scoreboard in August and dedicate it in early September.
Friends of Guest House residents were greeted with the gift of pajamas and cozy socks on Christmas morning. Alexandria realtor Maureen Clyne ended up exceeding her goal of 100 pairs of pajamas and socks by collecting 140 pairs.
“The generosity of the Alexandria community never ceases to amaze me,” said Clyne. “I want to give a special shout out to Margaret Ticer Janowsky of Del Ray Cafe who donated 40 pairs and my colleagues at Coldwell Banker Realty in Old Town who also donated.”
Friends of Guest House serves 60 women every year in its residential program, and has helped more than 4,000 women transition from incarceration since it was founded in 1974.
“What an incredible gift that will impact many, many women and make them not only feel warm, but very welcome,” former Friends of Guest House Executive Director Kari Galloway said.
Friends of Guest House needs pajamas and cozy socks for their female residents who are transitioning back to the community from prison.
Realtor Maureen Clyne started the annual effort four years ago and has collected hundreds of pajama sets. This year’s goal is 100 pairs of pajamas.
“Because what’s better than a new pair of pajamas?” Clyne told ALXnow.
Donations of cozy socks and L-3XL pajamas can be dropped off at 9 East Cliff Street in Alexandria. Pickups can also be arranged by calling or texting 703-967-8884.
“What an incredible gift that will impact many, many women and make them not only feel warm, but very welcome,” former Friends of Guest House Executive Director Kari Galloway said. “We are so very grateful.”
Friends of Guest House serves 60 women every year in its residential program, and helped more than 4,000 women transition from jail since 1974.
Via Sapan Patel/Unsplash
World War II was at its peak when Charles Barrett Elementary School first opened 80 years ago. In recognition of the anniversary, on Wednesday students and school officials gathered in front of the school, planted a baby oak tree and sang the school song.
The tree was donated by the North Ridge Citizens’ Association.
“There are so many people who have made our school community the awesome place for learning that is today,” said Principal Loren Brady, who has been at the school for four years. “Charles Barrett has the deep roots in the community that has helped to support us with useful energy.”
The school was built to accommodate the children living in the ParkFairfax development, which was built to relieve a wartime housing shortage, according to Alexandria City Public Schools. It opened with four teachers and 40 students.
“The school opened on Oct. 25, 1943, with desks and chairs borrowed from other schools,” according to ACPS. “Three weeks after classes began the Alexandria School Board voted unanimously to name the school after Major General Charles Dodson Barrett of the United States Marine Corps, an Alexandrian who was killed in the South Pacific on Oct. 8, 1943.”
The school expanded over the decades and now has 544 students.
“I’m so excited for you in your school community on this big moment,” School Board Member Ashley Simpson Baird said at the tree planting. “I know that Charles Barrett will be here for many, many more years to come and we look forward to all the great work you continue to do.”
Brady said that the school will celebrate the anniversary all year, and that school history is included in this year’s curriculum.
With the new school year underway, teachers in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) are crowdfunding everything from iPads to basic teaching supplies.
Non-profit organization DonorsChoose gives teachers in ACPS a platform to discuss their specific material needs. One teacher led an effort to help students make better social media content, but many of the requests are for basic needs like whiteboards and construction paper.
In total, ACPS teachers have raised $986,601 in funding through DonorsChoose.
“DonorsChoose invited Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) teachers to create their own classroom wish lists, with all supplies designed to benefit student learning in the 2023-24 school year,” ACPS said in a release.
So far, 1,913 projects have been fully funded from 6,480 donors. The projects have benefitted 19 schools across ACPS.
According to Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt:
We are excited to be a District Partner with DonorsChoose. ACPS seeks to empower all students to thrive in a diverse and ever-changing world, and ensure they graduate ready for college, careers and life. Our partnership with DonorsChoose allows for broader support in our work to serve our students and redefine PreK-12 education as a deliberately inclusive and supportive experience where all succeed.
ALIVE! and Volunteer Alexandria exceeded their goal and collected more than 33,500 in last month’s first-ever citywide food drive.
The nonprofits collected 33,511 pounds of food from 38 locations across Alexandria last month.
“Thank you, Volunteer Alexandria, for hosting this food drive for us and the community,” said Jenn Ayers, ALIVE! executive director, “Donations like the ones we’ve received go a long way to keeping our costs down and provide a healthy variety of food to people who need help.”
The food collected will feed thousands of Alexandria families needing assistance. The effort was so successful that Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken said that there will be another food drive next summer.
“We are thrilled to have exceeded our goal by over 3,000 pounds for our first community food drive and thank everyone who was able to help in some way,” Brunken said.
While the food drive was successful, ALIVE! always needs more donations. Food can be dropped at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 South Payne Street) on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 pm. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
The food drive was sponsored by Ting Internet, Fitness Together and the Rotary Club of Alexandria.
Volunteer Alexandria and ALIVE! wanted to thank the following organizations:
- Agudas Achim Congregation
- Alexandria City Hall
- Alexandria Children’s Dentistry
- Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library
- Dolce and Bean
- Department of Community and Human Services
- Department of Beer and Wine
- Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library
- The Episcopal Church of Saint Clement
- Fairlington Presbyterian Church
- Fairlington United Methodist Church
- First Christian Church of Alexandria
- First Church of Christ Scientist
- Fitness Together
- Gilbane Building Company
- The Goodhart Group
- James M. Duncan Branch Library
- Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library
- McEnearney Associates
- Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church
- Old Presbyterian Meeting House
- Old Town North Community Partnership
- Rotary Club of Alexandria
- Russell Temple CME Church
- Sixteenth Tabernacle Beth-El
- Ting Internet
- Top It Off
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- TTR Sotheby’s International Realty
- United Bank
- USDA Food and Nutrition Services
- Venue Condominium
- Washington Street UMC
- Westin Alexandria
- YMCA Alexandria
- Zweet Sport Total Fitness Studio
As the number of Alexandrians needing food assistance keeps rising, Volunteer Alexandria is asking residents to donate toward the first ever city-wide food drive.
Volunteer Alexandria has a goal to collect 30,000 pounds of canned food items by July 28 for ALIVE!‘s food bank.
“Hunger does not take a summer break and we thank everyone for donating cans and for volunteering to support this month-long food drive,” said Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken. “Our goal is that this initiative becomes an annual event in the summer.”
Donations to local food banks usually dry up in the summer months, said ALIVE! Executive Director Jenn Ayers.
“Right now our service numbers are very high,” Ayers said. “We’re serving nearly 5,000 households per month through all our food programs (distributions, pop-ups, pantries and ALIVE! food hubs). At the peak of the pandemic we served about 6,000 households. Last year this time we were down to about 3,000 households, so the need for food is still very high.”
Pre-pandemic, ALIVE! served about 400 households per month, Ayers said.
Ayers also said that financial donations are welcome, as last fiscal year the nonprofit spent about $550,000 in $1,000 payments to more than 500 families. Now with funds all used up, she says that the need is growing.
“We think people are really having trouble just making ends meet, what with inflation, the rising cost of living, increased rent, and all of that having an impact on food security,” she said. “We’re also seeing a higher number of people calling for support with rent or trying to prevent eviction, as well as seeking food. So so it’s all compounded together.”
ALIVE! needs:
- Canned meat and fish
- Canned vegetables and fruits
- Canned beans
- Cooking oil in plastic bottles
There are 16 food donation collection points:
- Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library (717 Queen Street)
- Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street)
- Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library (4701 Seminary Road)
- Alexandria City Hall (301 King Street)
- Department of Community and Human Services (4850 Mark Center Drive)
- Department of Beer and Wine (2724 Richmond Highway)
- James M. Duncan Branch Library (2501 Commonwealth Avenue)
- Fairlington Presbyterian Church (3846 King Street)
- Fitness Together (300 N Washington Street)
- Old Town North Community Partnership (901 North Royal Street)
- Sixteenth Tabernacle Beth-El (634 N. Patrick Street)
- The Goodhart Group (106 N Lee Street)
- United Bank (2401 Mt. Vernon Avenue)
- Venue Condominium (925 N Fairfax Street)
- Volunteer Alexandria (2202 Mount Vernon Avenue)
- YMCA Alexandria (420 E. Monroe Avenue)
- Zweet Sport Total Fitness Studio (727 N. Henry Street)
The food drive is sponsored by Ting Internet, Fitness Together, and the Rotary Club of Alexandria.
The next ALIVE! food distributions will be held Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. at William Ramsay Recreation Center (5700 Sanger Avenue), and on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Old Town Community Church (212 S. Washington Street).
Thank you to First Christian Church of Alexandria and everyone who is donating food this month! @ALIVE4AlexVA #VolunteerALX https://t.co/WJtaMcf72D
— Volunteer Alexandria (@Volalex) July 18, 2023
The canned food drive starts TODAY! Drop off a can of food (or bottle of cooking oil) at one of the 17 food collection boxes across Alexandria. Our goal is to collect 30,000 pounds of food for our neighbors in need. #VolunteerALX @ALIVE4AlexVA https://t.co/nXM4wTb6sU pic.twitter.com/S0imt803xW
— Volunteer Alexandria (@Volalex) July 5, 2023
Friends of Guest House needs pajamas and cozy socks for their female residents who are transitioning back to the community from prison.
Realtor Maureen Clyne is leading the annual effort, and it’s her third time collecting the pajamas and socks. Last year, she ran past her goal of 100 pairs by raising 130 pairs. This year’s goal is also 100 pairs.
“These women are coming out of prison and they don’t have anything,” Clyne told ALXnow. “They probably aren’t going to go out and buy themselves a new pair of pajamas for Christmas morning. It’s just one of those sort of self pampering things that probably they didn’t get a lot of for years.”
Donations of cozy socks and L-3XL pajamas can be dropped off at Coldwell Banker Realty, 310 King Street. Pickups can also be arranged by calling or texting 703-967-8884.
“What an incredible gift that will impact many, many women and make them not only feel warm, but very welcome,” former Friends of Guest House Executive Director Kari Galloway said.
Friends of Guest House serves 60 women every year in its residential program, and has helped more than 4,000 women transition from incarceration since it was founded in 1974.
Via Sapan Patel/Unsplash
Alexandria non-profit ALIVE! is hosting grocery distributions for Alexandrians in need this weekend.
Over the last few years, ALIVE! has stepped up its food distribution program for locals, with drive-through and walk-up distributions.
This Saturday, Aug. 27, the distribution will run from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Drive-through distributions are planned for:
- Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Avenue)
- NYCC Alexandria Campus (parking lot B-1, via 500 Dawes Avenue)
Walk-up distributions are scheduled for:
- Cora Kelly Elementary School (3600 Commonwealth Avenue)
- William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue)
ALIVE!'s free grocery distribution events for Alexandrians in need will be held on Saturday, August 27th from 8:30am-10:30am.
Please help us spread the word, and direct anyone in need of food support to our website to see more details: https://t.co/fdbIy5yy48 pic.twitter.com/QUKqNXOQRP
— ALIVE! (@ALIVE4AlexVA) August 22, 2022
ALIVE! accepts food donations at the ALIVE! Food Warehouse (801 S Payne Street) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (closing at 7 p.m. on Thursdays).
The non-profit is accepting the following food types in personal, non-bulk portions:
Alexandria’s Homegrown Restaurant Group just stumbled across a proverbial goldmine of infant baby formula, and on Friday morning (May 20) they donated 10 cases of Similac Advance to ALIVE!.
It could take months before Alexandria grocery store shelves are stocked with infant formula, as communities around the country are struggling through the shortage.
HRG’s Bill Blackburn was inspired to find the formula after reading a Washington Post article about a restaurant owner who found a stash through his commercial food supply chain.
Blackburn made a call and found that his distributor had 10 cases of Similac Advance. It cost $1,000, which was paid for by HRG, Alexandria Celebrates Women and the Del Ray Business Association.
“Homegrown Restaurant Group is proud to partner with these organizations to provide this much-needed baby formula to ALIVE! during this crisis,” Blackburn said.
ALIVE! Executive Director Jennifer Ayers said that the nonprofit needed the formula and is grateful.
“Once again neighbors have demonstrated that if there’s a need in this community that we can work together to help other neighbors,” Ayers said.
Courtesy photo
