nonprofit

News

Alexandria leaders to speak at first-ever State of Early Childhood event

By James Cullum
Children listen to Paralympic gold medalist Trevon Jenifer at the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club at 401 N. Payne Street in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria leaders will discuss the early childhood initiatives across the city in a first-ever series of conversations.

The Kids’ First Years (KFY) State of Early Childhood 2025 event will be held at First Baptist Church (2922 King Street) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Mayor Alyia Gaskins will kick off the free event with opening remarks, along with KFY CEO Michelle Smith Howard. The event is intended to bring together city leaders, educators, and advocates to “build a thriving early childhood system that fuels the city’s economy, strengthens the workforce and supports every family,” according to the nonprofit.

Go to Alexandria leaders to speak at first-ever State of Early Childhood event Read more
News

Local nonprofit teams with Home Depot to make repairs to Alexandria elementary school

By James Cullum
Rebuilding Together DC - Alexandria and Home Depot employees at Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology, Sept. 25, 2025 (image via Facebook)

Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology just got a little upgrade, courtesy of nonprofit Rebuilding Together DC – Alexandria and Home Depot.

On Thursday, the elementary school at 3600 Commonwealth Avenue got help with painting, minor construction projects, rebuilding the school’s library, and assembling furniture, according to ACPS.

Go to Local nonprofit teams with Home Depot to make repairs to Alexandria elementary school Read more
News

Housing Alexandria hosts Fall Festival fundraiser Oct. 9

By James Cullum
Housing Alexandria staff will celebrate their annual Fall Festival fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 (courtesy image)

Housing Alexandria is hosting a “laid-back gala” next month with music, games and food.

This year, the annual fundraising event will be held Thursday, Oct. 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Garden Alexandria (5380 Eisenhower Avenue) and will celebrate the nonprofit’s completion of the Cardinal Path Homes project. The project provides 36 townhomes and condos to first-time homebuyers, available via lottery.

Go to Housing Alexandria hosts Fall Festival fundraiser Oct. 9 Read more
News

ALIVE! food pantry has plenty of peanut butter, needs jelly

By James Cullum
Alexandria nonprofit ALIVE! needs jelly contributions (via Facebook)

Alexandria nonprofit ALIVE! gets plenty of peanut butter donations, but not enough jelly.

ALIVE! feeds more than 20,000 hungry residents monthly, and recently announced on social media that the perfect partner to peanut butter is harder to come by. According to ALIVE:

Go to ALIVE! food pantry has plenty of peanut butter, needs jelly Read more
News

More than 40 nonprofits to showcase volunteer opportunities Sept. 13

By James Cullum
The 2nd Annual Community Volunteer Fair will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2810 King Street) on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 (courtesy image)

Dozens of Alexandria-based nonprofits seeking assistance will be on hand at the second-annual Community Volunteer Fair next month.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, Volunteer Alexandria and JustServe will host the free, family-friendly event inside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2810 King Street). From 2 to 4 p.m., representatives from more than 45 nonprofits will showcase their services.

Go to More than 40 nonprofits to showcase volunteer opportunities Sept. 13 Read more
News

ALX Closet serves nearly 1,000 children in first year

By James Cullum
via Center for Alexandria's Children/Facebook

Nearly 1,000 Alexandria children have received emergency resources since the opening of ALX Closet in 2024.

The resource center at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) is a collaboration between nonprofits The Center for Alexandria’s Children and The Fund for Alexandria’s Child, providing kids with donations of clothes, diapers, formula, and more to families experiencing a crisis.

Go to ALX Closet serves nearly 1,000 children in first year Read more
News

Code Rising gives Alexandria students laptops after summer program

By James Cullum
Participants of Code Rising's 2025 summer camp (courtesy image)

Code Rising gave dozens of Alexandria students a nice surprise with the end of their second annual summer camp this month — new laptops.

The Alexandria nonprofit was founded two years ago to help underprivileged kids learn about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The summer program provided elementary, middle and high school students with an introduction to STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) through the summer months, with students learning coding, making short movies and video games. They also went on weekly field trips,  including to Continues Arcade in Old Town and more.

Go to Code Rising gives Alexandria students laptops after summer program Read more
News

Nonprofit serving Latino youth in Arlandria aims to raise $250K by August 27

By James Cullum
Casa Chirilagua at 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue (via Facebook)

A nonprofit serving Arlandria’s Latino community is trying to raise $250,000 by Wednesday, Aug. 27.

Casa Chirilagua (4109 Mount Vernon Avenue) launched its Summer Challenge Campaign today to fund its programming, serving over 400 people.

Go to Nonprofit serving Latino youth in Arlandria aims to raise $250K by August 27 Read more
News

ALIVE! is giving away groceries at these two distribution points on Saturday

By James Cullum
Food at ALIVE! (Photo via ALIVE!/Facebook)

ALIVE! is hosting two free food distributions this week in Alexandria.

The nonprofit gives away free food to approximately 20,000 families in the city every month. No registration is needed, although proof of city residency may be requested. The walk-up distributions will be on Saturday (July 26) from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center (25 West Reed Avenue) and William Ramsay Recreation Center (5650 Sanger Avenue).

Go to ALIVE! is giving away groceries at these two distribution points on Saturday Read more
News

After recent 10,000th cake milestone, Alexandria-area Cake4Kids continues sweet mission

By James Cullum
Natasha Gannon, a volunteer with the Northern Virginia chapter of Cake4Kids, baked and delivered 24 cupcakes for two-year-old Matilda at the United Way United Community- Early Learning Center in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County, July 18, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

There’s nothing like a good birthday cake, and on Friday (July 18), 24 cupcakes were delivered to make two-year-old Matilda feel special on the big day.

Natasha Gannon baked the cupcakes and delivered them to the United Community – Early Learning Center in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. Since 2020, Gannon has baked upward of 50 cakes for the Northern Virginia chapter of Cake4Kids, which recently delivered its 10,000th cake to underserved youth.

Go to After recent 10,000th cake milestone, Alexandria-area Cake4Kids continues sweet mission Read more
News

St. Lucy Food Project targets 25,000 pounds monthly as food insecurity rises in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Summer campers at Bishop Ireton High School fill up a truck with donated food for the Catholic Charities St. Lucy Food Project, July 10, 2025 (courtesy of Catholic Charities)

With the need for food assistance on the rise, a local charity is aiming to collect 25,000 pounds of food every month this summer.

The Catholic Charities St. Lucy Food Project gathers food year-round from many of the diocesan schools in the area. On Thursday (July 10), kids participating in summer camp at Bishop Ireton High School filled a box truck with canned fruit, vegetables, rice, and more. More than 1,200 pounds of food were collected at Bishop Ireton.

Go to St. Lucy Food Project targets 25,000 pounds monthly as food insecurity rises in Alexandria Read more
View More Stories