ALIVE! has bought and organized thousands of meals to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the next two upcoming Saturdays will give away a week’s worth of emergency subsistence food to families and individuals at two drive-by locations.
On the Saturdays of March 28 and April 4, families in their cars will be able to pick up four paper bags of free food at John Adams Elementary School and Cora Kelly School from 8:30 a.m. until noon — or until they run out.
Volunteer Alexandria needs volunteers — mostly delivery drivers — to help the city’s nonprofits, school system and food banks during the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down most of the city.
Volunteer Alexandria Executive Director Marion Brunken told ALXnow that about 100 volunteers registered over the course of last weekend. The volunteers are asked whether they have been exposed to the virus.
The Alexandria City Public Schools will not be tracking student attendance for online learning during its month-long COVID-19 shutdown.
Alexandria City Public Schools announced on Friday that all schools would close until April 14 — after spring break. Every elementary school student was given instructional packets to take home, and students in grades 3-12 went home with Chromebook laptops.
ALIVE! has distributed most its regular food reserves, and now needs cash donations and volunteers to contend with COVID-19.
The Alexandria nonprofit provides food for 13 pantries around the city, and the coronavirus has many wondering how infected residents who are food insecure will get fed. ALIVE! is currently working with the city and buying food to support the city should deliveries need to be made to people under quarantine without food reserves at home.
The largest single-day fundraiser in the region is around the corner, and this year ACT for Alexandria wants to attract 10,000 donors.
Last year’s Spring2ACTion fundraiser raised $2.1 million for 166 local charities and nonprofits, beating the $1.8 million raised in 2018. There were more than 9,600 donors last year, and this year’s fundraising goal is $2 million — just shy of last year’s record-breaking total.
These winter mornings on the waterfront might be freezing, but at least Kaleb doesn’t have far to go. The 22-year-old wakes up early in his basement apartment in Old Town, throws on his green Alexandria Seaport Foundation uniform, runs down to the waterfront and clocks in every day at 8 a.m.
“It’s hard to grasp for me, but I’ve changed my life around. I don’t do anything now,” Kaleb told ALXnow. “I just be chillin’.”
Whole Foods Donating to Local Nonprofit — “Now through the June 1, 2020, you can support The Child & Family Network Centers (CFNC) in Alexandria when you bring your own bag at Whole Foods at 1700 Duke Street. By bringing your own bag, you’ll save on the five-cent bag fee, which will automatically be donated to CFNC.” [Zebra]
Art Program for Residents in Recovery — “This fall, the Alexandria Residential Treatment Center (ARTC) partnered with Heard, a local nonprofit, to offer art workshops for individuals in recovery. An Alexandria-based creative arts initiative, Heard partners with nonprofits and local governments to provide marginalized and at-risk adults the opportunity to be heard through art and creativity with workshops in creative writing, visual arts, poetry, dance, etiquette and improvisation.” [City of Alexandria]
Memorial Service for Coach Boone — “Family, friends and complete strangers on Saturday remembered Herman Boone, the iconic T.C. Williams High School head football coach who led the team to a championship in 1971.” [Fox 5, Facebook, WTOP]
Local Group Celebrates 50th Anniversary — “In May 1969, a group of concerned Alexandrians from several churches met to discuss how they could ‘re-emphasize the role, and renew the efforts, of the local churches in providing assistance to people in need.’ The group formed a nonprofit organization called ALIVE!… At a legislative meeting last month, city council issued a proclamation acknowledging ALIVE!’s 50th anniversary.” [Alexandria Times]
Potomac Yard Metro to Create Jobs — “Those behind the new Potomac Yard Metro station say the area is about to be transformed in more ways than one…. Amazon has promised 25,000 new HQ2 jobs in ten years. But Alexandria City says a finished Potomac Yard Metro will… bring 26,000 jobs on top of that. [WUSA 9]
Local Nonprofit Raises Thousands on ‘Giving Tuesday’ — “Together We Bake, the nonprofit that provides workforce and personal development for women in need in Alexandria, raised $22,821 on Giving Tuesday.” [Zebra]
An Old Town mural has helped raise some $10,000 for a mix of local and national charities.
The mural of two butterfly wings on the side of lingerie shop Bloomers (924 King Street) was the center of a local social media fundraising campaign in August and September. Last week, organizers announced it helped to raise $10,200 for 111 nonprofits.
