Donor Highlights!
Several schools adopted multiple families and spread them out between their classrooms to teach students about giving back. This is a great way for young children to learn about the importance of supporting their community:
- The Little Oaks Montessori Academy in Herndon adopted 20 children to divide amongst seven classrooms.
- Similarly, the Country Day School in McLean adopted 17 children for their school to support.
- Lastly, the Aquinas Montessori School in Alexandria adopted eight families with 20 total children to help.
Stephanie Manley and the New Union Baptist Church continued their annual tradition of donating gift cards to families as food insecurity continues to be the biggest need throughout the year. Stephanie and the congregation donated $1,000 in gift cards to local grocery stores to help our families. We appreciate the support of the New Union Baptist Church in assisting our families with what is their biggest challenge right now, putting food on the table.
Arcfield, the Chantilly based technology and mission support company, was so eager to participate in our program again this year, that they had multiple team leads who signed up throughout their company. We were so thankful for their flexibility as they were willing to modify their sign-up locations to meet the needs of our program. Arcfield adopted five families and 19 children.
Build-A-Bear Workshop® donated 500 teddy bears to our organization for the children in our programs, which was incredibly generous. These teddy bears went to the children in our Children, Youth, and Families Division who are in Foster Care and Adoption, Child Protective Services, Protection and Preservation Services, Family Engagement, and Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention programs. As you can imagine these bears were very well received, especially during the holiday season.
Fairfax County’s own Neighborhood and Community Services CRCC (Culture, Recreation, and Community Connections) Region 1 got in on the holiday spirit as well this year! They were matched with 14 children in five families. It is always special when Fairfax County employees support internal programs and initiatives.
District 14 of The American Federation of Government Employees hosted a toy drive in our South County region to serve 40 families involved in the child welfare system. It’s so exciting when our donors and partners give back and sponsor events for our children and families.
The Jackson Clinics in Springfield is a physical therapist-owned outpatient orthopedic practice that sponsored four families consisting of 18 children this holiday season.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway in Reston adopted 20 children from 10 different families to further their purpose of equipping individuals with the resources needed to support positive outcomes for all children, youth, and families. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has been a longstanding partner and donor with Volunteer and Partner Services, and we appreciate their commitment to our community year after year.
One of our largest donors this year was a collaboration between Project Belong and McLean Bible Church. McLean Bible Church and their congregants were steadfast in their commitment to ensuring every child and family were adopted this holiday season, regardless of which regional office within the county they would have to drive to. They adopted 13 families, totaling 56 children.
There are many more examples of the outpouring of generosity throughout this campaign. Thank you to each donor who helped us surpass all previous numbers and more importantly, reach more children and families in need.
As our programs continue to grow, we know we can count on you, our partners, to help provide our community with the best care and support. As we look ahead to 2025, we cherish and value our partnerships with all of you to make our community better and brighter for the next generation.
For the second year in a row, our Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program was open to all child serving programs within the Department of Family Services and the community support was unbelievable!