2023: Impact Moments from the Year - Arlington Community Foundation

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2023 Wrapped

5 big moments from the year and what they mean for our community

ECONOMIC MOBILITY

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Moments that build momentum

Arlington Community Foundation creates connections between resources and critical areas of need and opportunity. Whether you have known about ACF for years, or you are learning about us for the first time, you are vital to our work because you are part of the Arlington community.

We share these moments so that you can see the variety of ways we, and you, can make a difference. In 2023, we continued to double down on our commitment to our neighbors through our economic mobility work, record-breaking scholarship program, community events, and new, profound bridges between our donors and the causes they hold most dear.

None of these moments would be possible without you. As we turn the page to 2024, we invite you to financially support the Foundation so that we can continue to build this momentum.

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1. Milestones in Economic Mobility

“When I was at my worst point, Arlington was there to help me.”

Clay, Arlington’s Guarantee participant

A new report on deeply affordable childcare. Proposed pathways to deep affordability at Barcroft Apartments. A fully enrolled guaranteed income pilot (Arlington’s Guarantee) providing immediate relief for 200 local low income working families. A new video highlighting the countless barriers low income Arlingtonians face as they try to earn more money (and an accompanying discussion guide with proposed solutions).

This was a year of milestones for our economic mobility work. Work that is driven by people like Clay and the 24,000+ lowest-income Arlingtonians struggling to survive here.

Use this interactive tool to meet 11 of these neighbors: Arlington’s Guarantee participants who have graciously shared parts of their lives and their experience in the pilot so far. Unless otherwise noted, pseudonyms and stock photos are used to protect their identities.

If you would like to support our economic mobility work, we invite you to make a donation to our Shared Prosperity Fund. Every dollar raised and invested in this work now will come back to this community’s most vulnerable many times over.

Meet 11 neighbors here

Daniel

Daniel

Daniel, who wanted to share his real name, is the 12th child of a long-time Arlington family. His mom was born in 1921 and raised her family here in what was the Butler Homes neighborhood (now Penrose). He was actually born in a DC hospital, because Arlington Hospital was segregated when he was born. Daniel is a father of three who now works as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist for people who have substance abuse and mental health challenges; and he is looking forward to being hired by Arlington County in that capacity.

A returning citizen, he feels blessed because “God has given me the opportunity to make my latter years better than my former years in order for me to be in a position to do something for others.” He’s appreciated getting some coaching on realizing his future goals from Phill at OAR.

Daniel continues, “I’m a volunteer here in Arlington in multiple things. Every day is a good day – a blessed day – because I am able to actually give. I want to take college courses on the professional development side and will be looking between George Mason and NOVA. I feel the extra cash is giving me a sense of security. It has taught me to be more conscientious and more structured about my spending. Upon my daughter’s graduation, I’ll be getting her some things that she needs for college.”

Helen

HELEN

Helen is a 40-year-old mom of a 6-year-old daughter. Originally from East Africa, she is an educated and skilled woman with an administrative and marketing background. The notification that she would be receiving the unconditional cash came at an especially vulnerable time for Helen. It allowed her to regain the hope and energy she needed to find a new full-time job after having been laid off due to COVID.

“I was struggling. I was in fear 24/7 about the future and felt a failure as a mother. I reached out to the number that was provided. The amount of empathy and words of encouragement from the person who answered the call – Sahureli Mendoza Khoury (program advocate from Arlington’s Guarantee) – will always be in my heart. It gave me a fresh start without having to worry about the debt accumulated during the time I did not have a job after COVID-19.

Having this extra monthly income improved my wellbeing tremendously! I was able to be more present for my child because of the assistance. Something I did for us that can be considered as fun is that I bought a few books for my daughter and myself.

What makes Arlington feel like home is that I feel safe, supported, and uplifted.”

Kiara

KIARA

A native of Guatemala, Kiara moved to Arlington in 2018 to look for a new opportunity to improve her life. She lives with her 2-year old son. Kiara is focusing on finishing her medical assistant training program while working as a home health aide.

“Arlington’s Guarantee has allowed me to work and study at the same time while being a mom as well. It has helped me a lot in the sense of being able to improve myself professionally. When I received the extra cash income, I was very surprised, and I said ‘now I am going to study!’ One of my challenges is working overnight shifts because I work 24 hours sometimes. Obtaining my certificate would mean that I could work at the hospital, maybe with a more flexible schedule.

Arlington is the most helpful place for new people. Sometimes because of a language barrier, one has limitations, but in Arlington, they can find places to get assistance and free English classes at the community center.”

Bryanna

BRYANNA

Bryanna is a 48-year-old mom, with a 9-year-old son who attends Hoffman Boston Elementary School and a 21-year-old daughter enrolled in Aveda Academy. She has a great deal of ambition for herself and her children. She is a self-employed yoga teacher and is starting up a new business called Good Soul Kitchen. She dreams of renting a building that she can cook out of.

“The extra cash allows me to be able to leverage my money differently with the relief of having an additional $500 to make, plan, and prepare for the future. Before, I had to cut off all extracurricular activities for my son because we have to pay the bills, and I’m running the business now, so we’re trying to make money and not lose money. As soon as I got this monthly cash, I was like, ‘I can sign him back up for soccer, I can sign him back up for piano, to keep that momentum going!’ Now, I have opportunities to focus on purchasing startup stuff for my business.”

Anita

Anita

A mother of two, Anita moved to Arlington from El Salvador in 1997 to escape violence and provide a better life for her children. She works full time as a cook and lives with her son who is a junior in Wakefield High School. She also has a 32-year-old son, who is currently completing a technical training. She finds tranquility in Arlington and wants peace of mind for her children. She is working with an Arlington’s Guarantee coach, taking steps toward her goal of adding a room to her place for supplemental income.

“I can now rest easy without thinking that I have to pay debts. I do not have the stress I had before. Something special I did was that I ate a very delicious meal. I always thought about it because I did not want to spend much money, but the third time I received the $500, I went with my son to eat at a buffet, and I felt really good!

When I hear the word ‘community,’ for me it is a united group. Just as the people who are helping in this program are doing – as a community – helping without knowing whom they are helping means they are uniting people.”

Bilal

Bilal and Fouzia

Bilal and his wife, Fouzia are parents of 7-year-old twins and a 12-year-old.  “After I finished high school, I went to a technical school. Then I got a Diversity Visa through the lottery program, and I came to the United States from Morocco.  When I came here, I did a lot of jobs.  I did everything, delivery, restaurant, hotel, taxi, everything.” He and his wife have taken advantage of many opportunities to work on reaching their goals and providing for their children.

A few years ago, while Fouzia was home with their young twins, she began taking REEP classes to learn English. As she advanced in her English proficiency, they enrolled the twins in APS preschool. Fouzia then completed her GED and is now just one exam away from her A-Plus IT certification!

Bilal shares, “I got a Commercial Driver’s License 1 year 3 months ago.  I just got a new job and finished my training with Canada Dry as a driver. Most companies asked for experience, but this company didn’t.  And also, it’s local, so I can be with my family at night and weekends.  I wake up at 3am Monday to Friday with weekends off and in the summer, they start a rotation, and I get overtime pay.”

Bilal and Fouzia have used funds from Arlington’s Guarantee to pay off the tuition for Fouzia’s IT classes and to help with their bills. “This [guaranteed income] is a good system.  You can use the money to pay the credit card or the phone or my wife’s school.

“I’ve spent 20 years here. I have good neighbors, they help each other.  Arlington is a good community.”

Clay

Clay

Clay grew up in the historically black Arlington neighborhood of Halls Hill.  A 53-year-old father of 5 children, his life has been filled with highs and lows; from home ownership and running a successful business to jail, homelessness, and drug and alcohol dependency; from proud fatherhood and a 20-year relationship to estrangement from his family and a near-death health episode that left him unable to work. Today, he is holding down two jobs as a butcher at a local grocery store and a blackjack dealer at a nearby casino [Read Clay’s full story here or at the button below].

“I’m an Arlingtonian by birth. I went to Glebe Elementary, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown. I’ve seen Arlington evolve from the perspective of being an African American.”

“For me consistency and stability are things that I thrive on.  That consistent extra $500, I leaned on it. I knew it was going to end, but it just gave me the time and showed me consistency.  “I’ve been a resident of Arlington all my life, and when I was at my worst point, Arlington was there to help me.”

Read Clay’s full story

Luisa

Luisa

Luisa’s son, now seven, was born shortly after she moved to Virginia. She studied engineering in her native Bolivia, but now was starting all over again as a single mom. “As an undocumented immigrant, I feel like a ghost sometimes, because often we have to stay hidden.”

Nevertheless, she values Arlington for the opportunities that it provides her son, “Arlington is a good community because people try to help me, and everything is close by…it’s so helpful to have reduced fees so that I can afford to put my son in swimming lessons.”

The additional cash has enabled her to make ends meet and do something very special: “I sent my son to Bolivia to meet his grandparents during the holidays. I stayed back to work, but it meant a lot to me that he could go. He loved it.”

Luisa has now taken up swim lessons for herself so she and her son can swim together, “Even though things are hard, my son says he’s proud of me, and that he wants to be like me when he grows up. I love my son more than anything in life, so I’m going to be there for him.”

Reema

Reema

Reema arrived in six years ago and applied for asylum after emigrating from Egypt with her 5-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. She didn’t live in Arlington at first, but a neighbor told her that Arlington had great schools, so Reema made it a priority to move to provide a brighter future for her children.

“It was very hard at first. People know it’s difficult to find work as a recent immigrant, so they take advantage of you. I was working for $9 per hour with no benefits. We could only afford to rent a room, and my kids had to always stay in the bedroom because the landlord didn’t even allow them to play in the living room.”

But Reema and her children have found a welcoming community in Arlington. “When my kids go to school, they don’t feel left out. There are other kids that look like them. It’s very diverse. The teachers and other parents are helpful. We feel very safe here. That’s why I love Arlington.”

Reema currently works at a jewelry store but hopes to continue her education. Recently, Reema was accepted to a master’s program and will start school in the fall at George Mason University.

“I don’t give up. I work very hard to get a better life for myself and my kids…the [monthly] cash helps people have a decent life. It helps with food and essentials, but also helps families spend more time together.”

Makayla

Makayla

Makayla is a 40-year-old mother of 5. She sees her 9-year-old on weekends, is working to get custody of her 7-year-old, and stays connected to her older kids through phone and FaceTime. “I’m recovering from substance abuse. I’ve been clean for three years, four months and some days. I just got out of the drug court program. I graduated in January and recently got probation. I’m currently involved in GED classes.” The extra cash from Arlington’s Guarantee helps pay for the classes and her court fees.

She remembers having to rely on her 20-year-old for support. “It was embarrassing. I was pretty much living paycheck to paycheck, and I couldn’t take my son anywhere.” The extra cash has allowed her to pay her bills and to have some special moments with her 9-year-old son. They have enjoyed going into Gallery Place in DC, an art show in Clarendon and farmers markets. “And then recently, we went to this new place in the mall, a game room.”

Makayla works for Turbo Tax 35 hours per week, but “it’s hard to get the hours that you want. I have an interview set up for a dog daycare job, working at the front desk. I’m focusing on college and getting my credit back on track. Now, I’m thinking about more positive stuff. I’m thinking about where I’m going today. I’m focusing on college and on my career, what I want out of life. My ultimate goal is to have my own pit bull rescue because I love pit bulls. I believe they deserve a second chance. I also want to hire felons. They deserve a second chance as well.”

Getting connected to the community more while in Arlington’s Guarantee has been a real plus for Makayla. She’s been working with a community program to work on her credit repair. She was also selected to participate in a focus group on the County housing grants program, which is where she gets her rent support. “It was pretty neat to get to voice our opinion.”

Gideon

Gideon

Gideon was in his mid 20’s when came to Arlington from Ethiopia in 2005. He studied law and was working for World Vision when he got the opportunity to come to the United States. “I’ve been working many different jobs” in and near Arlington including a hardware store, a university, several bus systems, and a hotel where I worked as a driver most of the time.” Before having children, he worked a lot, often holding down three or four jobs at the same time.
Gideon now devotes much of his free time to the four young kids that he is raising with his wife who he met back home in Ethiopia. “I am a home daddy. I love my kids very much. My first goal is making my children mentally and physically successful. What they do when they grow up is their choice. The parents need to be there to guide the kids when little. They are going to be part of the American people for the future.”

For Gideon, Arlington’s Guarantee came at a crucial time. Because of the pandemic lockdown, “I was out of my second job. My wife at that time had a new baby and could not work. So we had only one job with kids and this chance with Arlington’s Guarantee was very helpful. There’s not any question about this. Money helps you with everything, when you have kids. I used it during the Corona time. You know, at the time there was a challenge. Now my wife is working part time.”

“My plan is to continue my IT, software engineering or something. I used to be going to NOVA. But you need to have time. I will continue soon and finish online. I have many dreams.”

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2. Over $700,000 in scholarships awarded to local students

“This scholarship means the world to me.”

Millicent, 2023 ACF Scholarship recipient

This year, we awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to Arlington students, including one scholarship for non-traditional students pursuing trade careers.

While that’s incredible enough, it’s the moment a scholarship recipient and a scholarship donor meet – as several did in June this year – that is truly magical. To see so much shared and reflected across generations and communities is a constant wellspring of inspiration for everyone involved.

Watch the video to meet 11 scholarship recipients who shared what these scholarships mean to them and their families.

Visit the Scholarships home page

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3. Over $3.5 million in community grants

“The Fellowship has been a transformative catalyst for my growth.”

Jordan, 2023 STEAM Grant Fellow

Jordan’s Fellowship was just one piece of our $3,500,000 in grants for the year. But no matter how big or small the piece may be, these grants have the power to transform lives, transform communities, and transform those who financially support these funds through the Community Foundation.

One of our favorite times of the year is when hundreds of community members come together to support the annual Nonprofit Holiday Wish Catalog, which has provided over $100,000 in grants every year so far, helping the year-end needs of local nonprofits. Watch this video featuring nonprofits in the 2023 Wish Catalog to see the difference these grants make.

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4. Community events that challenge, uplift, and inspire

“What better place to end up than a human rights economy?”

Dr. Darrick Hamilton at a 2023 ACF event

As community spaces reopened through 2023, we filled them with forums on equitable economics, presentations on living wage disparities, convenings of local leaders, and celebrations of advocates and changemakers. At each of these, we use our seat at the table to advocate for a bigger table… until everyone has a seat at it.

In this 10-minute highlights video from our event Building a Human Rights Economy: The Case for Guaranteed Income, renowned economist Dr. Darrick Hamilton addresses the purpose of government and our economy, the differences between universal basic income (UBI) and guaranteed income, and what it takes to build a society that works for everyone.

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5. New bridges between donors and community

“Knowing that I can directly impact and choose how and where the money will be used even after I’m gone is pretty significant.”

Dimple Dhabalia, ACF Legacy Society Member

This year we had the privilege of working with new fundholders like Dimple to craft deeply personal and rewarding charitable giving plans. Read Dimple’s story to see how her life and career mirror so much of her family’s history as refugees, and how her Legacy Plan will continue to honor her family and passions far into the future.

Introducing new planning services such as Giving+ and holding our first in-person fundholder annual review keeps us aligned with the evolving needs of both our donors and our community.

Plan your giving here

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What will we

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in 2024?

None of these moments would be possible without you. As we turn the page to 2024, we invite you to financially support the Foundation, and explore other ways to get involved, so that we can continue to build these moments together.

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