e-Pathfinder | October 2021
"Britepaths Saved My Life"

“Amey” and her family were burdened with business and medical debt and on the brink of eviction when she contacted Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County (FECSoCo) in the summer of 2020.

Working with her volunteer Financial Mentor Dennis Elias over the past year, and with support from our Food Bridge program and other resources that Dennis helped her access, Amey and her husband have been able to catch up on their rent, pay off $6,000 worth of debt, start building their savings through our Matched Savings Program and are starting to plan for buying a home. 

Dennis is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), and his work with Amey was detailed in an article by our grantor the Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP). Click Here to read the article.

In the video above, Amey and our Financial Literacy Director Marcelle Miles share a lively discussion about her journey to seeking and accepting help, her hard work with Dennis, and her gratitude for Dennis and the Britepaths/FECSoCo team. We are so proud of her and grateful that she was willing to open up to us. To protect her privacy, we have changed her name, and she requested not to appear in the video or FFP article.

Help More Families Like Amey's: Join Us at Grateful!
We are so grateful to our community, and are looking forward to safely connecting in person outdoors after such a long and difficult time apart. Join us at Grateful for an autumn afternoon at the beautiful woodland Wolf Trap Terrace Pavilion. Sunday, October 24, 4-6p. Proceeds benefit the families we serve on their journeys to self-sufficiency.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets & Preview Auction Items

The Pavilion is covered and screened so we will be able to celebrate safely, rain or shine. We’ll enjoy beer, wine and delicious appetizers, live music by Batida Diferente, live and silent auctions, and some words of inspiration. We hope you'll join us and invite your friends!
A Big Thank You to Our Sponsors! ServiceNow, Reed Smith, Main Street Bank and Printing Ideas. Be a Sponsor. Contact Shannon Bryant for more information.
Give Hope for the Holidays
Give help and hope to children in our community whose families are struggling!

Britepaths' Holiday Program is seeking donations of funds and gift cards to help 500 local families in need enjoy festive holiday meals and gifts for their children. The donations will help us provide gift cards that social workers at our Fairfax County Public Schools partner schools in the Fairfax HS and Justice HS pyramids will distribute to families with identified need.

A $100 donation will provide holiday meals for a family, and $50 will provide gifts for children. Any amount you can give will make a big difference!
Visit Our Holiday Page for More Information
New This Year: It's easy to create your own online Holiday campaign to run an office or community drive to help our families. Click the Donate button, and click "Make Me a Champion" to get started.

Thank You to Our Sponsor: Peterson Family Foundation

Contact Dorothy Altmiller with questions, or if your organization would like to sponsor our program.
SNAP-EBT at the Annandale Farmers Market
Britepaths is excited to partner with the Fairfax County Park Authority and FRESHFARM to help community members who use SNAP/EBT benefits shop for fresh produce at the Annandale Farmers Market on Thursday mornings through November 4. The EBT program allows individuals to utilize their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, at the Market to purchase eligible items, including fresh fruits and vegetables. The matching dollar program allows SNAP customers to stretch their food budget further to make fresh local produce more affordable. 

We are grateful to our volunteers who helped us kick off the program this summer, Diane Charles and Therese Burruss. We will be seeking additional volunteers next spring. Contact Mila Cobos if you'd like a reminder when we reopen the program in Spring 2022.

The SNAP/EBT table at the Annandale Farmers Market on September 30. From left to right, Annadale Market Manager Michael Fay, Britepaths Programs Manager Mila Cobos, and Britepaths volunteers Diane Charles and Therese Burruss.
Fairfax Funky Flea
We had a great day at the very first Fairfax Funky Flea Market on Saturday, September 25! A special thanks to the organizers for inviting us, and to our Our Daily Veggies partner Orchard Country Produce for apples and Duck Donuts Fairfax for donuts that we sold at the market. And thank you to all who stopped by to see us and purchase treats to benefit the families we serve.

We will be at the final flea market for 2021 on Sat., Oct. 30, 8:30a-2p at Fairfax City Hall. Come out and see us and enjoy the market! fairfaxfunkyflea.com
Job Opportunities
Britepaths is seeking a Workforce Development Manager. Please share with anyone you know who might be interested.

Click Here for Details and Job Descriptions
Can You Help?
Urgent Pantry Needs

Our Food Pantry is low on a number of items. Click Here to see most-needed food and supplies, and information on donating.
Special Thanks
Food Bridge Supporting Groups
We are always so grateful to our Food Bridge Supporting Organizations who provide grocery store gift cards to our families each month.
 
This month, we thank Christ Lutheran Church and Vienna Baptist Church for helping our families.
 
We are still in need of organizations to help this fall and are starting to develop our 2022 schedule. Can your organization commit to a Sunday on our Delivery Calendar this year or next to help fulfill this great need? During the pandemic, we're mailing gift cards, but in regular times, some organizations choose to deliver a combination of supplies and gift cards. Click Here to learn more. Click Here to donate funds that will help cover holes in our Calendar. Contact Mila Cobos at 703.273.8829 with questions.
Truist Food4Thought Packing
A big thank you to Truist and its employees for donating the food and packing 200 Food4Thought weekend food packs for students in need at our partner school Marshall Road ES as one of their Lighthouse service projects! This is filling a huge need, and we are so grateful. We have 22 FCPS partner schools starting up their Food4Thought weekend food programs, so there are many more opportunities to help. Click Here to Learn More about Food4Thought and how you can help.
Fall Events
Fairfax Turkey Trot
Britepaths is grateful to the organizers of the Fairfax Turkey Trot in Mantua for once again choosing us as the beneficiary of this fun 4-miler on Thanksgiving morning. After going virtual last year, the race will be in person again this year. The run is on Thursday, November 25 at 9 a.m. at Mantua Tennis & Swim Club. We hope you'll join us and invite your friends. Click Here to Register.
Resources: Please Share
Virtual Financial Literacy and Workforce Development Coaching and Classes
Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County continue to offer a variety of free services and classes via the internet. Services include free and confidential Financial Coaching, Workforce/Job Readiness Consulting, Small Business Consulting and Tax Preparation Consulting. Please share our Virtual Services page with anyone you know who might benefit. Join our LinkedIn Group to receive updates on offerings and services.

NEW and Coming Soon at FECSoCo:
  • NEW Food Entrepreneur Consultatations: Virtual, by appointment only. Schedule a consultation on Monday or Wednesday evenings. Available in English and Spanish. Flyers: English; Spanish
  • NEW Credit Report Review Clinics, 10/20, 11/17, 12/15. Flyer: Click Here
  • Food Entrepreneur Workshops in English and Spanish, English; Spanish
  • Coming Soon: Avenues to Career Training IT: AWS re/Start Program offering in 2022.
Rent Relief/Eviction Prevention Resources
If you know someone who is struggling to pay their rent or mortgage due to the pandemic, please pass on these resources.

Click Here for Article: Falling Behind on Your Bills? Help Is Available!
Click Here for Fairfax County resources and information
Click Here for Virginia Rent Relief Program Flyer (pdf)
Click Here for guidance about the CDC's National Eviction Moratorium
Click Here for Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance's Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability Toolkit
Free Financial Coaching via NOVA Housing Expo
The Northern Virginia Housing Expo is going on virtually throughout 2021, and Britepaths and the Financial Empowerment Center at South County are honored to have been invited to offer free virtual Financial Coaching sessions as part of the Expo.

The Expo offers a variety of resources for Northern Virginia residents seeking to rent or buy a home. Their web site offers virtual exhibits and free monthly workshops, in addition to a link to register for our Financial Coaching sessions. Learn More
Fairfax County Area Services
Fairfax County staff are working hard across multiple agencies to assist County residents (including residents of the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and towns of Clifton, Herndon and Vienna) who are experiencing difficulties during COVID-19. Below are some resources to utilize and share with anyone you know who may need help. Fairfax County residents may call 703.222.0880 for information and referrals to services. Virginia residents outside Fairfax County may dial 211 to be connected with services in their community.
Britepaths
Our Mission is to provide our neighbors in need with short-term safety-net services and empower them to work toward long-term self-sufficiency.