Guide to Giving 2020

New housing under construction. Photo by Stephen Karcha

Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing

The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing is committed to developing innovative, attractive and safe apartment buildings. Today APAH provides 1,813 homes to lower-income individuals and families at 17 properties. The nonprofit is working to integrate health, workforce success, education, community engagement and housing to achieve better outcomes for all. With the Covid-19 outbreak, APAH has seen increased demand for eviction prevention services and emergency financial assistance. In April, more than 350 households could not pay their rent, and many were struggling to put food on the table. APAH’s Resident Emergency Fund has been stretched to meet the immediate needs of residents, and it has committed to not evicting any families for financial reasons during the pandemic.

Headquartered: Arlington
Serves: Arlington County and the broader D.C. metro area
What a donation provides:
❱❱ $100 meets a small family’s basic grocery needs for a week.
❱❱ $250 helps families stay connected to school and support by phone and internet.
❱❱ $500 covers fees for nine residents to expand their employment prospects by learning basic computer skills.
❱❱ $1,000 buys three months of a daily after-school enrichment program at one property.
Volunteer opportunities: Assistance is needed with child care, grocery distribution, literacy programming, affordable housing advocacy, and volunteer management and recruitment.

Arlington Thrive

For more than 45 years, Arlington Thrive has kept Arlington County’s most vulnerable residents from losing their homes, their health and their families during times of personal crisis. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Thrive created the Arlington Emergency Relief Fund to reach even more people with rapid financial assistance. Thrive’s financial support gives people access to whatever is most needed—a rent payment, medicine, uninterrupted power and water, a ride to work or a visit to the doctor.

Headquartered: Arlington
Serves: Arlington County
What a donation provides:
❱❱ $100 pays for a prescription for a homeless individual in Arlington.
❱❱ $250 covers medical care or emergency dental work for an uninsured Arlington resident.
❱❱ $1,000 restores utility service for six families who, due to temporary unemployment, are unable to pay for their heat and/or electricity.
❱❱ $5,000 pays the rent for five Arlington families facing eviction so they do not become homeless.
Volunteer opportunities: Volunteers are needed to organize events and community activities; and to raise funds via social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Aspire! Afterschool Learning

Aspire! Afterschool Learning provides daily afterschool and summer programs to South Arlington children who are at risk of falling through the achievement gap. School closures resulting from Covid-19 have put many kids at even greater disadvantage—particularly those for whom English is not their (or their parents’) first language. Aspire! has responded by moving its programs online to provide critical social-emotional and academic support to students.

Headquartered: Arlington
Serves: South Arlington
What a donation provides:
❱❱ $50 supports online learning for a student for one month.
❱❱ $250 purchases online materials and curriculum for one virtual classroom.
❱❱ $500 provides one month of supplies and materials for summer camp.
❱❱ $1,000 provides 10 hours of specialized summer reading/math instruction to students in need.
Volunteer opportunities: Volunteers are currently needed to provide virtual reading, math and homework support online.

Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corp.

The Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corp.  has been promoting economic and social development in and around Arlington’s Nauck community since 1999, focusing on education, healthy living, financial empowerment and community involvement. The organization provides emergency assistance, supplemental groceries, case management, employment assistance and financial counseling. Covid-19 has brought increased need for emergency financial assistance to cover rent, utilities and especially food. Many BAJCDC clients are in crisis, having experienced job loss.

Headquartered: South Arlington
Serves: Arlington County residents
What a donation provides:
❱❱ $250 provides groceries for approximately five families.
❱❱ $1,000 provides groceries for approximately 20 families.
❱❱ $10,000 provides groceries for approximately 200 families.
Volunteer opportunities: BAJCDC is an AFAC supplemental grocery distribution site. Every Saturday, from 11 a.m. to noon, staff and volunteers distribute groceries to neighbors in need of assistance. Call 703-229-5650 for details.