Suppport NVFS’ Multicultural Center Thru the Community Thrives Challenge, Now Thru August 12  

NVFS is once again participating in the A Community Thrives (ACT) Challenge, sponsored by Gannett Media Corp. This year, NVFS is raising funds to support our immigrant and refugee neighbors. Now thru August 12, NVFS must raise $6,000 through the Mightycause donation platform to be eligible for a grant of up to $100,000 in support of our Multicultural Center. Click here to learn more about the impact of your dollars, to easily share with your social networks, and to donate today!

Empower Local Kids During the NVFS Back2School Drive 

Help ease the financial burden for kids and their families by donating during the NVFS Back2School donation drive. A backpack full of new school supplies can empower a child with the confidence to begin the new school year. View our donation wish lists, donate cash or pick up and donate additional school supplies for local families. 

Check out the school supply wish list then drop off your Back2School Drive donations on Wednesday, July 27 at 9am – 1pm and Thurs or Thursday, July 28 from 1pm – 5pm at 11884 Grand Commons Ave Fairfax, VA 22030. (This location is an old JoS A. Bank store in Fairfax Corner, which is next door to the restaurant, Ozzie’s.)

Purchase an item from the Amazon wish-list link, available until July 28:

Cash donations are a vital aspect of the drive and still needed and gratefully accepted through mid-August.

Kids Enjoy Summer at the NVFS SERVE Shelter Summer Camp    

The children at the NVFS SERVE Family Emergency Homeless Shelter have been enjoying the season with a variety of activities and outings during the SERVE Shelter Summer Camp. Between the outdoor play and water games we managed to sneak in educational and developmental items like arts and crafts and STEM projects. The most popular activity though was the water games. To be fair, you can’t beat sprinklers and water balloons on hot, sunny days!

SERVE also welcomed some wonderful local groups who volunteered their time and expertise to add to the Campers' summer experience. WonderGo, a local performing arts group with a focus on giving back to the community, inspired the kids during a comedy improv workshop. We were impressed by the kids' displays of creativity and quick thinking. We also welcomed back the Caring Angels Therapy Dogs. Sprocket, pictured, is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people in stressful situations or who have experienced trauma. Sprocket's gentle, loving nature welcomed the Camper's affection and truly left us all feeling calmer, more positive, and happier.

One particularly popular outing was the field trip to the Naional Zoo. We enjoyed sharing the animals with the kids and for some of them it was even their first time visiting a zoo! The big cats were by far the favorite animal, and out of the big cats the striped tiger truly took the show.

A special thanks to the incredible volunteers who collaborated with our staff to facilitate these fun and exciting camp activities and make this an unforgettable summer for the kids.

Check out the NVFS SERVE Shelter to learn more and get involved.

NVFS Receives 2022 Safeway Nourishing Neighbors Grant

Thank you to Safeway, which selected NVFS as a 2022 grant recipient. This funding empowers NVFS to promote enrollment in federal meals programs across our service areas. This includes conducting intake and needs assessments, scheduling appointments, assisting with SNAP, WIC, and EBT applications, and connecting families to other resources that will advance their physical, emotional, and economic wellbeing.

Volunteer Spotlight: Young Men’s Service League Volunteer at the NVFS Clock Tower Thrift Shop 

Thank you to the volunteers with the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) who are volunteering throughout the summer to accept, process, sort and organize the donations made to the NVFS Clocktower Thrift Shop. They tag items for sale, replenish the sales floor with unique items, make sure everything is tidy, and welcome our customers. These young men work side by side with their moms to spend quality time with each other while giving back to the community. We are grateful for their help making sure the Clock Tower is kept in peak condition and enticing as all proceeds from the shop go to NVFS and back into the community to help support our neighbors in need.

To volunteer at the Clock Tower Thrift Shop or to learn about other opportunities contact the NVFS Volunteer Team at [email protected].

To learn more about the NVFS Clock Tower Thrift Shop, to donate gently loved items, or to shop for treasures visit nvfs.org/thrift-shop.