Statement 6/3/2020























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Dear John,

On behalf of our NVFS Team, I reach out today with a heavy heart. Recent events have shaken our country with the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, and the threats to Christian Cooper in Central Park. These and other acts of overt racism happen every day, and this week may have been a breaking point for our country.

The emotional and physical stress of the events of the last week have taken a toll on our staff and the people we support. For many of our Black and Brown employees, clients and volunteers this has been a week full of fear and trauma.

We continue to witness violence against Black Americans, and the reverberations of unrest fueled by centuries of injustice and systemic racism. In the midst of this turmoil, we are also in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our country has surpassed 100,000 deaths caused by COVID-19, and we know that communities of color have been disproportionately harmed.

On behalf of our Team, I want to affirm our long-standing NVFS values and commitment to social justice. NVFS stands with and behind our neighbors of color who bear unequal burdens of sickness and economic hardship, and who continue to be marginalized by institutional racism.

NVFS sees the suffering of Black and Brown people. We stand with those seeking systemic changes, and wholeheartedly endorse and will continue to work towards solutions that deliver equity and compassion for each and every member of our Northern Virginia region.

We ask our supporters to make this shared commitment with us. In nearly 100 years of serving Northern Virginia, we know this to be true: our community is stronger and more resilient when we face the future together.

In solidarity,










































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Stephanie Berkowitz
President and CEO

































































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