The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s animal shelter will now regularly be filled with the sound of live music.
AWLA is partnering with Wild Tunes, a nonprofit started by 10-year-old Yuvi Agarwal, to introduce live music by volunteer musicians at the animal shelter (4101 Eisenhower Avenue). The program kicked off Thursday (May 28).
Alexandria nonprofit Community Lodgings has won a $73,000 grant from D.C.-based philanthropic organization Many Hands, Inc.
After a months-long application process that included an in-person presentation from applicants, Many Hands awarded $73,000 each to Community Lodgings, AfriThrive Inc., and DC Greens. It also awarded $100,000 to the D.C.-based School Justice Project, for $319,000 in total donations. There were 88 applicants for the organization’s annual grants.
Alexandria City Council will consider extending leases to allow nonprofits and other programs to keep operating at its meeting on Tuesday (May 12).
City Council will consider setting a public hearing for Saturday (May 16) on a new five-year lease agreement with nonprofit Casa Chirilagua at 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue in Arlandria, as well as three-year lease extensions for the Alexandria Boxing Club at Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street) and the Child and Family Network Centers at Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 West Reed Avenue).
ACT for Alexandria has done it again. On Wednesday, Spring2ACTion, the biggest day of giving in Alexandria, raised more than $3.4 million for 198 area nonprofits.
Spring2ACTion is the main annual fundraiser for most participating nonprofits. ACT for Alexandria eclipsed its $2.5 million goal for the event, which drew participation from more than 7,000 donors, 198 nonprofits and more than 60 businesses.
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.
Alexandria’s DASH bus service kicked off April’s Month of the Young Child this morning (Monday) with the unveiling of a bus covered with early childhood development messaging intended to inspire parents.
The bus “takeover” was unveiled at DASH headquarters (3000 Business Center Drive) and includes exterior wraparound messaging and interior display messaging on five principles to help young children thrive. Mayor Alyia Gaskins, DASH CEO Josh Baker and Michelle Smith Howard, CEO of Kids’ First Years, were among approximately 50 children and adults who attended.
Attention exotic car lovers: the seventh annual Old Town Festival of Speed & Style is right around the corner.
The festival returns from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 17, showcasing rare vehicles along the 400–600 blocks of King Street and the 100 blocks of North and South St. Asaph Street and North and South Pitt Street. Organizers expect attendance to top 40,000 people.
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.
Nonprofit leader Wanda Pierce has been selected as the interim executive director of Carpenter’s Shelter, the organization announced today.
Pierce, the former CEO of the Arlington Community Foundation, started work yesterday (Tuesday), temporarily filling the vacancy recently left by former longtime Executive Director Shannon Steene. Pierce will manage Carpenter’s Shelter’s 64-bed Hoffman Center, as well as the 64-bed Alexandria Community Shelter on Mill Road as the organization’s board of directors conducts a national search for Steene’s replacement.
