The start-up cost for children to return to school can reach into the $500-$750 range, which puts a significant strain on families who are struggling to meet their basic needs. Village of Impact families, who give their time and treasures to NVFS, came together last Saturday to help homeless children start the new school year with a full array of required supplies. The group assembled 50 backpacks for school-age youth staying at our homeless shelter ensuring that they return to school with the same supplies as their peers.

After assembling backpacks, the families learned more about the wide range of challenges and barriers to quality education for children growing up in poverty. More than half of U.S. public school students live in low-income households. Typical challenges include living in neighborhoods with lower-performing schools, larger class sizes, and exposure to half as many words as middle-class peers in their earliest years. But many other factors—health and nutrition, housing stability, chronic stress, limited positive role models, and much more—directly impact a child’s chance to succeed in school. And poor educational outcomes are directly tied to future poverty, unemployment, illness, and more.

To learn more about the Village of Impact, please click here.

The Training Futures team is excited to announce that they are piloting a new program this summer called Inspiring Futures. This eight-week program offers flexibility for clients who cannot commit to a full-time training program and is designed to give unemployed/underemployed individuals the tools, guidance, and confidence to successfully (re)enter the job market.

Using the Imaginal Education methodology of the Training Futures program, Inspiring Futures combines the Training Futures Getting and Keeping a Job curriculum with confidence building activities, soft skills training, professional development opportunities, and career coaching. Participants will also receive ongoing job search support following the completion of the program. This pilot started in late July and will run through early September.

Thanks to the team from Kettler, a long-standing partner and renowned property developer and manager, the SERVE Campus is looking better than ever. They cleaned out the gutters, trimmed all the branches, repaired the wooden fence, put together shelving, and power washed all the buildings, patio, and playground. And that was just what happened at SERVE. The Kettler team also stepped up for our annual Back2School Drive and transported cleaning supplies, tables, and chairs to the operation site. Kettler’s enthusiasm, can-do attitude, and dedication to so many aspects of NVFS makes them stand out as a stellar corporate partner—one who makes a true impact each and every time they engage with NVFS.

We appreciate Kettler's continued support of NVFS and the individuals and families we work with in Northern Virginia.

Top Donation Needs

SERVE Campus (general): Diapers, wipes, baby blankets

Hunger Resource Center: Cereal, rice, canned fruit/applesauce, canned beans

SERVE Family Shelter: Coloring books/activity books, air mattresses, queen-size sheets, bed-sized blankets, diapers (sizes 2-5), baby wipes, full size hygiene items (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, deodorant, q-tips, baby wash, baby lotion, baby blankets, laundry baskets, laundry detergent, paper towels, all-purpose cleaner, floor cleaner, glass cleaner, disinfecting wipes, children’s socks, boys/girls underwear, men’s boxers/boxer briefs

A complete wishlist of items can be found here.