Community foundations respond in times of crisis or when emergent needs require swift action, such as when Arlington Community Foundation (ACF) stood up a pandemic response fund that deployed more than $1 million in private dollars to support nonprofits. This is consistent with our mission is to serve all residents of our County by connecting resources to needs. We also run initiatives where sustained effort is required to make progress. Since 2019, our programmatic work has been focused on stemming the tide of displacement of neighbors living on low-income. Arlington, Va. has some of the highest cost-of-living in the U.S., and our initiatives and demonstration pilots have brought forth innovative strategies across areas such as affordable housing, affordable childcare, and living wages.

But creating economic mobility and preventing displacement requires more than improving a household’s finances. True upward mobility in the long run requires creating a sense of belonging for those working towards a brighter future. That’s why fostering a sense of belonging is one of our core values. The current environment for many immigrants and their families not only undermines this sense of belonging but is also increasingly at odds with fundamental protections enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, including the Fifth Amendment right to due process and Article I protections for habeas corpus. These rights are a cornerstone of our democracy and ensuring them for all people working to make Arlington a better place is an important expression of the mission and values of our organization.