Back2School Thank You, Fall Food Drive, National Thrift Shop Day, Volunteer Spotlight, Trauma-Informed Training
























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Monthly Newsletter of Northern Virginia Family Services


























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Thank You for Supporting Local Students During the NVFS Back2School Drive

Thousands of local students started the school year strong because of your generous donations of time and resources. Together, we provided more than 1,500 backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies for youth across Northern Virginia — including over $ 10,000 worth of supplies donated through our Amazon wish list. The supplies donated include:

* 16,284 pencils
* 1,531 highlighters
* 1,000 notebooks
* 703 folders
* 695 packs of crayons
* 618 glue sticks

A special shout-out to our Back2School sponsors, Honor Roll sponsor Evans , Brighter Future sponsor Swift and Dream Builder sponsors Dev Technology Group and Temple Rodef Shalom , for helping kids gear up for greatness this school year.

Lastly, thank you to all of our amazing donors and volunteers for another successful Back2School drive! Your support eases the financial burden for local families and helps youth smile wider, dream bigger and walk into the classroom with confidence.

The Back2School drive is still accepting cash donations via our website, to help offset the cost of additional supplies purchased by NVFS. Donate today <[link removed]>.












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Mark Your Calendars for the NVFS Fall Food Drive

The high cost of living in our community means that too many local families struggle to access food. We are stocking up our Hunger Resource Center for the busy fall and winter seasons during our Fall Food Drive. New for this year – we are accepting donations of fresh produce, sealed dairy, packaged meat, poultry and eggs and commercial bakery bread and baked goods.

Mark your calendars for our donation drop-off dates: Mon, Oct 27; Wed, Oct 29; Wed, Nov 5; Fri, Nov 7 (2025 ). Learn more <[link removed]>about volunteer and sponsorship opportunities and ways you can give to support families through our Fall Food Drive this year.












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NVFS Celebrated National Thrift Shop Day with Local Thrift Influencer

August 17th was National Thrift Shop Day! We partnered with thrift influencer Wonderpunkstudio, to showcase the unique clothing, accessories, housewares and treasures at the NVFS Thrift Store. Check out the Wonderpunkstudio and NVFS Instagram post <[link removed]>for a peak at this local style expert’s favorite finds. While you’re there, follow the NVFS Instagram account @NorthernVirginiaFamilyServices <[link removed]>.

Shop sustainability and donate to the NVFS thrift store <[link removed]>, where revenues help fund NVFS’ programs that have a positive impact on more than 40,000 people in our community. To learn more about individual and group volunteer opportunities, contact Samara Weinstein. <mailto:[email protected]?subject=NVFS Thrift Store volunteering>












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Abuelas Share the Love of Reading with our Littlest Learners

The NVFS Early Head Start program at the Arlington Mill Community Center kicked off a special partnership with the over 55+ seniors program at the Arlington Mill Community Center.

Local ‘abuelas’, which means grandmothers in Spanish, volunteer to read books to our Early Head Start students, sharing their love of stories and reading with the youngsters. Reading to kids builds cognitive development, language skills, empathy and prepares them for academic success.

"This collaboration with the NVFS Early Head Start program has been very special, as it brings generations together to share joy, culture, and learning. Our seniors look forward to reading to the little ones, not only do they enjoy it, but they also feel a renewed sense of purpose and belonging,” said Mona Farah, the Arlington Mill 55+ Center Director at the Arlington Dept. Parks and Recreation. It's a win-win.

Help us build little libraries for our littlest learners! We’re collecting Spanish-language picture books and board books so our abuelas can read with infants and toddlers. Questions or ready to donate? Please contact Samara Weinstein <mailto:[email protected]>.












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NVFS Provides Trauma-Informed Training to Manassas City Public School Staff

NVFS is proud to partner in new initiatives launched by the Manassas City Public Schools Immigration and Refugee Advisory Committee. Formed in January, the committee—composed of parents, community members, and school staff—was created to address the concerns of immigrant and refugee families. As requested by the committee, NVFS team members will deliver trauma-informed training to staff across all nine schools in the division in the months ahead.

“NVFS is proud to provide school staff with trauma-informed training, so they can better assist children and their families in times of crisis. We are grateful for our partnership with the school system and look forward to other opportunities to support them in their valuable work," said Meredith McKeen, NVFS Vice President of Programs. Additional goals of the committee include supporting students’ mental health needs in school, reducing absenteeism and helping kids be successful in the classroom. Learn more in this InsideNOVA article. <[link removed]>






















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Top NVFS SERVE <[link removed]> Shelter Needs

* New underwear for men, women, and children. (all sizes)
* New pillows
* Laundry detergent








Top Hunger Resource Center <[link removed]> Needs

* Canned vegetables
* Rice
* Shelf stable milk
* Cereal
* Sugar/Flour
* Soup
* Granola bars






























Top Healthy Families <[link removed]>Needs

* Bubble machine <[link removed]>
* Bubble solution <[link removed]>
* Magnetic water balloons <[link removed]> (2 sets)
* Water plungers <[link removed]>
* Egg shakers <[link removed]> (2 sets)
* Sensory balls <[link removed]>
* Henna kit <[link removed]>
* Body paint <[link removed]>(2 sets)









Top Early Childhood Education <[link removed]> Needs

* Toddler tooth brushes ( example link #1 <[link removed]> and example link #2 <[link removed]>)
















Top Volunteer Needs

* Food Recovery Driver (Contact Navara Cannon <mailto:[email protected] > for more information)
* Vision Program Assistant (Contact Navara Cannon <mailto:[email protected]> for more information)
* Shelter Support <[link removed]> (Contact Vicky Bonilla <mailto:[email protected]> for more information)






























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Some NVFS programs are partially funded with federal dollars.

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3110 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22042