Dear Family PASS Friends and Supporters,

The fall season is upon us, and I’d like to take a minute to say Thank You for all the support you have shown us over the last several months. We have continued full operations over the past many months to support our families in need, even in spite of the lingering pandemic and recent surge in cases. Our families continue to need our support more than ever. We could not have done it without our wonderful volunteers and donors.

In recent weeks, we have seen the moratorium on evictions end, as well as pandemic unemployment benefits dry up. There has been concern for some time about how this will impact struggling families. Landlords are now taking action on eviction proceedings when they had been holding off for quite a while. While many families have returned to work, yet some are still not back to working consistent full-time hours. The need for assistance in our community continues.

A bit of good news, the county made available some additional funds for rent and utility assistance for residents who were directly impacted by COVID-19, either through job loss, illness, or other factors. Family PASS has partnered with the county to disperse some of those funds to residents most in need.

But our families still need your help!

Imagine working a low-wage job, most likely hourly with no benefits, while juggling work, children, and your own schooling. Rent and utilities eat most of your income, so there is little remaining to cover everything else. One in 5 renters in Fairfax County pays more than 50% of their income on housing, requiring them to make difficult choices among the necessities they are able to afford. One unexpected major expense, like a car repair, an unexpected medical emergency, or other family crisis, can create the circumstances that can potentially lead to homelessness.

Family PASS is here to help those families avoid these pitfalls. Many of our clients continue to work towards educational and job skills goal, despite challenges and set-backs. We continue to seek your assistance with helping keep children and families housed, safe, fed, and have opportunities for skills growth that may have otherwise been out of reach for low-income families.

Thank you for your support

October 10^th is recognized as World Homeless Day. We’d like to acknowledge this day as we continue to bring awareness to the concerns of those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in our community. We’d like to share with you the work that we are doing to prevent low-income working families from entering homelessness in Fairfax County.

Marcie, a single mother of a teenage son and domestic violence survivor, has been in our program for a year. Marcie was struggling to consistently meet her household expenses, after a period of being homeless. The neighborhood she was living in was troubled with gangs and violence, which created safety concerns for her son, particularly after he was bullied and beaten by other neighborhood kids.

Family PASS successfully advocated to her leasing company to relocate Marcie to another neighborhood. Family PASS assisted with the security deposit for the new apartment, and connected the family with counseling and mentoring services for Marcie’s son.

Marcie works a steady full-time job, but without paid time off. Unfortunately, Marcie experienced an unexpected medical emergency which left her unable to work for 3 months while she recovered. Family PASS assisted with her rent during that time. When she was well again, Marcie returned to work and began a certification course for medical coding and billing.   Family PASS paid for the course, books and materials, and a new laptop. Once she completes the course, Marcie will be able to use her new skills to obtain a job promotion. Marcie is working diligently on her program, all while working full-time. We wish her all the success in the world!

Just like Marcie, our families often need help getting through a crisis in order to be in a place stable enough to start addressing their needs for education and job skills. That’s why our case management is so important in stabilizing families.

In the last few months alone, Family PASS has helped several clients start on their paths to increasing their skills. We assisted a client pursuing a dental hygienist program with tuition and a laptop. Another client pursuing accounting courses needed a laptop. Another needed help with books and technology for courses towards an Associates degree. We helped yet another start a course to be certified as an Interpreter. Another with a GED prep course.

Your support is needed to help us fulfill these needs.

We recently welcomed Donna Fisher to our Board of Directors! Donna is a practicing attorney, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986, where she studied English and music, only to move on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond, in 1989. While she pursued her legal career in real estate and criminal law, Donna always had a particular interest in advocating for children and disadvantaged families, and throughout her career, she has served as a Guardian ad Litem in the local area courts. She was known as a fierce advocate for abused children and also adults who were battling with familial and personal struggles, including substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues. Donna is currently the managing attorney, for the Vienna branch, of MBH Settlement Group.

An active member of the community, Donna is a certified leader in the Boy Scouts of America. She was President of the Alexandria Choral Society Board of Directors for two years, while also performing as a soprano with the group. She has been the Choral Director for two churches within the community and has also held board positions with the Association of Parents and Teachers, at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors, for the Belle

Haven Country Club. Donna has two children, Alexandra and Oliver, and she lives in Alexandria with her husband David.

Saturday, October 2^nd, Vienna hosted its annual Oktoberfest. Many volunteers came out to help manage the beer tent and raise funds for Family PASS. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and helped make this event so successful!

Unfortunately, out of an abundance of caution, we decide to postpone our Fall Benefit Breakfast. We have a new date of Wednesday, June 1^st, 2022. We hope you’ll consider joining us at the Westwood Country Club for an insightful presentation and discussion about homelessness in Fairfax County and how our work is impacting the community.

We so appreciate our donors and supporters from April through August:

Charles & Gisella Allen, Barbara & James Autrey, Ed Baranoski & Jill Crisman, Maria & Tom Barba, Cara Bobchek & John Reiter, Faith & John Boettger, Chip & Sue Bowers, Kathy Boyer, Liz & Randy Brouckman, Margaret-Anne Brummond, Gianfranco & Linda Bucelli, Debby Busse, Trecia Buster, John & Judy Campbell, Anne & Bill Carroll, James Carroll, Marty & Maureen Cohen, Ann Cole, Terra & Chris Cooke, Patti & Cliff Cooksey, Helen & Richard Cramond, Mary Crespy, Debi Dicks, Janine & William Doran, Molly Downs, Jennifer Draves, Nancy Dunaway, Sonny & Lee Ellis, Mary & Bill Farrell, Michelle & Brad Fisher, Laurel Glassman, Pam & Thomas Guffain, Penny & Bob Gundry, Ellen Haines, Kevin & April Herbert, Charlene Honeycutt, John & Mariann Horejsi, Lindsey & Paul Iacovino, Christina James, Suzanne Jenkins & Art Hyland, Karen Jiron, Robert Kalchik, Sharon Kellett, Carol Kelly, Kinlan Patrick, Ernest & Dolores Klimonda, Amy Krouse, Stephen & Caroline Long, Gail & Tom Magnani, Jean & Kevin McCormick, Ray McGraw & Julie Griscom-McGraw, Susan & Bruce McKenzie, Rachel McLean, Lori Morgan & Tim Hughes, Richard & Ava Neff, Nancy Nolting, Vesta Pearigen, Rita Perre-Davis & Mark Davis, Cindy Perry & Richard Sayers, Vicki Phillips, Rebecca Pick, Joel Platt & Nancy Singer Platt, Melanie Putch, Larry & Marlene Raphael, Louise Reynolds, Ann & Bob Richardson, Joanne & Wayne Richmond, Nancy Robbins, Ken & Betsy Rock, Mary Romagnoli, Lynn Rozental, Martha Rubenstein, Edward & Jytte Ruckert, Carol Russell, Lauri Rustand, Abhaya & Joel Schlesinger, Ann Smith, Ivan & Myra Socher, Nancy & Larry Socher, Michele Sterne, Kim Stevens, John & Lori Tagami, Julia Testa, Ken & Linda Thetford, Stacey & Chad Thornburg, Robin Thurman, Lori & Steven Trumble, Cheryl Tunnison, Mary Valder, Christina Van Winkle, Diane & Ernest Wakeham, Bruce & Leslie Walker, Joanna Walker, Taiga Walker, Linda Wasilewski, Thomas & Donna Whitaker, Gerry & Paul Williams, Darlene Williamson, Julie & David Wolff, Susan & John Wrigley, Irene Zarechnak, John & Betsy Zolper

We also extend our thanks to The Closet of Greater Herndon, Whole Foods Market Community Giving Program, St. Mark Catholic Church, St. Mark Catholic School, The Surge Community Church, Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Temple Rodef Shalom, Compass CARES, Coldwell Banker CARES Foundation, Plum Tree Financial, KTGY Architecture Firm, Vienna Women’s Club, The Vale Club, I Support The Girls, Alice’s Kids, and Cake4Kids.

A special Thank You to Public Affairs Support Services (PASS) for sponsoring our school supplies drive! PASS provided backpacks and school supplies for 43 school-aged children in our program. Thank you to all who contributed towards our school supplies drive, as it allowed to obtain extra school supplies and face masks to help ensure children are ready for success as they return to in-person learning.

A HUGE shout-out goes to Patti Cooksey, our Volunteer Coordinator. Patti has managed our food pantry, coordinated our school supplies drive, planned and executed a fun Bunco Night fundraiser, and organized volunteers to help run the Oktoberfest beer tent!

 THANK YOU, PATTI, FOR ALL YOU DO!